In the definition given by Podnieks, matrifocal literatures are written and narrated by mothers in the first-person or limited third-person voice, rendering maternal identity and experience from subjective perspectives. Such narratives (re)value the significance and meaning of maternal figures in cultural, social, and national arenas, and often contest or negotiate traditional ideologies of the “good” mother as self-sacrificing, nurturing, and sexless with her antithesis, the “bad” mother. In the last few years, we have seen the rise of matrifocal writings published to break taboos about previously silenced reproductive experiences, create a sense of community, support, and care, and, overall, empower people. This creative session welcomes works of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, drama, essays, graphic novels, plays, and songs, among others – written from the point of view of the mother, by authors who identify as mothers, or engage in “maternal work” in the definition given by Ruddick – that address experiences of infertility, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), surrogacy, elective abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth, therapeutic abortion, fetal reduction, childbirth, breastfeeding, and postpartum, to mention a few. Mother-centered submissions related to topic such as contraception, sterilization, menstruation, menopause, and women’s reproductive health in general are also encouraged.

Submit your abstract and short bio: https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/22297.