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Breeder: Real-Life Stories from the New Generation of Mothers
by
Ariel Gore ,
Dan Savage (Goodreads Author), Bee Lavender (Goodreads Author)
In this ground-breaking anthology, Ariel Gore and Bee Lavender ask real moms — from Web site designers to tattoo-clad waitresses — to laugh, cry, scream, and shout about motherhood. Allison Crews fights to have a voice and be recognized as a teen mother. Angela Morrill eschews both doctors and midwife and gives birth at home. Kimberly Bright draws compelling comparisons be...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
April 10th 2001
by Seal Press
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It isn't so much that I necessarily disliked the stories in the book, but rather that I didn't see how they are representative of a "new generation of mothers." I think I'm supposed to be part of the demographic at which this collection is aimed, but all it did was make me feel as though I wasn't exciting enough to be part of this "new generation" -- I was 23 when I had my son, but I did so in Chicago and not while or after backpacking through Europe or running away from home. And I've got punk...more
Jan 11, 2008
Jenn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
not-your-average mama
Recommended to Jenn by:
Heidi
My sister-in-law sent this book to me when I was on bed rest and 8 months pregnant. It was perfect, because all I wanted to do was read about babies, and having babies, and babies that grow up - but I didn't want to read the same old thing. This book is a marvelous collection of essays from real mamas who are just a little left of center. It was great to read when I was worried that I'd lose my voice or lose myself when my baby was born. This book reminded me that life is change, and that it isn...more
Here is a collection of stories written by contemporary women, mothers, raising babies now. The stories show the deep complications felt and understood by mothers, forever, then compounded by our current culture and how they're getting by. One story lists a woman's rites of passage inclusive of her first deflected rape, then the one she failed to deflect, on to a marriage of disillusion, then the baby. There are stories of mothers struggling between the love of child and the need to leave the ba...more
I got this for a friend, but read it before giving. For every great motherhood perspective in this book, there were at least three ladies with entire new-agey stories/rambling trains of thought about the cosmic connection between pregnancy to stardust in the earthen goddess reverberations of still waters or whatever. It's just a personal preference of mine, but that kind of thing makes me gag. I also dislike it when people use the word "funky" to convey how counter-culture they are. Maybe instea...more
This is a book of stories written by a bunch of Generation X moms. Most of them are very left leaning & into the punk movement, & they think of themselves as "hip". (Basically all the things I'm not.) Even though I disagreed with many of the choices these mothers made (having kids out of wedlock, being promiscuous, raising their kids out of a van, consciously choosing to have more kids when they were already on welfare, etc) the stories were fascinating & really entertaining. It was...more
Being pregnant is hard. If you're like me, you worry about everything--money, the food you're eating, environmental toxins, household toxins, eating cold cuts and soft cheese, cleaning the toilet with bleach, dying your hair,etc. etc. It's exhausting! But it's also important to remember that there are good, magical things about being pregnant and the reward in the end for all your worrying is worth it! Reading pregnancy and childbirth books all the time can be an unpleasant experience that does...more
This book was a little granola even for me. However, it was interesting to get other perspectives on pregnancy and motherhood. I'm just glad St. Mary's considered the placenta biohazard material! I did NOT want to eat it like one author did!
I really loved this book. It had stories from so many different kinds of moms (from single pregnant teens to married couples struggling with infertility to lesbian moms adopting) and each essay provided a unique view point and theme. I liked that topics ranged from the serious like welfare, religion, and race to the more light hearted such as looking for pinworms. The book really shows that women who don't embody the socially approved ideal of the perfectly patient mother who makes cakes from sc...more
This is another compilation of essays about motherhood. What makes this book different from some others is that the mothers are "alternative" moms or moms that don't "fit" society's views of a typical mother. The mothers in this book are unwed mothers, lesbian mothers, adoptive mothers, single mothers. But no matter how different these mothers may be from your own upbringing or circumstances, I think all mothers can find a common ground in these essays. After all, all kids poop whether their mot...more
This anthology is, like so many anthologies, a mixed bag.
It's great to hear a range of voices, including those of young parents, which are often left out of parenting conversations. (I mean, our culture loves to talk about 'teen moms,' but not so much with them.) This collection is intended as a counterpoint to mainstream 'mom' memoirs, and it works pretty well in that capacity.
Some of the essays are just poorly-written and/or boring, though, and could have used more assertive editing. And some...more
It's great to hear a range of voices, including those of young parents, which are often left out of parenting conversations. (I mean, our culture loves to talk about 'teen moms,' but not so much with them.) This collection is intended as a counterpoint to mainstream 'mom' memoirs, and it works pretty well in that capacity.
Some of the essays are just poorly-written and/or boring, though, and could have used more assertive editing. And some...more
A collection of essays written by women about becoming mothers. A lot of humor here, and bizarre stories from "non-traditional" moms about issues surrounding marriage/partnership, pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Strong bent towards drug-free childbirth, breastfeeding, attachment parenting, etc. - which is not my scene, but I still loved reading about motherhood from different perspectives. Bottom line: it's a fun book to read when you're a hormonal and exhausted new mom.
