"All my life is doing something for somebody else...Whether I’m being a good daughter, a good mother, a good wife, a good lover, a good teacher...The only thing I do for me is writing. That’s really the real free place where I don’t have to answer."
This quote by Novelist Toni Morrison says it all. For parents, the responsibility for our children in addition to the rest of life’s challenges can be overwhelming. But the people we were before don’t completely disappear; those same hopes, dreams, and pleasures are still there. So how do you nurture these different parts of yourself and fulfill the responsibilities of parenthood?
Joining today’s conversation is Sara Burnett, a poet, author, former English teacher, and mom of two little ones. After going to therapy for a traumatic, life-altering event, she discovered that writing poetry helped her to process her emotions. This encouraged her to make writing a focus in her life—even through motherhood.
While becoming a mother changed Sara as a person, she challenged her assumptions about parenthood and writing and implemented habits that supported the idea that these two identities can exist simultaneously. By attending writing-related events, she found a supportive community and gained the confidence to push past rejection letters and finally publish her book of poems.
Get valuable advice on learning to believe in yourself and tips on submitting your work in this episode. Plus, you’ll also hear two special readings from Sara’s new poetry book, Seed Celestial.
Topics discussed in this episode
- Sara’s writing journey
- How she fell into poetry to process trauma
- Learning to write as a parent
- Defining a close reading
- Sara’s first poem reading followed by a close reading
- Advice on sharing or submitting your poetry
- Embracing the spirit of rejection
- Finding community at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference
- Erin’s experience attending the Dodge Poetry Festival
- Inspiring quotes from female writers who are also moms
- What Sara is working on now
- Books she loves and books she’s reading to her kids
- Sara’s second poem reading
About Sara
Sara Burnett is the author of Seed Celestial, winner of the 2021 Autumn House Press Poetry Prize. She has published in Barrow Street, Copper Nickel, Matter, PANK, and elsewhere. In addition to writing poetry and essays, she also writes picture books.
Previously, Sara worked as a public high school English teacher. She holds an MFA from the University of Maryland and an MA in English Literature from the University of Vermont.
She lives in Maryland with her husband and two kids, ages 5 and 2.
Get her book
Connect with Sara
- Website: www.sararburnett.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.burnett.52
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sararburnett
Books discussed during the show
- Stephanie Burt
- Natasha Trethewey
- Mark Doty
- Naomi Shihab Nye
- Emily Dickinson
- Shell Silverstein
- The Baby on the Fire Escape: Creativity, Motherhood, and the Mind-Baby Problem by Julie Phillips
- Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
- Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented by Thomas Hardy
- The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Douglas Carlton Abrams and Jane Goodall
- There Are Still Woods by Hila Ratzabi
- Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
- Take Five and The Magic Moment by Niall Breslin
Free your creative self too
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
