Where I live in Arizona, March and April make up their own little season. Warmer than spring, way cooler than the triple-digit temps of summer – it’s an unnamed time of absolutely perfect weather. And after daylight savings takes effect in most of the country, the Arizona sun comes up earlier. The mornings become just […]
Congratulations to these Literary Mama staff members! ~~~~~ Senior Editor Rudri Bhatt Patel published the piece, “Pros and Cons of Anchor Clients,” for The Freelance Creative. She also published the piece, ““Why Pickleball Is a Great Sport for Seniors,” for FAR.com. For Apartment Therapy, she published, “How I Used the Two-Minute Rule to Stop Feeling […]
I always advise students to be wary of workshopping a poem like a checklist. Still, there are keys to a successful poem: arresting images, attention to metaphorical and sensual language, a wariness of abstraction, an awareness of sound and form, effective line breaks and an unpredictable ending. But what writers of poetry often overlook is […]
The Literary Reflections Department at Literary Mama is seeking submissions for our May/June 2023 publication. We are looking for original first-person essays about the intersection of parenthood and the creative process, and we welcome perspectives from all genders. For this issue, we’re interested in pieces between 1,500-3,000 words related to either Mother’s Day or Father’s […]
February 13 has become an opportunity for women to reflect on their female friendships. Born from a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation, Galentine’s Day is now a celebration worthy of Pinterest boards and marketing teams. As a general rule, I’m not a lover of holidays because of the busyness and planning that are involved, […]
Welcome to our Calls for Submissions page. Here, we’ll feature new publication opportunities for all our Mama readers. Look for updated posts every other month. If there is a ❤️ next to a call, that means the magazine or press is specifically looking for mother writers. We ❤️ all our Mamas! Literary Mama is always […]
Mama writers, it’s your time to shine. We want to publish your writing right here on the Literary Mama blog! In honor of our 20th anniversary, we want to celebrate the voices in our community. Here’s what you need to know. Blog Submission Prompt and Guidelines We’re asking for blog submissions on the prompt: What […]
Between Valentine’s Day, my oldest daughter’s birthday, and my wedding anniversary all within five days of each other, there’s no shortage of opportunities to tell my family I love them in February. With all the activity and excitement, it can be easy for me to neglect the things I need to flourish as both a […]
As a child, I was fond of telling dramatic stories. In fourth grade, I wrote a one-act play called “Tornado.” Four sisters lost both parents in a devastating natural disaster and were dispersed around the country only to meet up in their 20s at a Broadway audition. I directed, produced, and starred in this basement […]
This fall I queried an agent for the first time. After four years of working on my essay collection, hitting Send felt more liberating and rewarding than terrifying. Of course, signing with an agent is only one step of the process and doesn’t guarantee publication. Still, this was farther than I’d ever gotten in my […]
Literary Mama is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and we want to hear from writers who have contributed over the decades. We’d love to know what you’ve been doing since you published with us! Send us your updated bio, and we’ll get it into our system! We’d also like to invite former contributors to submit a […]