Melancholy Moms: Back on Our Bullshit
A Conversation between Joanna Penn Cooper and Jessica Mesman
JPC: So, our original Melancholy Moms idea was the Instagram account. It was meant to be bad/funny advice for moms, some of whom might be writers. And generally amusing posts for our friends in general. With some serious stuff in there, as well, the subtext being that we were exploring the line between rich, creatively productive melancholy and depression. That we were showing just what kind of ditches we found ourselves in as mothers and creative people, as a way of bearing witness and laughing about it all.
With this newsletter, I also wanted to think through my book on the subject of "what does being a mother even mean"? I'm not sure if that's a light book. I'm also not sure if it's made up of vignettes-as-memoir or soulful essays on grief and existential "what does it all mean?" That definitely isn't light, not as light as the Instagram posts. I don't know.
JM: Okay, so not necessarily “light” but we will write about what we find cheering. Which includes, sometimes, writing about the heaviness of motherhood in a way that makes it more companionable.
That was why we started our Melancholy Moms Instagram, to cheer each other up. And on? Cheering each other on in a melancholy way. Like yay, you can do it. Now I’m going to nap.
JPC: Wait, are you really going to nap, or were our posts like, "Yay, you can do it. Now I'm going to nap"? Both, probably.
JM: Normally, both. But it’s too late to nap.
So...this will be a newsletter by two very low-key cheerleaders who were never cheerleaders? No. A newsletter by that friend in high school who looked like Ian Curtis. And her friend, grunge Olive Oyl. That is cheering. Like, imagine those two assholes grew up and had extremely high-energy children. That’s the mood here.
JPC: Ha! Those poor assholes. I didn't look like Ian Curtis until I cut all my hair off in graduate school. In high school, I looked like a combination of Edward Scissorhands Winona Ryder and Beetlejuice Winona. “Here’s your newsletter about wan, soulful goths with overly energetic children, stupid” [said in Honey Badger voice].
JM: How often will we send it?
JPC: Hm, I think we should send it at least once a week? On Mondays.
JM: Glad we’re back on our bullshit.
Way to go Joanna! Keep it coming! :-)