Listen to Your Mother Call for Submissions

Last year, I got to participate in Sacramento’s first Listen to Your Mother live reading. At a Writers Who Wine evening out, Margaret Andrews gave me a little slip of paper saying they were seeking stories about motherhood. I thought, “I could probably bang together something about motherhood.” And I did.

On Mother’s Day, 2013, fifteen of us got to share our stories at the Crest Theater. The stories varied a lot. Some of us were mothers, and some were not. Some talked about our own mothers, or not having mothers. Many of the stories were poignant; some were tear-jerkers and some were hilarious.

Here’s my piece, She Needs Groceries, in which I face my own pre-parenthood judgmental side in the context of bringing kids to the grocery store.

I cannot begin to describe my experience with the show. “It was so incredible” falls a bit short. My castmates and I bonded as we shared our stories and laughed and cried; we sent each other Christmas cards (except me, as it seems like Christmas cards keep not happening), share each other’s news, and plan periodic get-togethers. My family and friends came to the show, and I could hear the familiar sound of my sister’s laughter above the rest of the crowd’s. I felt high for a good month before the show, and then again when they released the videos.

What is my point here?

Now it’s your chance to submit your own story for the 2014 show! You do not have to be a mother or even a woman to participate. You just need an essay about mothers.You do not need to be a professional writer or speaker to participate.

Click here for submission guidelines.

Not in Sacramento? Listen to Your Mother is a national event. This year it will be taking place in 32 cities. Click here to find out if it has reached your city yet.