Hey MAMArtist* AMANDA MONTEI (she/her)
What are the ages of your child(ren), and where do you live?
My kids are 8 and 5, and we live in California.
How do you describe your art practice?
I'm an author and critic. My recent book, Touched Out, combines memoir with theory and criticism. But I'm trained in narrative, so I'm perpetually interested in story and how language shapes our perceptions of the world.
Who is your artistic crush? Mary Kelly
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
Caring for children teaches us to hold the possibility of another world in view, while also telling the truth about the world we live in now. It's an incredibly creative, intellectual, and political skill.
You have something exciting coming up! PLEASE SAY MORE ABOUT IT!
My most recent book Touched Out is the book club pick at Chamber of Mothers this November. Come join us for a conversation on November 29.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
Touched Out is about motherhood after MeToo, but it also explores more timeless cultural beliefs about who and what women's bodies are for, beliefs that are of course inseparable from how we collectively think about motherhood.
What are you currently reading or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
Margo Steines' Brutalities, a powerful exploration of violence, bodies, and care. And Jessica Elefante's Raising Hell, Living Well, about freeing ourselves from a life of influence.
I'm also currently listening to the podcast Scamanda, about a con woman and mother who convinced her community she had cancer to scam them out of money. It's a wild story about blogging, crowd-funded healthcare, and public personas.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
Be relentless. Don't try to mold yourself into the image of the male artist. Create no matter what. You're already a good enough mother. Be a good artist.
BEST LINKS to find you and your work!
Instagram @amontei
My newsletter, Mad Woman, where I write about books, pop culture, motherhood, and feminism: https://amandamontei.substack.com/
Touched Out can be found anywhere books are sold
My website for more of my writing and teaching work
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Amanda!