Choice Words Read online

  Gwendolyn Brooks, “The Mother” from Selected Poems. Copyright © 1963 by Gwendolyn Brooks Blakely. Reprinted by consent of Brooks Permissions.

  Rita Mae Brown, excerpts from Rubyfruit Jungle. Copyright © 1973, 1988 by Rita Mae Brown. Used by permission of Bantam Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

  Mahogany L. Browne, “Pelican.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Debra Bruce, “(Amber)” from Mezzo Cammin 10.2. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Sue D. Burton, “For My Great-Aunt Antoinette (Nettie) Bope, 1880–1902” from the heroic crown “Box Set” appeared in BOX, Two Sylvias Press, 2018. Reprinted by permission of the author and Two Sylvias Press.

  Cathleen Calbert, “Chapel of Forgiveness.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Emily Carr, “yolk (v.)” from directions for flying: right side lower arms raise arms bend knees repeat on left. 36 fits: a young wife’s almanac (Furniture Press, 2010). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Wendy Chin-Tanner, “Birth.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Lucille Clifton, “the lost baby poem” from The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton. Copyright © 1987 by Lucille Clifton. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of BOA Editions, Ltd., boaeditions.org.

  Lisa Coffman, “Weather” from Likely. Copyright © 1997 by Lisa Coffman. Reprinted with the permission of The Kent State University Press.

  Julia Conrad, “Cold Cuts and Conceptions.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Desiree Cooper, “First Response.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  T. Thorn Coyle, “Mourning Sickness” from Starhawk and M. Macha Nightmare, The Pagan Book of Living and Dying (New York: HarperCollins, 1997). Copyright © 1997 by T. Thorn Coyle. Reprinted by permission.

  Teri Cross Davis, “Haint” from Haint: Poems (Arlington, VA: Gival Press, 2016). Copyright © 2016 by Teri Cross Davis. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Katy Day, “Dear Elegy the Size of a Blueberry.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Emily DeDakis, “Oh Yeah, Because You Could Choose Not To.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Lynne DeSilva-Johnson, “In Which I Am a Volcano” from Terminations: One from Wendy Angulo Productions’ Lifting the Burden of Shame series, https://www.wendyanguloproductions.com/terminations-one-by-lynne-desilva-johnson/. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Diane di Prima, “Brass Furnace Going Out: Song, After an Abortion” (Intrepid Press, 1975). Copyright © 1975 by Diane di Prima. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Sharon Doubiago, “Beneath the World: Two Poems to the Child Never to Be Born” from Love on the Streets: Selected and New Poems. Copyright © 2008 by Sharon Doubiago. Reprinted by permission of the University of Pittsburgh Press.

  Margaret Drabble, excerpt from The Millstone. Copyright © 1965 and renewed 1993 by Margaret Drabble, Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company and United Agents LLP. All rights reserved.

  Minerva Earthschild and Vibra Willow, Fire section from “Abortion, A Healing Ritual” from The Pagan Book of Living and Dying (New York: HarperCollins, 1997). Reprinted with permission.

  Annie Ernaux, excerpt from Happening, translated by Tanya Leslie, pp. 74–76. Copyright © 2001 by Annie Erhaux. Reprinted with the permission of Fitzcarraldo Editions, London and The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Seven Stories Press, sevenstories.com.

  Pat Falk, “On the Death and Hacking into a Hundred Pieces of Nineteen-Year-Old Barbara Lofrumento by an Illegal Abortionist” from In the Shape of a Woman (Sag Harbor, NY: Canios Editions, 1995). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Camonghne Felix, “After the Abortion, an Older Planned Parenthood Volunteer Asks If My Husband Is Here and Squeezes My Thigh and Says, ‘You Made the Right Decision’ and Then ‘Look What Could Happen If Trump Were President, I Mean, You Might Not Even Be Here”’ from Build Yourself a Boat (Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2019). Copyright © 2019 by Camonghne Felix. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Annie Finch, “Lily’s Abortion in the Roomful of Statues” from Among the Goddesses (Pasadena, CA: Red Hen Press, 2010) and “An Abortion Day Spell for Two Voices.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Daisy Fried, “At Advent, the Waiting Room” from My Brother is Getting Arrested Again. Copyright © 2006 by Daisy Fried. Reprinted by permission of the University of Pittsburgh Press.

  Sese Geddes, “Tugging.” Originally published under the title “Abortion” in The Sun (February 2015). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Shirley Geok-Lin Lim, “The Business of Machines” from No Man’s Grove. Copyright © 1985 by Shirley Geok-Lin Lim. Reprinted with permission.

  Kristen R. Ghodsee, “Sorry I’m Late.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Jennifer Goldwasser, “Being a Woman.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Valley Haggard, “Names of Exotic Gods and Children” from Parhelion Literary Magazine (2018). Copyright © 2018 by Valley Haggard. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Jennifer Hanratty, “Tweets in Exile from Northern Ireland.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Farideh Hassanzadeh-Mostfavi, “Nothing But the Wind.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Deborah Hauser, “Hail Mary.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Bobbie Louise Hawkins, “Abortion” from My Own Alphabet. Copyright © 1989 by Bobbie Louise Hawkins. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Coffee House Press, coffeehousepress.org.

