A Sketch in Progress: Introducing the Mother without Child

Once upon a time, maternity seemed to be a biological fact fixed both literally and symbolically within the private, affective sphere. Now we debate the meaning and practice of motherhood and mothering in many public spaces. A survey of newspapers, bookstores, and academic conference programs yields catchy titles, all ending in question marks: “Whose Child is This?” Mothers without Custody: How Could a Mother Do Such a Thing? “Will the Real Mother Please Stand Up?” What is said by and about mothers—full-time mothers, surrogate mothers, teenage mothers, adoptive mothers, mothers who live in poverty, mothers with briefcases—is increasingly