Blog Book Tour: Literary Mama: Reading for the Maternally Inclined

I've been a lover of the online magazine Literary Mama for as long as I can remember. I'm also an insatiable reader of anthologies these days, so when I heard that LM editors Andi Buchanan and Amy Hudock were pulling together the best of LM into a book, I was beside myself with anticipation. When I got my review copy in the mail, I ripped open the envelope with the enthusiasm of a kid at Christmas.

I found many gems. My favorites happened to be clustered in the middle section of the book called "Mothers, Fathers, Parents." The first, a poem by Ona Gritz called "The Impatient Mother," spoke to me in its brevity and power. In it, she shows us the ongoing wrestling match between her "good" and "bad" mother selves. I don't think it's too much of a generalization to say we've all seen our less-than-ideal selves reflected in the wounded eyes of our children. And that there's almost always an opportunity for redemption.

Next, was a short, haunting fiction piece by Gayle Brandeis called "Eyes in the Back of Her Head." Gayle drops us into an unsettling scene in which we watch two children watching their mother, who offers nothing in return. The kids fill in the blanks, grasping for love, acceptance, and comfort, but finding only more questions.

Next, another bit of fiction called "Gan" by Suzanne Kamata. Suzanne is becoming one of my favorite motherhood writers for her elegant storytelling. In "Gan," she introduces us to a woman and her ailing Japanese mother in-law, and to their complicated relationship. She also shows us, slowly, quietly, how the love of a child can break down what appear to be  insurmountable walls.

Finally, a nonfiction piece by S. A. Miller called "Motherkind." We've all read "I've-got-issues-with-my-mother" pieces before, but this one stands out in its honesty and lack of melodrama. I came away feeling a kinship with S., even though my relationship with my mother bears little resemblance to hers. We all come to motherhood with scars, whether from our families or from the uneven path toward adulthood.

I always appreciate thoughtful, diverse voices on motherhood. One can always count on Literary Mama to deliver.

At Amazon: "Literary Mama : Reading for the Maternally Inclined" (Andrea J. Buchanan, Amy Hudock)