Hey Ed, Good to see this conversation here. It's funny to me that you, Ed, were present for my very last attempt to really travel as a writer with a kid... and now you're in this conversation. Do you remember that night in SF at the Festival, when I left, pregnant and toting a kid, stroller, and carseat? In my experience, parenting and writing can be done together, but full time parenting and many other aspects of the writing-life are hard. I can't do colonies, or tour, or run off to NY for a meeting. I can't take a teaching job that pulls me away for a year. I can't do anything that doesn't pay me enough to cover childcare (after taxes), which means no more guest-editing litmags and so forth... I'd like to see a group of women ahving the same discussion. Wonder how it would differ, how it would be the same? xoLaurel (who will, by god, do some readings next year if it kills her) http://laurelsnyder.com