Love Letters to Mom:
A Final Goodbye to the Mothers We've Lost :
edited by Kelly Haramis, Stephanie Petkie, and Davis Schneiderman


Contributions of between 500-1000 words are sought for this proposed agented collection. The deadline is continuous for additional letters.

This set of personal letters will tell the stories of regular women of all ages who have experienced the profound and perhaps sudden loss of their mothers. This collection will serve as a testimonial special mother-daughter bond, and its tone will be poignant and inspirational.

Guidelines:

--Letters should be from daughters who have lost their mother at any age, and under any circumstance.
--Address the letter to your mother.
--The letter should present a primarily positive tone.

Offer concrete material that does any or all of the following:

--Discuss something your mother taught you
--Offer specific remembrances
--Present fond(est) childhood or formative memor(y/ies)
--Detail specific struggles surmounted by your mother
--Describe how your parenting skills may have been influenced by your mother

Please, in all cases, avoid 1) generic language not closely linked with by clear explication (“My mother taught me strength, courage, and compassion.”), and 2) name dropping of persons not directly relevant to your letter (“your grandchildren Sarah and Harry miss you…”)

Our goal with these guidelines is to produce a collection that speaks eloquently and positively about the mother-daughter experience. We want to offer an opportunity for healing and remembrance, but do not wish to fall into romanticized sentimentality, saccharine platitude, or generic inscrutability.
In other words, please use the creative power of your words to evoke your mother in the clearest, most engaging manner. We wish to tell these stories of daughters thrust into responsibility under difficult circumstances with care, precision, and joy.

All submissions must be approved by the editors and publisher before final acceptance.

Please also include a one-paragraph cv with your submission to dschneiderman@lakeforest.edu