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Mother Wove the Morning
A one-woman play written and performed by Carol Lynn Pearson. Mother Wove the Morning. Sixteen women from history speak their lives, a paleolithic woman, a Gnostic woman, a medieval witch, a Shaker deaconess, and others. Their dramatic stories show that the human family has always longed for its Mother in Heaven, has often exiled her, and is now inviting her to come home.
109 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1992
1 person is currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Carol Lynn Pearson
93 books125 followersFrom http://www.clpearson.com/about_me.htm
In fourth grade, in Gusher, Utah, I won four dollars in a school district essay contest on “Why We Should Eat a Better Breakfast.” And yes, this morning I had a bowl of my own excellent granola, followed by a hike in the hills near my home in Walnut Creek, California.
In high school I began writing in earnest. I have now in my files a folder marked “Poetry, Very Bad,” and another, “Poetry, Not Quite So Bad.” Writing served a good purpose for that very dramatic, insecure adolescent. Also at that time I began to keep a diary, which I still maintain and which has been indescribably useful to me both as a writer and as a pilgrim on the earth.
After graduating from Brigham Young University with an MA in theatre, teaching for a year in Utah at Snow College, and traveling for a year, I taught part-time at BYU in the English department and was then hired by the motion picture studio on campus to write educational and religious screenplays.
While performing at the university as Mrs. Antrobus in Thornton Wilder’s “The Skin of Our Teeth,” I met and fell in love with Gerald Pearson, a shining, blond, enthusiastic young man, who fell in love with me and my poems.
“We’ve got to get them published,” he said on our honeymoon, and soon dragged me up to the big city, Salt Lake City, to see who would be first in line to publish them. “Poetry doesn’t sell,” insisted everyone we spoke to, and I, somewhat relieved, put publishing on the list of things to do posthumously.
But not Gerald. “Then I’ll publish them,” he said. Borrowing two thousand dollars, he created a company called “Trilogy Arts” and published two thousand copies of a book called Beginnings, a slim, hard-back volume with a white cover that featured a stunning illustration, “God in Embryo,” by our good friend Trevor Southey, now an internationally known artist. On the day in autumn of 1967 that Gerald delivered the books by truck to our little apartment in Provo, I was terrified. I really had wanted to do this posthumously.
Beginnings
Today
You came running
With a small specked egg
Warm in your hand.
You could barely understand,
I know,
As I told you of Beginnings–
Of egg and bird.
Told, too,
That years ago you began,
Smaller than sight.
And then,
As egg yearns for sky
And seed stretches to tree,
You became–
Like me.
Oh,
But there’s so much more.
You and I, child,
Have just begun.
Think:
Worlds from now
What might we be?–
We, who are seed
Of Deity.
We toted a package of books up to the BYU bookstore, and asked to see the book buyer. “Well,” she said, “nobody ever buys poetry, but since you’re a local person, let me take four on consignment.” As they came in packages of twenty, we persuaded her to take twenty--on consignment. Next day she called and asked, “Those books you brought up here. Do you have any more of them?”
I had anticipated that the two thousand books, now stacked in our little closet and under our bed and in my Daddy’s garage, would last us years and years as wedding presents. But immediately we ordered a second printing. Beginnings sold over 150,000 copies before we gave it to Doubleday and then to Bookcraft.
Beginnings was followed by other volumes of poetry: The Search, The Growing Season, A Widening View, I Can’t Stop Smiling, and Women I Have Known and Been. Most of the poems from the earlier books now appear in a compilation, Beginnings and Beyond. The poems have been widely reprinted in such places as Ann Landers’ column, the second volume of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and college textbooks such as Houghton Mifflin’s Structure and Meaning: an Introduction to Literature. That first little volume of verse, and my husband’s determination, laid the foundation for my entire career.
Another characteristic of my husband was to have a profound effect on both
In fourth grade, in Gusher, Utah, I won four dollars in a school district essay contest on “Why We Should Eat a Better Breakfast.” And yes, this morning I had a bowl of my own excellent granola, followed by a hike in the hills near my home in Walnut Creek, California.
In high school I began writing in earnest. I have now in my files a folder marked “Poetry, Very Bad,” and another, “Poetry, Not Quite So Bad.” Writing served a good purpose for that very dramatic, insecure adolescent. Also at that time I began to keep a diary, which I still maintain and which has been indescribably useful to me both as a writer and as a pilgrim on the earth.
