I'm not the target audience for Literary Momma. It is, after all, "A Literary Magazine for the Maternally Inclined."
Can a man be maternally inclined, or would we call that paternally inclined? Are they different? I couldn't say. I'm not even a parent.
So why do I find myself reading Literary Momma today?
Because of a great article called "Testing: One, Two, Three?" by Gretchen Clark.
To me, this piece of creative nonfiction does what great literature is supposed to do: Put you in someone else's shoes and let you experience what it's like to be them. Even if you're not like them. Even if you're someone of a different gender, someone in completely different circumstances.
In just 14 paragraphs, "Testing: One, Two, Three?" gave me a vivid glimpse into the complex and conflicting emotions of motherhood.
What's more, I now feel like I know Gretchen Clark, even though I've already known her for more than 30 years.
She's my sister-in-law.
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2 comments:
I agree. I liked the piece a lot. Especially liked the imagery she called up -- i.e., sitting on folding chairs at the school cafeteria -- to make a bigger point about the day-in, day-out, incremental journey of parenthood. Congrats, Gretchen.
We men have it so easy, don't we?
As a newly engaged man -- one child seems plenty to me!
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