(M)othering is a universally understood phenomenon that speaks to the act of becoming something unexpected and entirely outside ourselves. And this book is a collection of writing and art about that. 56 contributors illuminate the kind of gritty, body mind soul transformations that only the mothering myth can evoke. Their work will take you to wonder and wildness, kindness, beauty, grief, love.

These writers and artists show us what it means to create, to birth something, to love it, and to suffer loss. They share their truths about being persecuted, fleeing. About trans-generational trauma. Some write of broken women, mothering their mothers and sisters, choosing not to be mothers. Having many mothers. Mothering grown children. Men who want to be mothered. They tackle identity, adoption, abortion, addiction, self-care, sacrifice, nature and nurture, making art, unravelling, invention, loneliness, anger, laughter, and joy. They are queer, Metis, indigenous, French, male, Jewish, Mennonite, descendants of the Blackfoot and the Cree, settlers and immigrants. In unison, they speak about experiences far beyond the pathologizing of the pregnant female body.

Anne Sorbie has published three books, including the poetry collection, Falling Backwards Into Mirrors (Inanna, 2019). Her work has appeared in magazines, e-zines, journals and anthologies, and on CBC Canada Writes. Her poetry has been translated into Farsi and broadcast by Ottawa Persian Radio (2021), and shared in Piacenza, Italy as part of Global Poetry Patchwork (2020). She is a staunch believer in equity and an active community advocate. Her writing often focuses on the lives of women. Anne lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Heidi Grogan's writing and work address issues at the intersection of trauma, social justice, and spirituality. She has published in ROOM magazine, Weavings, and the Boobs Anthology (Caitlin Press, 2016). For 15 years, she taught creative writing to women healing from sexual exploitation and edited their publication, Cry of the Streets. She has engaged adults healing from trauma in multiple Calgary programs, attending to the links between poverty, literacy, and literary fluency. Heidi lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Anne Sorbie's profile page

Heidi Grogan's writing and work address issues at the intersection of trauma, social justice, and spirituality. She has published in ROOM magazine, Weavings, and the Boobs Anthology (Caitlin Press, 2016). For 15 years, she taught creative writing to women healing from sexual exploitation and edited their publication, Cry of the Streets. She has engaged adults healing from trauma in multiple Calgary programs, attending to the links between poverty, literacy, and literary fluency. Heidi lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Heidi Grogan's profile page

"The (M)othering anthology is as varied, complex, heart wrenching, joyful, poignant, warm, fraught, funny, whimsical, tragic, contradictory, and lovely as the experience of motherhood itself. I highly recommend the beautiful literary and visual offerings of this outstanding group of wise artists."
-Angie Abdou, author of This One Wild Life: A Mother-Daughter Wilderness Memoir

"Motherhood is nothing if not complex. In this fresh anthology, many manifestations of motherhood reveal themselves through precise heartache and delight. Joan Crate's 'Balloon Ride' startled me, Sheri-D Wilson's 'Mother' spoke of loss and her comparisons to a broken hourglass stayed with me while Katherine Smart's 'Reasons' brought me right back to similar mornings. This is a book for any mother who knows that Mothering is the most complex job a person can have. Prepare to have your heartstrings pulled."
—Micheline Maylor, author of The Bad Wife

"This collection is startling and transformative as the artists invigorate the myth of mothering with honesty and passion."
—Cathy Ostlere, author of Lost: A Memoir