MER vol. 20 – 2022

MER vol. 20 “Mother Figures”

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Our twentieth annual print issue is themed “Mother Figures,” cultural icons representing motherhood. What is a mother figure? What have we been told or shown by them? What values do they reflect? What cultural learning do they assume? How does a mother figure deviate from one’s own experiences?

Our contributors, established writers and emerging debut authors, responded with work that is resonant, original, and thoughtful, and which considers a dizzying range of mother figures: some worthy of emulation and some, cautionary tales, some selected and some foisted upon us. Here are mothers from the classics, mythology, and fairy tales. Animal, vegetable (a potato!), and mineral mothers. A surprising number of insect mothers. Mother figures from religions (many Marys), and from several cultures, including pop culture. Historical mothers. Tragic and triumphant mothers. Murderers, martyrs, and midwives. Intellectual, artist and writer mothers. We have fairy godmothers, witches, saints and the all-too-human. Planets can be mothers, as can moons.

The diversity of mother figures can be said to reflect a multiplicity of actual motherhoods. The literary and art work in this issue illuminate figures of motherhood, in concept and in practice.