  Langston Hughes, “Cora, Unashamed” from The Ways of White Folks. Copyright 1934 and renewed © 1962 by Langston Hughes. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

  Ulrica Hume, “Lizard.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Colette Inez, “Nicolette” from Getting Under Way: New and Selected Poems (Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 1993). Copyright © 1993 by Colette Inez. Reprinted with permission.

  Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, excerpt from Heat and Dust. Copyright © 1975 by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Reprinted by permission of Counterpoint Press.

  Leyla Josephine, “I Think She Was a She.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Soniah Kamal, “The Scarlet A.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Paula Kamen, “Recruiting New Counselors” scenes from Jane. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Julie Kane, “Tunnel of Light” from Mothers of Ireland. Copyright © 2020 by Julie Kane. Reprinted with the permission of Louisiana State University Press.

  Pratibha Kelapure, “Interred.” Appeared, in slightly different form, in Plath Poetry Project (October 2018). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Myrna Lamb, What Have You Done for Me Lately? (Dickinson Publishing, 1974). Reprinted with the permission of the Estate of Myrna Lamb.

  Joan Larkin, “Afterlife” from My Body: New and Selected Poems. Copyright © 2007 by Joan Larkin. Used by permission of Hanging Loose Press.

  Ursula K. Le Guin, “Standing Ground” from Unlocking the Air and Other Stories. Copyright © 1996 by Ursula Le Guin. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd.

  Jenna Le, “Ghazal.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Violette Leduc, excerpt from La Bâtarde, translated by Derek Coltman. Copyright © 1964 by Editions Gallimard. English translation copyright © 1965 by Derek Coltman. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, LLC.

  Dana Levin, “Moo and Thrall” from Banana Palace. Copyright © 2016 by Dana Levin. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Copper Canyon Press, copper
canyonpress.org.

  Audre Lorde, excerpt from Zami: A New Spelling of My Name published by Crossing Press Copyright © 1982, 2006 by Audre Lorde. Used herewith by permission of the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency.

  Busisiwe Mahlangu, “Through the Blood.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Deborah Maia, “Days 14 and 15” from Self Ritual for Invoking Release of Spirit Life in the Womb: A Personal Treatise on Ritual Herbal Abortion (Mother Spirit Publishing, 1989). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Shikha Malaviya, “Of the Missing 50 Million.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Kate Manning, excerpts from “For the Relief of Obstruction” and “The Principles of Midwifery” from My Notorious Life. Copyright © 2014 by Kate Manning. Reprinted with the permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Angie Masters, “I Bloomed,” translated by Sarah Leister. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Caitlin McDonnell, “The Abortion I Didn’t Want” from Salon (March 2, 2015). Copyright © 2015 by Caitlin McDonnell. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Leslie Monsour, “The Memory of Abortion Unexpectedly Returns” from The Alarming Beauty of the Sky. Copyright © 2005 by Leslie Monsour. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC, on behalf of Red Hen Press, redhen.org.

  Yesenia Montilla, “Confession #1” from Black Girl Magic (Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2018). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Mary Morris, “New Religion.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Thylias Moss, “The Virginity Thief.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Carol Muske-Dukes, “The Year the Law Changed” from Blue Rose. Copyright © 2018 by Carol Muske-Dukes. Used by permission of Penguin Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

  Burleigh Mutén, “Five Months Vulnerable.” Copyright © 2018 by Burleigh Muten. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Zofia Nałkowska, excerpt from Boundary, translated by Ursula Phillips. Translation copyright © 2016 by Northern Illinois University Press. Used by permission of the publisher, Cornell University Press.

  Vi Khi Nao, “An Avocado Is Going to Have an Abortion.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Gloria Naylor, excerpt from The Women of Brewster Place. Copyright © 1983 by Gloria Naylor. Used by permission of Fox, Finch, & Tepper Ltd. and Viking Books, an imprint of the Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

  Hanna Neuschwander, “River.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Joyce Carol Oates, excerpt from A Book of American Martyrs. Copyright © 2017 by Ontario Review. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

  Sharon Olds, “The End” from The Dead and the Living. Copyright © 1984 by Sharon Olds. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

  Ginette Paris, “Farewell My Love” from The Sacrament of Abortion, translated by Joanna Mott. Copyright © 1992 by Spring Publications, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Spring Publications.

  Dorothy Parker, “The Lady with a Lamp” from Collected Stories of Dorothy Parker. Copyright 1924, 1925, 1926, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1943, © 1955, 1958, 1995 by The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Used by permission of Penguin, an imprint of the Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved.

