1. Free Food for Millionaires By Min Jin Lee
2. Trail of Crumbs By Kim Sunée
3. The Fortune Cookie Chronicles By Jennifer Lee
4. Transparency By Frances Hwang
5. Strangers from a Different Shore By Ronald Takaki
How to enter:
Leave a comment below (100 words or less) by May 31st (on Feminist Review) telling us about your favorite book by an author of Asian heritage. It's that simple! Winners will be announced on June 5th.
Make sure to include your name and an email address where we can contact you if you're a winner. This giveaway is open to all of our readers with a limit of one entry per person.
We can't wait to hear about your favorite books!
Read LM Me and My House columnist Elrena Evans' interview with arist Anna Kocher about her thoughts on faith, art and motherhood at Christianity Today.
You write on your website, "We live in a society obsessed with the material and ideal but terrified of true, gritty physicality." It strikes me that motherhood — pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, and just the day-to-day experience of raising small children — is steeped in "gritty physicality."
[M]otherhood . . . strips away the facade in so many different areas. I always had a sense that life was fragile, though I don't think I dwelt on it much. People always talk about how miraculous infants are, which I always took to mean something about how amazing and precious they are. After actually having an infant (two, as a matter of fact), I would say that the miracle is that they stay alive at all. It seems to defy reason that this tiny, helpless creature with sporadic, phlegmy breathing who spews up strange substances and seems, at times, intent on refusing everything that would help it sustain itself (sleep, milk, socks) would grow and flourish and become an individual with thoughts and opinions (strong, strong opinions).
Scholars in the fields of Anthropology, Biology, Cultural Studies, Economics, English, Gender Studies, History, Medicine, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Women’s Studies, and others are engaged in attempting to understand the construction and consequences of motherhood. A woman’s physiological ability to conceive, carry, and birth children, the assumption that the ability to raise children is a natural physiological trait, the ideological pressures to do so, the unique duties and responsibilities of motherhood, and subsequent rewards and penalties are just a few of the areas of inquiry found in literature.
What is perhaps less common, but equally as important, is scholarly inquiry into what some have called unmotherhood: the inability or choice to forego the conception and birth of children. In what many believe is undoubtedly a pro-natalist culture, the advancement of inquiries into issues surrounding unmotherhood, the illumination of the status of women-without-children, and the analysis of the material, cultural, and psychological consequences in the lives of these women (as individuals and within groups) becomes increasingly principal to women’s studies and feminists scholars of every discipline.
This edited edition invites a variety of scholarly styles, methods, approaches, and foci on the topic. The inclusion of personal narratives integrated with or standing apart from scholarly work is highly encouraged as well. Scholars of every discipline are encouraged to submit abstracts, by May 30, 2009, for inclusion in a volume that may include, among others:
1.The emotional consequences of unmotherhood.
2.The cultural consequences of unmotherhood.
3.The re lative economic status of women without children as a group.
4.The burgeoning fertility industry in developed nations.
5.The role of media representation of motherhood/unmotherhood in contemporary natalism.
6.How legislative efforts affect/are affected by natalism.
7.The ways in which class intersects with motherhood and unmotherhood.
8.The ways in which sexuality intersects with motherhood and unmotherhood.
9.The impact of cultural tradition and assumptions on decisions concerning motherhood/unmotherhood.
10.The rhetoric of fertility, pregnancy, and motherhood in literature.
11.The medical/physical consequences of motherhood/unmotherhood.
Please send a CV and abstract of no more than 500 words, via ground post or email to:
Nicole Herrera
Department of English
Olin Hall
University of Akron
Akron, OH 44325-1906
njb9@uakron.edu
MEMOIR (AND) Call for Submissions
The reading period for Spring+Summer 2010 (Issue 6) is upon us! Accepting traditional and experimental prose, poetry, graphic memoir, narrative photography, lies, and more from 5/1/09 through 8/15/09.
Four prizes up to $500 available for prose, poetry and graphic memoirs. All submissions eligible for contest entry.
For guidelines, contest info and online submissions, visit www.memoirjournal.com.
Exhale: As Mother's Day Approaches, Fresh Literary Magazine Brings Creative Voice to a Different Kind of Motherhood
April 26th, 2009: Mother's Day, a festive and celebratory time for some, is a perplexing and sometimes emotional day for the hundreds of thousands of American women who have experienced miscarriage and stillbirth. Many grapple with the lingering question of motherhood: what it means to be a mom, and how one celebrates motherhood when one has lost a pregnancy or infant. Women now have a unique space of their own for creative exploration of such questions: Exhale, a groundbreaking online literary magazine.
