Motherhood & Words

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07 May

carrier

By Kate

The first time I heard Bonnie J. Rough read was at the first Mother Words Reading. We had connected through a mutual friend, and I roped her into standing up at the podium just weeks after she became a mother. Bonnie was the second of three readers that night, and after she had read only…

04 May

a week of readings

By Kate

I’m coming off an awful case of strep throat, which turned me into a serious whiner last week. But I’m back to normal now—with only an occasional whine here and there—and I’m excited about a couple of readings I’ll be going to this week. On Thursday evening, I’m going to take my mom to the…

30 Apr

remedies

By Kate

The genre I post most often about on this blog is memoir, because, well, I’m a memoirist, and teach creative nonfiction. But I also love fiction. I love novels! I especially love to come across novels by emerging writers, and especially if these writers happen to be mothers. So you can imagine how excited I…

27 Apr

and the winner is…

By Kate

Thank you, again, to everyone for submitting their wonderful haiku. I’m turning it over to Judge Laura to announce the winner: Wow! As a past contestant in and fan of the previous two Mother Words Haiku contests, I was awed by this year’s entries. They were funny, touching, puzzling (let’s be honest, the genre DOES…

26 Apr

by heart

By Kate

Thanks to everyone who submitted a haiku for the Annual Mother Words Haiku Contest. Laura has a challenging task ahead of her! I’ll post her choice for winner in the next day or two. On to books: I just finished Kathleen Melin’s lovely book, By Heart: A Mother’s Story of Children and Learning at Home,…

22 Apr

haiku contest dealine extended!

By Kate

Thanks to all of you who have submitted a haiku for the contest! I’m loving them! For those of you who haven’t submitted, there’s still time. I am extending the deadline until Sunday night, April 25th. My dear friend Laura, the judge of this year’s contest, is at a work conference through the weekend, and…

20 Apr

meredith winn on etsy

By Kate

My wonderful blog friend, Meredith Winn, who is a talented writer and photographer, has just opened up her etsy shop! Check out her amazing work here. And don’t forget to submit your “what no one told me” haiku here. Don’t be scared. It’s three lines. Come on.

16 Apr

3rd annual haiku contest

By Kate

Spring is in the air. The determined stems of our peonies have pressed their way through the mulch, the Clematis is twining its way up the trellis on the side of our house, and the pale leaves of our baby Elm are unfurling despite the damn rabbit that snacked on the tree’s tender bark during…

14 Apr

goodbye ARM, hello motherhood institute

By Kate

I’m sure some of you have heard that the Association for Research on Mothering (ARM) has been forced to close its doors. ARM was established in 1998 and was the first international feminist organization devoted specifically to the topic of mothering and motherhood. With members from over 20 countries around the world, ARM reached across…

13 Apr

a work in progress

By Kate

I love the latest Literary Reflections essay, up now at Literary Mama. “A Work in Progress” is about learning to balance motherhood and writing, and about the author’s realization that becoming a mother did not squelch her need/desire to write. Jennifer Itell is lovely. She teaches creative writing at the University of Denver and is…

09 Apr

marie howe

By Kate

Back in 2007, when I was pregnant with Zoë and deathly afraid of losing the pregnancy, I spent weeks on the couch with my feet up, willing my uterus to hold tight to that little bean. I lay there, wishing I could read, wishing I could focus, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t follow any kind…

05 Apr

writing about adult children: an interview with momma loshen

By Kate

As you know, I’m interested in the ways mother writers deal with the ethical issues that arise when they’re writing about their children. I’ve posted about it here and here. And you can read the responses of writers I’ve interviewed here and here. It’s easier to find essays out there about raising young children, and…