A lot of good writing, but a little monotonous. It's funny, the mothers who wrote stories were supposed to generally be those who "break the mold" - but the stories I enjoyed most concerned more "traditional" mothers, especially the story of the Korean immigrant in Queens and the poor family in San Antonio. Not necessarily lesbians or hippies - just people trying to get by. Anyway, good book, would recommend it for a bus ride.
Good, quick read. This is a collection of stories from a "new generation of mothers" (which I believe my age may exclude me from) but some of the stories really hit home with me having been a single mom for so many years. I would actually give it 3.5 stars if I could because the stories were really well written and interesting. There's definitely something in this book that every mother or mother to-be could relate to.
I feel mixed about this book. Some of the stories were excellent - unique, well-written, very moving. The last story about a woman's transition from being a 20-year-old single mother to being a 30-something married mother of 3 learning to surf was just gorgeous. Others felt forgettable, or they were great stories but told poorly. I also would have liked to read an essay from Ariel Gore herself, who I always find to be incredibly articulate, inspiring, and genuine.
This was worth my time, but a b...more
This was worth my time, but a b...more
a collection of essays from gen x mothers. some were okay, some were really good, some were beautiful. wading through the ones that were okay was totally worth it for the brilliant ones. a great read - esp. for young moms and anyone interested in relating to, understand or connecting with the moms all around us. deals with issues of race, adoptions, same-sex marriage, single motherhood, the tension of self-preservation vs. self sacrifice, identity shifts, work/home balance... etc.... but overwhe...more
I liked the varied perspectives this book offered.
Exactly as expected, tales from moms about being a mom in all different situations and lifestyles. Nice.
A perfect bathroom book! Nice short stories-
"Baby Vibe" was my favorite!
Jan 14, 2010
Carrie Pirmann
added it
essays,parenting
The new generation of mothers is women that previously would not have been approved of to be mothers. Teenagers, lesbians, strippers. Of course lots of people still wouldn't approve of them being mothers but there are still many more opportunities now. For the most part I found this book pretty boring. I think it is cool to read about the experiences of different kinds of mothers, the book just wasn't as interesting as I would have liked.
I think it depends on why you are reading this: if you are compelled by varying stories of motherhood, this is a nice edition to any collection; if you are looking to read narratives that are deeply moving, there are some here (and some, I question the editors choices--a slimmer collection without the so-what pieces would have been so much stronger); if you are looking for phenomenal writing, I would, for the most part, look elsewhere.
It had a couple good stories in the beginning, then they got really boring so I didn't finish it.
Feb 11, 2008
Hillary
added it
I love this book. I've read it several times, and it was really the first book that caused me to question the "normal" family. Each story in this book is from a woman who is raising a child the way she thinks is right. And one of the common threads is balancing her life with her child's needs. Some of them I don't agree with, but you know what? Not my life, and not my kid. Ergo, not my business...
This book is full of hilarious and endearing stories, and it is definitely worth reading. Unfortunately, edgey books from the perspective of my generational peers usually just remind me of how thoroughly old school I am. These people are breeders in seriously ingenious and often difficult circumstances. There really is no one way to bring up a healthy, strong child. Or parent.
Apr 12, 2008
sdw
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to sdw by:
Mindy
Shelves:
politics-of-reproduction
This book contains a collection of essays from a diversity of mammas. Each story is written in a different style from a different perspective. Many were highly enjoyable to read, like good literature. I liked the collective portrait they paint about the variety of mothering experiences and the delicate balance each finds among her various goals, and hopes, and experiences.
It's a cute collection of essays about motherhood. A nice reminder that motherhood comes in different styles and that the most important thing is that we love our children.
Although i have to disagree that it represents the new type of mothers. I wasn't able to connect to any profile depicted in the book
Although i have to disagree that it represents the new type of mothers. I wasn't able to connect to any profile depicted in the book
This just wasn't as great as I was hoping for. The writing was sometimes fine, other times left me wondering if a particular writer was just in there because she was in a writers' group with someone else. I saw neither a bridge holding these pieces together, nor an explanation of the diversity. It was just, blah, there.
I skipped a lot. Some stories were great! Some.. not so much.
This is what happens when Gen X-ers become parents. A great assortment of honest vignettes about the joys and challenges of being a parent. When you are in the trenches of parenting day after day, you can't get enough of this!
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ARIEL GORE is the author of numerous books on parenting, the novel The Traveling Death and Resurrection Show, the memoir Atlas of the Human Heart, and the writer’s guide How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead. Farrar, Straus and Giroux will publish Bluebird: Women and the New Psychology of Happiness in January 2010.
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Jun 17, 2008 11:43am
Jun 17, 2008 11:44am