After graduating from Brigham Young University with an MA in theatre, teaching for a year in Utah at Snow College, and traveling for a year, I taught part-time at BYU in the English department and was then hired by the motion picture studio on campus to write educational and religious screenplays.
While performing at the university as Mrs. Antrobus in Thornton Wilder’s “The Skin of Our Teeth,” I met and fell in love with Gerald Pearson, a shining, blond, enthusiastic young man, who fell in love with me and my poems.
“We’ve got to get them published,” he said on our honeymoon, and soon dragged me up to the big city, Salt Lake City, to see who would be first in line to publish them. “Poetry doesn’t sell,” insisted everyone we spoke to, and I, somewhat relieved, put publishing on the list of things to do posthumously.
But not Gerald. “Then I’ll publish them,” he said. Borrowing two thousand dollars, he created a company called “Trilogy Arts” and published two thousand copies of a book called Beginnings, a slim, hard-back volume with a white cover that featured a stunning illustration, “God in Embryo,” by our good friend Trevor Southey, now an internationally known artist. On the day in autumn of 1967 that Gerald delivered the books by truck to our little apartment in Provo, I was terrified. I really had wanted to do this posthumously.
Beginnings
Today
You came running
With a small specked egg
Warm in your hand.
You could barely understand,
I know,
As I told you of Beginnings–
Of egg and bird.
Told, too,
That years ago you began,
Smaller than sight.
And then,
As egg yearns for sky
And seed stretches to tree,
You became–
Like me.
Oh,
But there’s so much more.
You and I, child,
Have just begun.
Think:
Worlds from now
What might we be?–
We, who are seed
Of Deity.
We toted a package of books up to the BYU bookstore, and asked to see the book buyer. “Well,” she said, “nobody ever buys poetry, but since you’re a local person, let me take four on consignment.” As they came in packages of twenty, we persuaded her to take twenty--on consignment. Next day she called and asked, “Those books you brought up here. Do you have any more of them?”
I had anticipated that the two thousand books, now stacked in our little closet and under our bed and in my Daddy’s garage, would last us years and years as wedding presents. But immediately we ordered a second printing. Beginnings sold over 150,000 copies before we gave it to Doubleday and then to Bookcraft.
Beginnings was followed by other volumes of poetry: The Search, The Growing Season, A Widening View, I Can’t Stop Smiling, and Women I Have Known and Been. Most of the poems from the earlier books now appear in a compilation, Beginnings and Beyond. The poems have been widely reprinted in such places as Ann Landers’ column, the second volume of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and college textbooks such as Houghton Mifflin’s Structure and Meaning: an Introduction to Literature. That first little volume of verse, and my husband’s determination, laid the foundation for my entire career.
Another characteristic of my husband was to have a profound effect on both
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 12, 2021
I <3 Carol Lynn Pearson. The section where she plays Lydia and the rape of the Levite concubine wrecked me. That story is one of the most horrific stories from the Bible, and the way she wrote about it really captured the pain and tragedy and injustice of what happened. And the way this section ends. Ugh it tears my heart apart. I had to pause while I was reading it and just cry.
"In my youth I thought she was in the green of the trees we planted to her name, this Goddess you seek, giving us some memory of a day when woman was favored and promising that we will again be remembered. When I was thirteen I decided she was in the heavens hiding from her Lord the Levite and speaking low and trying not to offend.
"But now I am old, and I know that if ever there was a Goddess in the heavens, she was long ago cast down, down to be trodden and abused and to be told, 'Old Woman, be quiet!'
"So she sits with me by the fire here, see?—and we rock together and we gossip and whisper. And no one notices us much, for we are women."
This brings me to another point. I thought this play would focus on powerful, spiritual leaders who paved the way for the Devine Feminine. And there were quite a few woman who fit this description in the play. But she also included women who bought into the patriarchal system. She portrayed woman who were abused (like the one above). She portrayed so many aspects of people's journey's in finding the Mother Goddess. Women who deny Her existence. Women who praise Her. Women who see Her as a fellow victim. I loved that she included all of these perspectives. Now, I only wish that I could have seen her perform this play live.
"In my youth I thought she was in the green of the trees we planted to her name, this Goddess you seek, giving us some memory of a day when woman was favored and promising that we will again be remembered. When I was thirteen I decided she was in the heavens hiding from her Lord the Levite and speaking low and trying not to offend.
