The Power of Moms Writing Together (Redux)
See you at AWP Los Angeles
This post was originally published in the glorious afterglow of the 2024 AWP Conference. We wanted to share this again in advance of AWP 2025 in LA where we will be hosting another in-person writing retreat. This post can give you a sense of the power of moms who write gathering together in one space.
So please add our Write Like a Mother AWP Off-Site Reading to your evening agenda during the wee: Friday, March 28th from 6:00-8:00pm at Angel City Brewery
Come chat with us at the bookfair! We’ll be at Table T205, just inside the entrance to the book fair. Want to chat people up about Scribente? Let us know here! Can’t wait to see you there!
The Power of Moms Writing Together (Redux)
In a small gathering space in a cidery in Kansas City–separated only by an open barrier from the main dining room–a group of moms and their supporters did their best to project above the noise of the busy bar. Those up close could capture most of the words being read, but those in the back only caught a word here and there. Yet for everyone in that space, the sense of connection was unmistakable.
Even though not everyone could hear what was being read, every face was full of support and connection. They felt that each word being read was personal and important. Those gathered filled the space with complete validation. The moms in that space were clearly seen.
We didn’t know what to expect with our first off-site reading at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference this year. We had hoped to get enough readers to at least fill the space with a bit of an audience. We did not expect to host over 40 writer-moms and their supporters, overflowing into the main dining room space as readers attempted to be heard over a persistent din. It was clear this space was needed. It still is.
This need to be seen was also shared by the countless mothers who stopped by our table in the less-charming, fluorescent-light-filled AWP bookfair. Curious mothers would stop and chat about shared experiences of parenting and writing. Inevitably, they would suddenly stop talking, clearly thinking about whether or not to continue. Then they would share something deeply personal, something that they like would not have shared at any of the other hundreds of booths in that cold, soulless concrete landscape of a conference center. And often, we’d end the conversation in a hug. Somehow, even in this unlikely place, this space breeds trust. Trust and compassion compelled a group of ten writer-moms to read from their beautiful and personal work, and the very same security led them to hug a stranger in the middle of the AWP bookfair.
As Carla, Rachel, and I reflected in the exhausted aftermath of AWP, we realized the power of simply creating space. We knew our retreats would be important to moms, but we had no idea just how magical, meaningful, and transformative this entire community could be. Certainly a lot of that comes with the intentionality with which we plan events, but the true magic seems to be within the mothers who come to this space. Together, you have created an open, honest, and connected community. Even at a two-hour event at a cidery where hardly anyone could hear the readings; even at a noisy table tucked into the back corner of an enormous event hall; especially in all the quiet moments between the chaos, we feel the magic because of you.
We have such gratitude for all the mothers who stopped by our table, the Scribente supporters who volunteered at the table, all the mothers who read at the “Write Like a Mother” reading, and all of the supporters who came to cheer on our readers. We are so grateful for this beautiful community, and we are excited to see it grow thanks to all our new and renewed friendships from AWP.
So excited to see you all in Los Angeles!
❗Attention Minneapolis/St. Paul Writers❗
Join us for our Minneapolis Writing Like a Mother Mini-Retreat on Saturday, April 5th from 9:00am-3:45pm at Open Book followed by an evening with Maggie Smith at The Loft. This is an entire day dedicated to writing and you need this! We all do! Registration starts at $47!
