Writing is intellectual, solitary work, and mothering too often seen as its antithesis. Marni Jackson's The Mother Zone, published in 1992, gave many readers their first insights into the life of a mother/writer. Yet despite having writers such as Adrienne Rich, Alice Munro, Tillie Olsen and Margaret Laurence to guide and inspire them, mothers who are writers still often feel overwhelmed - even in the 21st century, a writer new to mothering may wonder if she will ever write again. In Double Lives, the first literary anthology focusing on mothering and writing, twenty-two writers, who range in reputation from seasoned professionals to noteworthy new talents, reveal the intimate challenges and private rewards of nurturing children while pursuing the passion to write. Varying widely in age, marital status, sexual orientation, culture/ethnicity, and philosophical stance, authors such as Di Brandt, Stephanie Bolster, Linda Spalding, Janice Kulyk Keefer, Sharron Proulx-Turner, Sally Ito Rachel Rose and Susan Olding, make significant and illuminating contributions to our understanding of how writer and mother co-exist.

Prizes

A compelling and intimate exploration of the unique juggling act of mother/writer

Table of Contents

Preface xiMarni JacksonIntroduction xviiShannon Cowan, Fiona Tinwei Lam, and Cathy StonehouseROOM TO WRITEDrafts 1-12 (Not Including 11) 3Jane SilcottThe Crib and the Desk 13Denise RoigMotherhood and Other Possibilities 23Susan MusgraveOpposing Forces 31Cori HowardA Double Life 36Robyn SarahBECOMING A WRITERMy Breasts Had Become Eyes 53Di BrandtOther Is the Longest Part of Mothering 61Catherine OwenA Mother, Writing 70Luanne ArmstrongElements 80Fiona Tinwei Lam& in our languages, mother is the land 91Sharron Proulx-TurnerMOTHERING FIRSTA Mum's Guide to Outer Space 103Catherine KirknessThe Sun Knows What It Does 112Deirdre MaultsaidWearing Different Hats 119Theresa SheaTransformations 128Stephanie BolsterTHE MUSEMama's Voices 139Susan OldingThe Joshua Stone 156Anne SimpsonMotherhood and the Muses 163Noreen ShanahanDreams: The First, Irreplaceable Maps 171Elizabeth GreeneMother to Vision 181Sally ItoOnly a Day to Visit 188Linda SpaldingWORDS OF ADVICERecord of a Live Birth, and Other Stories 195Joanne ArnottStretch Marks 212Renee RodinMotherlodes, Muses, Mapmakers 220Janice Kulyk KeeferLetters to a Young Mother Who Writes 229Rachel RoseAbout the Authors 241Acknowledgments 251Bibliography 253

Reviews

"The multiplicity of voices, points of view, and backgrounds in this collection produces the effects of a bright patchwork quilt." Elaine Kalman Naves, author of Shoshanna's Story "A diverse collection, representing a broad spectrum of Canadian society ... Double Lives will appeal to anyone, male or female, trying to balance creative work with parenting." Susan Glickman, author of The Violin Lover