"But now I am old, and I know that if ever there was a Goddess in the heavens, she was long ago cast down, down to be trodden and abused and to be told, 'Old Woman, be quiet!'
"So she sits with me by the fire here, see?—and we rock together and we gossip and whisper. And no one notices us much, for we are women."
This brings me to another point. I thought this play would focus on powerful, spiritual leaders who paved the way for the Devine Feminine. And there were quite a few woman who fit this description in the play. But she also included women who bought into the patriarchal system. She portrayed woman who were abused (like the one above). She portrayed so many aspects of people's journey's in finding the Mother Goddess. Women who deny Her existence. Women who praise Her. Women who see Her as a fellow victim. I loved that she included all of these perspectives. Now, I only wish that I could have seen her perform this play live.
October 11, 2010
Met Carol Lynn Pearson and got 4 copies of her book. Maybe I'll suggest it to the ward book club, if they haven't read it already (they've been doing this book club for 30 years, so every book I suggest has already been read!).
October-
This has been on my shelf for a while and I have simply been too afraid to read it. That sounds silly, but I have. I've been too afraid that it would be sad and I would end up in tears and hopeless. I started it last night and finished it this morning- it probably takes about an hour to read, but like a lot of Pearson's work, it's meant to be read aloud for the full effect, so McKay got to hear some of it.
And I was right, I was in tears and sad, but not hopelessly so. I now regret not seeing Carol Lynn perform this earlier this summer when I had the chance. Everyone needs to read this. I'm going to read the rest to McKay as well. I have lots of thoughts for my journal. You should read this. You should. I have 3 extra copies on my shelf if anyone wants one. I'll even pay shipping.
October-
This has been on my shelf for a while and I have simply been too afraid to read it. That sounds silly, but I have. I've been too afraid that it would be sad and I would end up in tears and hopeless. I started it last night and finished it this morning- it probably takes about an hour to read, but like a lot of Pearson's work, it's meant to be read aloud for the full effect, so McKay got to hear some of it.
And I was right, I was in tears and sad, but not hopelessly so. I now regret not seeing Carol Lynn perform this earlier this summer when I had the chance. Everyone needs to read this. I'm going to read the rest to McKay as well. I have lots of thoughts for my journal. You should read this. You should. I have 3 extra copies on my shelf if anyone wants one. I'll even pay shipping.
May 11, 2012
I read this book reader's theater style with some friends. It includes monologues from gnostics and other early Christians, down to Emma Smith, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and CLP's voice. Some sections are really hard to read and made me infuriated at the way women have been silenced and marginalized throughout history, particularly by religious institutions.
I love the last section at the end where CLP has her daughter close her eyes and imagine what a kind God looks like and then asks her if she can imagine Him with a Her. The daughter joyfully replies that she can. If we all could?
I love the last section at the end where CLP has her daughter close her eyes and imagine what a kind God looks like and then asks her if she can imagine Him with a Her. The daughter joyfully replies that she can. If we all could?
May 10, 2022
Hah, remember how in my last review I said that my reading trend for the year seemed to be humility? Yeah, this book was the opposite, and I was all there for it.
Also, can I say how hard it rocks that my 8yo picked this one out for me for Mother's Day? Admittedly from a list I gave my husband of books I had my eye on, but still, it makes me so happy that my daughter is being raised in a time without the same taboos about the female side of divinity that I felt (although it is a little awkward when she joyfully shouts at me when I drop her off at school that I am "the second-best mother in the whole universe" because of it). We aren't where I wish we were as a people, but I love that we are starting that journey.
If you love Carol Lynn Pearson, you'll enjoy this book. If she isn't your thing, this book won't make you change your mind. It is a one-woman play that she performed (and others have since), so it has her style all over it - very personal, accessible, and unapologetic, with an emphasis on storytelling and her poet's sensibility. She has a way of saying it like it is, while still making it feel more like a call to action than a personal attack.
Through telling 16 women's stories throughout time and multiple religious traditions, she highlights the pain and suffering that have arisen when spiritual leaders have ignored or silenced women's voices and experiences, and asks you to consider how our spiritual lives and cultures could have been without that suppression. It isn't always a comfortable read, and she doesn't give tidy answers, but she offers good questions.
Also, can I say how hard it rocks that my 8yo picked this one out for me for Mother's Day? Admittedly from a list I gave my husband of books I had my eye on, but still, it makes me so happy that my daughter is being raised in a time without the same taboos about the female side of divinity that I felt (although it is a little awkward when she joyfully shouts at me when I drop her off at school that I am "the second-best mother in the whole universe" because of it). We aren't where I wish we were as a people, but I love that we are starting that journey.
