Museum of Accidents
by Rachel Zucker
Wave Books 2009
A Review by Marjorie Tesser
Rachel Zucker's work explores her individual consciousness in dispassionate, reporter-like detail; the others who people her poems (family, colleagues, fellow- victims of a health situation) are presented more sketchily. Her tone is conversational; you can almost picture her sitting across from you in a coffee house (not Starbucks, the indie one around the corner), balancing a baby on her lap while he bulldozes a corn muffin into crumbs which shower unheeded to the floor as she expounds over her green tea soy latte, never letting you get in anything but an occasional nod. But nod you do because she's true to her poetic credo of ungilded candor, hyper-accurate reportage aimed at nothing less than unmasking the basics of our human condition, our relationship with the universe.
Read Founding Editor Amy Hudock's interview with The Post and Courier's Charleston Scene:
Writing is all about play and experiments, and is a bit wild and untamed. Editing is all about shaping and organizing the play, making the "child" fit for polite society. Writing is the child in me, and editing is the mother.
Read more at: Charleston Scene.
undefined magazine wants to publish you in our summer reader
Deadline for submissions June 7
Would you like to see your words on the pages of South Carolina's premiere arts magazine? Of course you would. That's why undefined magazine is holding its first creative writing competition with awards for poetry, short stories, and flash fiction.
First, second and third place winners will be published in undefined's summer reader, coming out in July 2010.
Entrants may submit no more than one entry in each category, with the poetry category including poetry of up to six pages of text or six poems total. All entries should be previously unpublished in any form. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but upon acceptance of manuscript in any other arena, undefined magazine must be notified by emailing editor@beundefined.com.
Deadline for submissions is June 7, 2010.
Short Story - Submit previously unpublished and double spaced Short Story manuscripts of no more than 2500 words electronically in word.doc format to contest@beundefined.com. Each submission should include a separate cover sheet containing the short story title, author's name, address, email address, phone number and the category in which the submission should be entered. The actual manuscript should have no additional markings other than the title of the story.
Flash Fiction - Submit previously unpublished and double spaced Flash Fiction manuscripts of no more than 500 words electronically in word.doc format to contest@beundefined.com. Each submission should include a separate cover sheet containing the flash fiction title, author's name, address, email address, phone number and the category in which the submission should be entered. The manuscript should have no markings other than the title.
Poetry - Submit up to six pages (six poems total) of previously unpublished poetry with each poem appearing on its own page, electronically in word.doc format to contest@beundefined.com. Each submission should include a separate cover sheet containing the titles or first lines of each poem, author's name, address, email address, phone number and the category in which the submission should be entered. The manuscript should have no markings other than the title.
For more information go to http://www.undefinedmagazine.com/
Suzanne Kamata, Fiction Co-editor: I'm excited to report that my latest anthology, Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering has just been named a finalist for the 2010 IPPY Awards in the Multicultural Nonfiction category. Editor's Note: It won the bronze!
I also noted that LM fiction contributor Mary Aker's collection "Women Up On Blocks" is a finalist in the Short Fiction categoy. Editor's Note: It won the gold!
Karna Converse, Blog Co-editor: My review of "The Death of Josseline" is up at the Internet Review of Books. No matter what you think about our immigration policies, you'll be affected by this book -- and will learn a lot.
In April, we asked the question:
"Before children, what fantasies did you construct about childbirth and parenting? How did you come to terms with the disparity between your dreams and reality?"
This month, we had two exquisite submissions. The following is the second submission we selected.
Alyssa Westring wrote:
In theory, I'm an expert at work-family balance. My Ph.D. and several academic articles all attest to the fact that this subject matter is one I'm well-versed in. So, when I became pregnant (and before that, to be honest), I had the best laid plans of the working-mom I would be. In theory, I would take all of the theories, research, and data and apply them expertly and judiciously. At work, I'd be a prolific researcher while proudly taking breast-feeding breaks every so often. At home, I'd be playful and purposeful, putting away the I-should-be-working feelings. Oh, and of course, I wouldn't forget myself in all this. I'd lose the baby weight, wear chic clothes, and take time for my beloved mani/pedis. I wouldn't be the frazzled working-mom getting by on caffeine and adrenaline. In theory, I had this whole working-mom thing in the bag.
And then "in theory" became "in reality." In reality, the birth of my son was followed closely by the end of my mom's battle against brain cancer. In reality, the only balancing I did in those early days of motherhood was balancing my son on my mom's lap in the hospital. In those days, it was hard enough to be a daughter and mother. The notion of having anything left to give to my students, my post-partum body, or my toenails seemed like a fairy tale that I vaguely remembered from my innocent youth. I returned from maternity leave a week after my mom died with a four-month-old who only wanted to sleep with my breast in his mouth. Exhausted and grief-filled, my focus was solely on getting through the "must do's" of each day.
Now, three months later, my life has a pleasant routine, my baby sleeps, and my grief is manageable. I have a spouse who (through a well-timed layoff from his job) now stays home with our son full-time. I have the financial resources to support my family by working in a job that I love. I have the time and energy to waiver over whether I'm motivated to hit the gym after work. But, now I am much better able to see the daily choices that I make for what they are: a luxury. I won't forget the days when such choices seemed ridiculous. I feel genuine humility as I imagine the struggles of other moms who work inflexible, low-wage jobs, care for sick children, or have little family support. My theories about what it means to be a "good" working-mom have changed. In reality, for many of us, "good enough" is sometimes as good as it gets. And, when I catch myself complaining about the challenges of striving for anything better than "good enough," I remind myself of a quote by Natalie Kertes Weaver (in Mama, Ph.D.) that I now think of as the prayer of the working mom: "Blessed are we, truly blessed, who are
free and able to choose to live so fully." Amen.
Alyssa Westring can be reached at myworklife@gmail.com.
Cara Holman is the winner of The Threadbare Heart Mother's Day Contest, weighing in with an unusual mother-daughter pair, one that made me want to look for this Louisa May Alcott novel I've never read:
My first thought was to scour Jane Austen for mother-daughter pairs. But Emma and Anne's mothers died before the stories began, Catherine and Fanny had mostly off-screen mothers, having been relegated to the care of others for the duration of the novels, and Elizabeth's mother was an embarrassment, leaving only Elinor's mother, who was well-meaning if often ineffectual in preventing her daughters' heartbreaks. And wait, she also relegated her daughters to the care of others for the better part of the book). I was starting to sense a theme of absentee motherhood here. So I turned to another of my long-time favorite authors, Louisa May Alcott, and she did not disappoint.
Alcott's mothers are strong, wise, and nurturing, without being suffocating. I've always admired Marmee, but perhaps the mother who best exemplifies my own mother would be Polly's mother, in my favorite Alcott book, An Old-Fashioned Girl. Mrs. Milton, who we never see directly on the pages of this book, nevertheless is reflected through Polly's actions. Her confidence and trust in allowing Polly to venture away from home, both as a girl, and again as a young woman, reminded me of my mother. My mom raised me to be independent and seize opportunities, even when the opportunity took me 3000 miles away, to attend college. And if, like Polly, I landed on my feet, I can credit it to having had a mother like Mrs. Milton, who loved me unconditionally, but knew when to nudge me out of the nest.
Congratulations, Cara! You've won a copy of Jennie Nash's latest novel, The Threadbare Heart, and are now entered to win the grand prize drawing as well.
No academic examination of motherhood existed when Dr. Andrea O'Reilly was earning her PhD in English, so she decided to design a course. This effort led to the establishment of the Association for Research on Mothering [now known as Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI)], an academic journal and a publishing house dedicated to mothering-related topics. Earlier this month, her Encyclopedia of Motherhood was released. The three-volume collection features 700 entries on the subject.
The Hand That First Held Mine, the latest novel by Irish writer Maggie O'Farrell (The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox), is about two women born generations apart. The first, Lexie Sinclair, leaves her conservative family for the life of a bohemian in post-war London after meeting the love of her life over a garden hedge. The second, Elina, is a Finnish artist living with her boyfriend, Ted, and their newborn in modern day London. Elina, who nearly died in childbirth, is recovering from a massive blood loss, while Ted is suddenly haunted by lost memories. Elina's lethargy and ambivalence toward her baby is perfectly rendered. Any mother will be able to relate to Elina's near paralysis upon finding herself with a napping child and the unexpected, fragile gift of time for self - so little time, so many things that she would like to do! The novel unfolds slowly, picking up pace as the two women's stories begin to come together, until the startling, yet satisfying conclusion. Once again, O'Farrell has turned out a lyrical, melancholy tale laced with family secrets.
Jessica Berger Gross (former Mama's Boy columnist) has a new twice-weekly blogging gig over at Yoga Journal. Be sure to check out her most recent post, We Flunked Mommy-Baby Yoga.
Poet and author Sage Cohen is seeking submissions for a new poem-a-day iPhone application. Offering 365 poems that explore "The Life Poetic," this virtual anthology will let viewers easily read poems on their iPhone and then share them by text or email.
Poets interested in appearing in this anthology are invited to submit up to three poems to "The Life Poetic iPoem Contest" by July 4. In addition to publication opportunities, prizes include a free class, manuscript review, and many books -- with an award value of $350+.
All contest details and submission guidelines can be found here:
Check out these new LM bookmarks. Print them out on heavy weight paper, slice them up, and distribute them. And don't forget about our other LM gear: t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, kids clothing, books, bags and other "fun stuff." Any of these items would be a great tribute to Mother's Day!
In April, we asked the question:
"Before children, what fantasies did you construct about childbirth and parenting? How did you come to terms with the disparity between your dreams and reality?"
This month, we have two exquisite submissions. Look for the second essay next week.
The Threadbare Heart, by Jennie Nash, is a story about a mother and a daughter torn apart by grief, jealousy and misunderstanding -- and the family heirloom that finally brings them together. To celebrate its publication, and in honor of Mother's Day, Literary Mama and Jennie are running a "Favorite Fictional Mother & Daughter" contest.
We want to know: which fictional mother-daughter pair made you laugh? Made you cry? Made you cringe? Which pair revealed something true about your own mother-daughter relationships? (And yes, mothers and daughters in film are eligible. Fiction is fiction, right?)
To enter, email our reviews editor, Vicki Forman (vickiforman (at) gmail (dot) com, 250 words explaining your favorite fictional mother-daughter pair. On Mother's Day, we'll post the entry we like best. The winner will receive a signed copy of The Threadbare Heart and will be entered in a Grand Prize Giveaway.
The Grand Prize winner will receive a "Book Club in a Box:" ten signed copies of The Threadbare Heart, a call-in from the author, and a delicious rum cake to share with your book-reading friends. (Why rum cake? You'll have to read the book to understand!)
LiteraryMama contributor Amy Watkins is launching a free, weekly poetry podcast and wants submissions of smart, accessible poems that sound great out loud. To submit, email three poems along with a "this is what I was thinking" type artist's statement to submissions@redlionsq.com. Find out more and sign up for the podcast at http://www.redlionsq.com or search Red Lion Sq. Poetry on Facebook.