Exhale, launched by Seattle-area writer and college English instructor Monica LeMoine, explores the rich array of perspectives and emotions associated with “losing a baby, or not being able to make one in the first place,” as suggested in the magazine’s subtitle. Each monthly issue showcases a compelling mélange of vivid, sometimes humorous personal essays, poetry, art, and book-and-blog reviews culled from a core group of columnists and outside contributors.
“Exhale highlights the less-than-obvious aspects of discovering that having kids isn't always easy,” says LeMoine, who founded the e-magazine in late 2008.
For more information about Exhale, visit www.exhalezine.com, or contact Monica LeMoine, Founder/Editor, at monica@exhalezine.com.
In this workshop, we’ll explore using mindfulness—full attention to the present moment—to discover our deep stories. We’ll write from personal experience, using exercises to generate and hone topics, address “writing blocks,” respond to others’ work, and craft finished products. We’ll talk about essential elements of essays and memoir: structure, scene-making, narrative arc, setting, and dialogue. Students will receive individualized feedback from peers and the teacher, and revise and share at least one piece. Suitable for experienced and beginning writers alike, this workshop provides a safe, inspiring place to confidently coax forth one’s inner writer.
SUMMER SESSIONS:
I: Tuesdays, May 26 — July 28 (no class June 16).
II: Thursdays, May 28 — July 30 (no class June 18).
Times: 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Location: North Berkeley
Cost: $250.00 for 9-week session
Each section limited to eight students!
For more information about this or future classes:
510-559-9076 or cwmalcomb@hotmail.com
ABOUT THE TEACHER:
Chris Malcomb has practiced mindfulness meditation for six years. He has been a middle and high school teacher, and led private classes and workshops for CAIS, BATTI, and the Prison University Project at San Quentin. His essays have appeared in San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, Common Ground, Teachers & Writers, the anthology The Social Cause Diet, and KQED Perspectives. He is currently finishing his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of San Francisco.
Literary Reflections is pleased to present our featured writing prompt response from April. We asked, "What favorite activity has motherhood pushed far into the reaches of your existence? How do you compensate for that absence and longing? If you still make time for hidden pleasures, how do you incorporate them into this reality?
Beth Meleski wrote:
Meg, Sarah and Jean, three other mothers with kindergartners were already sitting in the front row when I got to the PTA meeting. I sat down in an empty seat next to them and waited for our kids to sing for the assembled parents. Meg dug into her bag, past the Teddy Grahams she was force feeding to her four year old and pulled out a copy of the movie Twilight. She handed it to me with a wink. She knew of my obsession.
“Return it to the library tomorrow. Oh, and I didn’t know Edward had a British accent in real life.”
I nodded.
Meg continued, “I’m always amazed when they can do that. Speak without an accent. Like Kate what’s-her-name in that movie.”
Jean chimed in, “Winslet. Revolutionary Road. “
Sarah said, “Yeah, and who was that red-headed lady in that movie with George Clooney? You know, the one where his car blows up in the beginning.”
Meg: “Oh, yeah, Michael Clayburg. No Clayton. Michael Clayton.”
“Tilda Swanson” I said, “That guy on House does it too.”
“What guy?”
“House. What’s his real name?”
Jean: “Oh, it’s right on the tip of my tongue. Hhhh.”
Sarah: “Hugh. . .Hugh. . .”
Meg: “Laurie. Hugh Laurie. He has an accent too.”
The kindergartners filed in, and we listened as they sang "Hello everybody, yes indeed (clap clap) yes indeed. . ."
I can name off at least a half dozen Phineas and Ferb episodes, and I have a favorite (the one where Candace gets squirrels in her pants). I can tell you who won the Kids’ Choice award for best animated voice over (Jack Black, Kung Foo Panda) and I can predict with some degree of confidence that Jack and Annie are going to find their tree house and return safely to Frog Creek, Pennsylvania.
But I can’t seem to finish a sentence or a thought without the assistance of at least one other person. Standing in the school courtyard waiting for my first grader to be dismissed, I have, more than once, been in the middle of a conversation with someone and have just walked away. It has only occurred to me hours or sometimes days later that I didn't finish what I started.
There are other things I can’t finish these days: a cross stitch that I started when my niece was born (she’s now in college), a scarf I started knitting three years ago, books, magazine articles, movies . . . the list goes on.
But there is a trade off to my chronic inability to complete anything on my own anymore. When I became a mom, I gained a group of friends, Meg, Sarah, and Jean among them, who understand, who share my problem, and who come to my assistance whenever I need help finishing a sentence, or a thought, or a dessert. Although, dessert’s the one thing I’ve always been able to finish.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go return Twilight to the. . .
Beth Meleski can be reached at bethmeleski(at)gmail(dot)com.
