Although motherhood writings are rich and emerging, the available literature on midlife motherhood and mothering is incomplete and often presented from a narrow perspective. Middle Grounds: Essays on Midlife Mothering fills this gap, widening the lens on a sociological phenomenon that is expanding in the twenty first century. It brings together scholarly and creative essays from diverse disciplines and cultural perspectives to reflect a more contemporary viewpoint – that motherhood and mothering is not limited by the stages of life or chronological age. It echoes distinct voices speaking about experiences that represent a global reality for midlife mothering practices. More specifically, the writings here provide vital discussion on a cross section of midlife mothering themes including capitalist economics, multiple identities, multi-generational families, dis/abilities, role strain and burn out, fertility, and reconciliation. In essence, this collection demonstrates that everything can transpire in the middle period of a woman’s life. Thus, in midlife, we encounter a broad range of mothering experiences and practices, and ways of representing and expressing them. About the Editors: Kathy Mantas is an associate professor of Education at Nipissing University. Kathy’s research interests include: ongoing teacher development, knowledge and identity; arts education; creativity in teaching-learning contexts and in women educators; artful and creative inquiry; holistic and wellness education; and motherhood and mothering studies. She is the editor of Mothering Multiples: Complexities and Possibilities and co-editor of Middle Ground: Essays on Midlife Mothering (Demeter Press). Lorinda Peterson is a PhD Candidate in Cultural Studies and a Teaching Fellow in Gender Studies at Queen’s University. Her research explores motherhood at the intersection of theory and practice, focused on trauma and memory. She creates comics, other sequential work, and poetry in an art-based praxis for understanding and representing embodied experience. She publishes and exhibits her work regularly. |