  Molly Peacock, “Merely by Wilderness” from Cornucopia: New and Selected Poems 1975-2002. Copyright © 1989 by Molly Peacock. Used by permission of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

  Marge Piercy, “Right to Life” from The Moon is Always Female. Copyright © 1980 by Middlemarsh, Inc. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

  Claressinka Anderson, “Lullaby.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Alexis Quinlan, “Regarding Choice.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Sylvia Ramos Cruz, “This Doctor Speaks: Abortion is Health Care.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Jennifer Reeser, “Remembering How My Native American Grandfather Told Me a Pregnant Woman Had Swallowed Watermelon Seeds.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Susan Rich, “Post-Abortion Questionnaire – Powered by Survey Monkey” from wildness (January 12, 2018). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Ana Gabriela Rivera, “Free and Safe Abortion.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Angelique Imani Rodriguez, “Not Yours.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Alida Rol, “What Was, Still Is” from Antima: A Journal of Narrative Verse (Fall 2018). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Cin Salach, “You Are Here.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Saniyya Saleh, “A Million Women are Your Mother,” translated by Issa J. Boullata, from Women of the Fertile Crescent – Modern Poetry by Arab Women, edited by Kamal Boullata (Three Continents Press, 1978). Reprinted with the permission of the Estate of Issa Boullata.

  Jacqueline Saphra, “Getting into Trouble.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Anne Sexton, “The Abortion” from Selected Poems. Copyright © 1962 by Anne Sexton, renewed 1990 by Linda G. Sexton. Reprinted by permission of Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc.

  Purvi Shah, “Saraswati Praises Your Name Even When You Have No Choice” from Miracle Marks. Copyright © 2017, 2019 by Purvi Shah. Published 2019 by Curbstone Press/Northwestern University Press. All rights reserved.

  Ntozake Shange, excerpt from “Abortion Cycle #1” from for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf. Copyright © 1975, 1976, 1977, 2010 by Ntozake Shange. Reprinted with the permission of Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group.

  Manisha Sharma, “You Have No Name, No Grave, No Identity.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Larissa Shmailo, “Abortion Hallucination” from Exorcism (Songcrew, 2008). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Leslie Marmon Silko, “Poem for Myself and Mei: Concerning Abortion” from Storyteller. Copyright © 1981, 2012 by Leslie Marmon Silko. Used by permission of The Wylie Agency, LLC and Viking Books, an imprint of the Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved.

  Agnes Smedley, excerpt from Daughter of Earth. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of The Feminist Press, feministpress.org.

  Ellen McGrath Smith, “Corona and Confession.” An earlier version of this poem was published in TPQ online. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Edith Södergran, “We Women” from We Women: Selected Poems of Edith Sodergran, translated by Samuel Charters. Translation copyright © 1977 by Sam Charters. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC, on behalf of Tavern Books.

  Starhawk, “Prayer to the Spirit” from The Pagan Book of Living and Dying: Practical Rituals, Prayers, Blessings, and Meditations on Crossing Over (HarperCollins, 1997). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Alina Stefanescu, “Psalm” from Stories to Read Aloud to Your Fetus. Copyright © 2017 by Alina Stefanescu. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Finishing Line Press, finishinglinepress.com.

  Gloria Steinem, “A Promise.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Ellen Stone, “American Abortion Sonnet #7.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Amy Tan, excerpt from The Hundred Secret Senses. Copyright © 1996 by Amy Tan. Used by permission of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Pengui
n Random House LLC. All rights reserved. Excerpt from The Kitchen God’s Wife. Copyright © 2006 by Amy Tan. Used by permission of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

  Ann Townsend, “The Spring of Life” from Dear Delinquent. Copyright © 2019 by Ann Townsend. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC, on behalf of Sarabande Books, sarabandebooks.org.

  Joanna Valente, “The Pill vs. the Springfield Mine Disaster.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Jean Valentine, “Abortion Child” from Door in the Mountain. Copyright © 2004 by Jean Valentine and published by Wesleyan University Press. Reprinted with permission.

  Nicole Walker, “Abortion Isn’t Beautiful.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Hilde Weisert, “The Idea.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Lindy West, excerpt from “When Life Gives You Lemons” from Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West. Copyright © 2016 by Lindy West. Used by permission of Hachette Books.

  Laura Wetherington, “My Excuse: I Had an Abortion. What’s Yours?” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Lesley Wheeler, “Song of the Emmenagogues” from Mezzo Cammin 11.1. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Arisa White, “On That Day” from Hurrah’s Nest (Virtual Artists Collective, 2012). Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Sholeh Wolpé, “The Jewel of Tehran.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

  Mo Yan, excerpt from Frog, translated by Howard Goldblatt. Copyright © 2009 by Mo Yan. Translation copyright © 2015 by Penguin (Beijing) Ltd. Used by the permission of Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd., Penguin Random House UK Ltd., and Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

  Galina Yudovich, “Cardboard Pope.” Reprinted with the permission of the author.

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