Join Catherine Orenstein and The Op-Ed Project for an upcoming CHANGE THE WORLD seminar on May 2 in San Francisco. The OpEd Project—featured by The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Katie Couric on CBS News—is an initiative to expand public debate, with an immediate emphasis on enlarging the pool of women who are contributing to our nation's key print and online forums.
Since women currently do not submit op-eds with anywhere near the frequency that men do, we target and train women experts in all fields to write for the op-ed pages of major print and online forums of public discourse. Our mission is to bring about a sea change in our national conversation, which is currently overwhelmingly dominated (85%) by men, regardless of the issue.
The Project has had major successes recently, including pieces written by participants that were published in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Salon.com, the home page of the Huffington Post. One piece by a recent participant was #2 on Google News and had 20,000 hits in the first hour. The topics cover an enormously wide group of issues and interests, from health care and the economy to pop culture and the arts.
Registration information is below. Thanks for forwarding this to your friends and colleagues who may also be interested.
Register at
UPCOMING SEMINARS:
San Francisco: Saturday, May 2, 2009, 10am-5pm
New York: Saturday, May 9, 2009, 10am-5pm
Los Angeles: Saturday, June 20, 2009, 10am-5pm
Washington DC: Saturday, July 18, 2009, 10am-5pm
Chicago: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 10am-5pm
COST*: Early Registration (10 or more days prior to class): $300 for general public, $250 for alum referrals.
Regular Registration (less than 10 days prior to class): $375 for general public
*We offer reduced or waived fees to participants in need. Contact us to inquire.
*The OpEd Project Scholarships: We do everything possible to make The OpEd Project seminar affordable for everyone who is committed to writing an op-ed. If you need assistance, please be in touch as far in advance as possible.
SUBMIT YOUR BIRTH STORY FOR AN UPCOMING ANTHOLOGY!
Looking for any and all stories; home births, hospital births, c-section, vaginal deliveries, miscarriages.
The aim of this project is to create a dialogue for women and their partners surrounding birth.
Please submit a photo along with your story (optional). Include the approximate word count, along with your name, phone # and email address.
Submission deadline July 31st, 2009.
Email submissions/ questions to:
submityourbirthstory@gmail.com
Call for Submissions - East Bay Monthly, July 2009
Dear Writers,
We're planning another fabulous summer essay issue of The East Bay Monthly—and we'd love to consider publishing your work. We're looking for original, vivid, carefully crafted personal essays using "31 Flavors" as a theme or jumping off point. Please give it a whirl, and see where your creative mind takes you. (Note: ice cream references are not mandatory.)
Nitty Gritty Details
1. Maximum length: 900 words.
2. Essays are due by May 14, 2009, in order to be considered for the July 2009 "31 Flavors" summer essay issue.
3. To submit, please paste your essay into an email entitled Summer Essay Submission to editorial@themonthly.com and attach it as a Word document.
Questions, comments, brilliant final drafts...send them our way! We can't wait to see what you come up with.
Sarah Weld and Autumn Stephens
Co-Editors, East Bay Monthly
The Choosing America Project is looking for true short stories that express the very essence of being an immigrant in America; dramatic accounts that transform the word "immigrant" to something moving and personal. For more details please go to Choosing America.
Our concept is to disseminate this information to as many immigrants as possible in search of the best material. Please help us convey this information to writers, editors, students, professors, educators, seniors, colleagues and friends, community leaders and organizers as well as to community groups and organizations and to anyone who you believe can contribute to this project.
Jessica DeVoe posted a fun interview on her blog with LM's own Ginny Kaczmarek. Stop on by at allrileyedup.com and get to know her a little bit more :)
Cheers to us!
Literary Mama has been selected as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer’s Digest for 2009.
I'm looking to put together an anthology of strong, woman writers who envision the future of motherhood as something all together different from what we see today.
So what's the future to you?
Universal healthcare? Free childcare for all mothers, regardless of race, income, or age? Mother compounds where woman live and raise kids together?
Whatever it is, I'd love to hear it. Right now I have several publishers interested, but I am seeking compelling essays to put together. Essay length between 500-2500 words.
Also looking for quotes, or short "snippets" which can be 200 words, and original artwork.
Essays, prose, fiction...I'm open to anything.
Email me at: alphabeticals@gmail.com
Please use subject line: motherhood 2.0
Tuesday, April 14
Pen Parentis is Proud to Present
Julie Klam and Arthur Phillips
Julie Klam grew up in Bedford, NY. She has written for such publications as "O, The Oprah Magazine," "Rolling Stone," "Harper's Bazaar," "Cookie," "Allure," "Glamour," and "The New York Times Magazine" and her essay, "I'm Not Fat, I'm Pregnant" is included in the Harper Collins book The Organic Pregnancy. Julie worked as writer for VH1's Pop-Up Video, where she earned an Emmy nomination for Special Class Writing. Please Excuse My Daughter, her memoir, will be available in paperback August 7, 2009. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, daughter and 4 dogs.