If you love Carol Lynn Pearson, you'll enjoy this book. If she isn't your thing, this book won't make you change your mind. It is a one-woman play that she performed (and others have since), so it has her style all over it - very personal, accessible, and unapologetic, with an emphasis on storytelling and her poet's sensibility. She has a way of saying it like it is, while still making it feel more like a call to action than a personal attack.
Through telling 16 women's stories throughout time and multiple religious traditions, she highlights the pain and suffering that have arisen when spiritual leaders have ignored or silenced women's voices and experiences, and asks you to consider how our spiritual lives and cultures could have been without that suppression. It isn't always a comfortable read, and she doesn't give tidy answers, but she offers good questions.
October 12, 2022
A delight to read but even better to watch live. Such emotion, imagery, intelligence, and power woven in these monologues. Every one should read this; it’s a particularly good access point for anyone beginning their search for feminine deity. And I just adore Carol Lynn Pearson 🤍
February 21, 2017
One of my favorite plays of all time. I hope to be able to direct this show some day.
February 27, 2018
A beautifully written, thoughtful, and pointed look at the masculinization of God and finally honoring Mother God.
April 6, 2019
Fascinating and still relevant.
March 22, 2023
I was able to see Carol Lynn Pearson perform this informative and moving one-woman play in Sacramento, CA.
November 1, 2010
I love this. I read it last week and have been thinking about it so much since then. I am reading it again now. I don't even quite know how to express how much it has touched me. It has opened my eyes and mind to a new way of thinking about God and Woman. I love everything about this play. Just the introduction alone totally changed my way of thinking about the world. This book is a little hard to track down but so worth it! And it can be read in under an hour.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Heather for sending it to me!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Heather for sending it to me!
October 16, 2013
I appreciated this book, as well as the historical research and creativity it took for the author to put it together. The vignettes she depicts are very powerful and convey well her message about the history of forgetting our Mother and how that affects our cultures. She presents such a variety of experiences that it really helps to open vision and feelings beyond our own; and I consider it to have been a valuable reading experience.
September 24, 2010
I first saw this play 20 yrs ago and it was very influential for me. The references she included in her program was a great reading list for me. I read all of the books I could find at the time. They were pivotal in my efforts to decide what I thought for myself on the issues of women and Mormonism.
Ronda
Ronda
February 23, 2008
Saw the play and had to get the book. Pearson brings to life women and their relationship with God/religion beginning with very primitive society and ending right up here in the 20th century. She's made a DVD and a video of the play - highly recommended.
April 11, 2008
Saw Carol herself do this play twice, many years ago. I wonder if I would love it as much today, or even more? Thoughtful portrayals of women through out history and their connection to a feminine divine.
October 10, 2010
Very well done. Pearson does an excellent, succinct job of giving many voices a simple and compelling framework in which to speak. I will re-read this frequently. It's a small, but important masterpiece.
June 5, 2015
I like the message far more than I like her prose. Maybe it's more effective performed live, but I don't think it was particularly well-written. However, I love the concept and the organization of this play, moving through time and showcasing women from many different cultures.
September 30, 2010
Some lovely, moving characters, but I must confess that I've never been much of a fan of reading plays.
November 20, 2010
Carol Lynn Pearson is amazing! I've enjoyed all of her work that I have read and this was no different.
June 4, 2012
Dan read it before I did and loved it too :)
Wonderful wonderful wonderful book :)
Wonderful wonderful wonderful book :)
August 28, 2014
She's a big name in Mormon Feminism, so I thought I better read it. Very good. Some very poignant thoughts.
April 5, 2017
One of her most powerful dramas. I could not put it down. I have loved her writing for years.
October 28, 2007
This woman wrote a play about Heavenly Mother. I liked it.
August 29, 2011
Read for book group.
April 29, 2017
A quick but wonderful read that will stay with me for a good long time. I am not a religious person and I don't even invest a lot of time in spiritual practices, but I think it's good to consider what is feminine and vital in the universe.
May 26, 2018
I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was beautiful. Carol Lynn Pearson has a clear, concise, powerful way with words. She gets RIGHT to the core of the issue. Also, she seems crazy-eccentric in a way that I kind of love. I really really want to meet her.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews