Who We Are

We want to introduce you to Alissa McElreath, LM's new Columns Editor. Alissa teaches English at a small, private college in North Carolina, where she lives with her husband and two children (7 and almost 4). She chronicles her life as a mother, writer, and teacher on her blog. Read her latest post about the true meaning of Christmas.....

Starting in January of 2008 she'll be writing for the Family Education Network. Her essay, "That Mommy Thing," will be appearing in Mama Ph.D. (Rutgers University Press, 2008).

Conte: A Journal of Narrative Writing.

Elrena Evans makes us consider the dark side of what happens when dreams do come true in her short story, Bartimaeus The Blind Read on in Conte: A Journal of Narrative Writing. And be careful what you wish for....

Mamaphonic

"Little Ninjas" by Suzanne Kamata, LM's Fiction Editor, tells a story about the struggle to protect our children from violence.

Christine shook her head. They’d done nothing but scare the children. She remembered what her Sunday school teacher had said long ago about the devil: He wouldn’t be some ugly red ogre with horns; he’d be handsome and friendly and he’d come bearing candy.

Who We Are

Okay, I've dropped the ball and haven't featured any editors in too long...and now we have some new additions to our crew.

Nicole Stellon O’Donnell, Columns Editor, is a poet and essayist who lives in Fairbanks, Alaska with her husband and two daughters. Her poetry has appeared in various literary magazines, including Ice Floe, The Women’s Review of Books, Beloit Poetry Journal, and Prairie Schooner. Her essays and reviews have appeared in Anchorage Daily News and as commentaries for the Alaska Public Radio Network. With the support of a grant from the Rasmuson Foundation, she’s currently working on a book of personal poems about the life of Sarah Ellen Gibson, who in 1903 decided to start her life over in Fairbanks. She writes about life in Alaska at her blog Subarctic Mama.

Literary Mama Authors!

Several Literary Mama editors and columnists have books coming out this Spring that are now available for pre-order on Amazon.

CNF editor Sonya Huber's memoir, Opa Nobody, is coming out this spring from University of Nebraska Press.

Senior Editor and columnist Shari MacDonald Strong's anthology, The Maternal Is Political: Women Writers at the Intersection of Motherhood and Social Change (featuring essays by several Literary Mamas) will be published in May by Seal Press

Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs by Suzanne Kamata will be published in June by Beacon Press.

And finally, columnist Elrena Evans and Caroline Grant also edited an anthology featuring several Literary Mama writers, Mama, PhD: Women Write about Motherhood and Academic Life. It comes out this summer from Rutgers University Press

Lovely Lady Lumps

Read Elrena Evans' column, "Lovely Lady Lumps" in the "Nutshell" section from the Winter 2008 issue of Brain, Child magazine. Elrena, LM's Me and My House columnist, writes about our culture's current fascination with the sexiness of pregnancy, and the increasing rates of postpartum plastic surgery. Why isn't postpartum sexy too? Read on...

The Mother of all Zines is Back!

Mamaphiles, the mama-zine compilation, announces the publication of its third issue. In this installment, twenty-five zine-writing mamas (including Literary Mama's Creative Nonfiction Co-Editor Kate Haas) and one papa take on the theme "Coming Home." Contributors range from zine veterans like Ariel Gore of Hip Mama to young mothers brand-new to zines. Packed with essays, poetry, artwork and photos, Mamaphiles is a comprehensive introduction to the vibrant mama zine community (or a good way to check in with old favorites). Ordering information at www.mamaphiles.com.

Mamazine

LM's Literary Reflections co-editor, Violeta Garcia-Mendoza has a poem featured in the latest Mamazine installment titled, Mis Ojalas.

Literary Mama Needs Editorial Help!

Got any newsletter or marketing experience? Literary Mama is seeking an e-zine editor! Work entails formatting and copy editing the weekly newsletter on a strict deadline, as well as research and reporting (not on deadline) about what kinds of blurbs generate the most click-throughs, what kind of content our readers are most hungry for, and who our readers are.

The job requires a gimlet eye for detail, a rudimentary knowledge of HTML, and editorial experience. The editor would also need to learn GraphicMail.

This is not a paid position – we are all volunteers here. But it’s part-time, and you’ll get a behind the scenes peek at running an online publication, a fabulous line on your resume, and access to lots of great writers and editors.

For more information or to apply, contact Caroline Grant, LM Senior Editor, at cmgrant AT speakeasy DOT org

A Wild Ride

Developed out of necessity, the Web site A Wild Ride helps and supports parents whose children require more than "normal" children. These parents are forced to deal with stress that most people can't comprehend. They are stretched to their limits of patience, endurance, ability, and sometimes resources and they feel anxious, afraid, isolated and confused. Their days are unpredictable at every turn. For them, parenting is A Wild Ride, where they experience extreme ups and downs as they hold on tight.

Our Web site/Blog is about sharing the journey with others on a similar path, so parents – when you feel you can’t take one more meltdown, sit back, relax, and click on www.awildride.net where we:

Share Stories
Offer Strategies
Provide Resources
Answer Questions
Announcing a writing contest to celebrate our first birthday as we prepare for ringing in the New Year.

Deadline: January 5, 2008

Our theme for 2008: What to Expect When Parenting Isn’t What You Expected?™

Categories:

Story
Strategies
Resources
As I See It (Designed for family members, friends, therapists, other professionals to share your own suggestions in support of white-knuckled parents.)
See our site for more details.
http://www.awildride.net/index11.

WOW! Women on Writing

We are an ezine that promotes communication between women writers, authors, editors, agents, publishers and readers. We are currently seeking freelance writers for our upcoming editorial schedule and themes. Please visit: http://wow-womenonwriting.com to get the flavor of our columns and features.

Writing Schedule and Themes for WOW! Women On Writing:

Jan. 2008 - Focus on Readers: book reviews, author interviews, how to make a freelance living at writing book reviews, book clubs, literary guilds, author interviews

Feb. 2008 - The Romance issue: Writing for romance markets, how to craft romantic scenes, book reviews, author interviews.

Mar. 2008 - Small Presses: Focus on how small presses create buzz, small press profiles, author stories about their experience with small presses.

Apr. 2008 - Big Publishing Houses: focus on traditional publishing, editor interviews, crafting a query letter or book proposal, trends in publishing.

May 2008 - Freelance Union: how to make a living as a freelance writer, copywriters, technical writers, book doctors, legal writing.

Our Columns pay a flat rate of $50-$75.
Feature articles pay a flat rate of $150.
Feature interviews pay a flat rate of $75.

Please visit our Contact Page for complete writer's guidelines and contact email addresses for the editorial department.

We urge you to visit WOW! Women On Writing and view our previously published material.

NOTES: Get your submissions in as soon as possible. Spaces fill up fast. We also appreciate photographs to illustrate the article, or at least the writer's portrait. We are a highly visual online magazine.

Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Warmest regards,

Editors: WOW! Women On Writing and our entire staff