Arthur Phillips has been a child actor, a jazz musician, a speechwriter, and a five-time Jeopardy! champion. His first novel, Prague, a national bestseller, was named a New York Times Notable Book, and received The Los Angeles Times/Art Seidenbaum Award for best first novel. His second novel, The Egyptologist, was a national and international bestseller, and was on more than a dozen "Best of 2004" lists. Angelica, his third novel, was also a national bestseller and made The Washington Post best fiction of 2007. The Song Is You is his highly anticipated fourth novel. He lives in New York with his wife and 2 sons.
Tuesday, April 14
Pen Parentis is Proud to Present
Julie Klam and Arthur Phillips
Julie Klam grew up in Bedford, NY. She has written for such publications as "O, The Oprah Magazine," "Rolling Stone," "Harper's Bazaar," "Cookie," "Allure," "Glamour," and "The New York Times Magazine" and her essay, "I'm Not Fat, I'm Pregnant" is included in the Harper Collins book The Organic Pregnancy. Julie worked as writer for VH1's Pop-Up Video, where she earned an Emmy nomination for Special Class Writing. Please Excuse My Daughter, her memoir, will be available in paperback August 7, 2009. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, daughter and 4 dogs.
Arthur Phillips has been a child actor, a jazz musician, a speechwriter, and a five-time Jeopardy! champion. His first novel, Prague, a national bestseller, was named a New York Times Notable Book, and received The Los Angeles Times/Art Seidenbaum Award for best first novel. His second novel, The Egyptologist, was a national and international bestseller, and was on more than a dozen "Best of 2004" lists. Angelica, his third novel, was also a national bestseller and made The Washington Post best fiction of 2007. The Song Is You is his highly anticipated fourth novel. He lives in New York with his wife and 2 sons.
In honor of National Poetry Month, our poetry reviewer Ginny Kaczmarek offers this great round up of recent poetry collections. Ginny writes:
I'm a fan of Beth Ann Fennelly--I reviewed Tender Hooks a while back for Literary Mama--and I love her new book, Unmentionables. Tender Hooks dealt primarily with the birth of a child and the pain of a previous miscarriage; in Unmentionables, the speaker discusses the challenges and joys of having two children, watching them grow, trying to keep up. This book has more about the passage of time and mortality, watching oneself transform from hip party girl to responsible mother and artist. I particularly love Fennelly's sharp sense of humor, how she can turn a funny poem about cow tipping into a meditation on the reasons behind the 9/11 attacks, or another about watching half-naked young men run and how it makes her feel as a sexual woman almost old enough to be their mother.
Another book I'm enjoying is Marie Howe's The Kingdom of Ordinary Time. Like Fennelly, Howe has the ability to zero in on the minutiae of one's life and expand it into contemplations of the soul. A central idea in Howe's book is the distance between today's secular, quotidian lives, often bogged down in minutiae (running errands, getting to school, rushing to work) compared with the sacred stories of daily miracles and the presence of the divine one reads about in the Bible or ancient poetry. The middle section is called "Poems from the Life of Mary," which consists of five short poems written from the perspective of the Mary as a young girl asked to become the mother of God, and how it might feel to be touched by divinity.
Both books contemplate what it means to be a spiritual being in a secular world, dealing with the daily needs of our children, our aging bodies, the accumulation of details necessary to get through the day, week, month contrasted with the great mysteries of death, birth, the life of the soul, the places we touch when we create art or make love or experience connection to the divine. This is poetry at its best, puzzling over the conundrums of what it means to be human.
LM's editor-in-chief Caroline Grant will be reading from Mama, PhD and discussing issues raised by the book at two events next week:
At the University of Richmond, she'll be joined by Jennifer Cognard-
Black, Della Fenster, and Children's Lit Book Group columnist Libby
Gruner. Reception to follow!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
4:00pm - 5:30pm
University of Richmond
Brown-Alley Room
Richmond, VA
for more information, contact Libby Gruner at egruner AT richmond DOT edu
At Duke University, Caroline will be reading with Susan O'Doherty,
Jean-Anne Sutherland, and LM Columns Department editor Alissa McElreath.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Duke University
0014 Westbrook
Durham, NC
for more information, please visit Duke's website at : http://www.gradschool.duke.edu/student_life/finding_support/gsa/programs/gsaw.html