Mothers and Family
This year, MER is examining the ins and outs of mothers with families, both online and in our forthcoming print issues. Often mothers are the nuclei of families—of the legacies, obligations, and stories that orbit around us. Family of heritage, family of birth, family of choice, our greater human family: our families can be sources of support, of exhaustion, of love, of pain. Our families can pass down to us lore or trauma. We are exploring creative writing that addresses our role as mother in these unwieldy units, how we embroider with and untangle these familial threads that can heal or hinder. Here is our initial offering, creative prose pieces exploring diverse aspects of the topic.
Tracie Adams – All My Love, Monitored and Recorded
Nettie Reynolds – Crossing the Canyon
Melissa Fraterrigo – Daughter Osmosis
Jennifer Harris – One Hundred and Forty-One Miles
Kresha Warnock – Becoming a Mother-in-Law
Cover Image “Reunion” by Ann Calandro
Ann Calandro is a writer, artist, and classical piano student. Serving House Books published her short story collection, Lost in Words, in 2025 and will publish her poetry collection in 2026 and a collection of her collages in 2027. Her artwork has been included in the 2023 New Jersey Arts Annual and in juried shows at museums and galleries. Shanti Arts Press published three children’s books she wrote and illustrated. See artwork at ann-calandro.pixels.com