The January/February 2023 issue of Literary Mama
“We are told to sync our lives with a calendar, only beginning at the start of the year, month, or a particular week. But, instead, why not allow ourselves to start when we feel the most ready? It’s liberating to know we can begin any time we decide. Permission isn’t needed. We hope that you give yourself space to pause and read the latest issue from Literary Mama and it pushes you to pen your novel, essay, or short story at the start of January—or even in February.”
Rudri Bhatt Patel, Senior Editor
Read the Complete Letter From the Editor
Creative Nonfiction
Forty Years Lost
by Karen Richards
Untethered
by Lauren Miralle
Fiction
Low Visibility
by Bari Lynn Hein
Mama Alone
by Katia Wish
Memory Care
by Sarah Busching
Literary Reflections
Reinventing the Writer While Raising Triplets
by Samantha Ecker Angerame
Poetry
Chicopee Two Boys
by Lindsay Adkins
As Saturn Climbs the Sky
by Katherine Cristiani
Afterthought
by Arlyn Miller
For Leo
by Jessica Pulver
Winter Garden
by Shilo Niziolek
A Mother’s Jet Lag
by Kathryn Kysar
To Touch a Pacifier
by Jess L Parker
Poem for My Unborn Boy at the Ballard Locks One Day Before His Birth
by Monica Schley
My Mother Suggests a Tranquilizer
by Rebecca Brock
Late Postpartum Dream Sequence
by Christy Lee Barnes
Profiles
Chorus of Desire: Margot Kahn and Kelly McMasters
by Jenny Bartoy
Far from Ideal: Liz Alterman
by Sheryl Zedeck Katz
Processing Life on the Page: Erin Khar
by Jennie Burke
The Growth Is in the Fear: Julia Haart
by Holly Rizzuto Palker
Undocumented Mothering: Dr. Elizabeth Farfán-Santos
by Brianna Avenia-Tapper
Reviews
A Mother’s Resistance Poetry: Catastrophic Molting
by Diane Gottlieb
Deconstructing the Meaning of Motherhood: The Other Mother
by Juliann “Julz” Savard
The Messiness of Motherhood: The Women Could Fly
by Sarah Johnson LaBarbera
Celebrating 20 Years of Literary Mama!
Literary Mama is celebrating 20 years of publishing the work of mama writers in an open-access online journal. Be among the first to visit our 20th anniversary page to read highlights of our history and view an interactive timeline.
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6 Tips for Writing and Querying Your First Book
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Best of 2022
There is so much to write about the experience of motherhood. We’ve highlighted some of the books published in 2022 that featured and focused on motherhood in some capacity that editors at Literary Mama thought were pretty fantastic.
Calling All Contributors
Literary Mama wants to hear from writers who have contributed over the past two decades to hear what you’ve been doing since you wrote and published with us! This is a great chance to update your bio on the site.
We also invite former contributors to submit a blog post sharing what being a part of Literary Mama has meant to you.
Learn more on the blog then send your updated bio and/or blog submission to lmblogeditor@gmail.com.
Submit Your Writing
Literary Mama seeks top-notch creative writing, as well as book reviews and profiles of mother writers and artists.
Please see our submissions guidelines for more information. We want to read your writing!
Share With Friends
Your friends can become LM Insiders just like you by visiting our newsletter page and subscribing.
They can also get their copy of 8 Tips for Mama Writers by Andrea Lani, Literary Reflections Editor. This is only for LM Insiders!
Thank You for Supporting Literary Mama!
Literary Mama's Giving Tuesday campaign, which featured a letter from Jacinda Townsend, focused on support for our upcoming anthology project to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Thank you for helping us reach the $3,500 goal!