Mutha Magazine — Alison

“I thought I was a bad mom for hating ‘The Wheels on the Bus.’ Then I read Alison’s piece about smashing a sippy cup against the wall out of sheer sensory overload, and I realized I wasn’t broken. I was just human.”

Stine writes with tenderness about her son's own creations—how he taped his artwork to the couch cushion to make his own art gallery and "installation" of greeting cards and string. She conveys a powerful message: that art is not a luxury but a fundamental human need, a way to make the "unlivable not just livable, but survivable". For Stine, the act of making art is an act of resilience and a gift to the next generation, proving that even in the most difficult circumstances, there is space for beauty and hope. mutha magazine alison

Supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project (EHRP), Stine has used reporting on subjects like Appalachian marijuana growers to inform her literary fiction, such as her novel The Grower (2020). “I thought I was a bad mom for

Since its founding in 2013 by Michelle Tea, Mutha Magazine has grown into an essential publication that elevates the voices often left out of the mainstream conversation. Under the stewardship of Meg Lemke, the magazine continues to be a platform for raw, radical, and deeply personal storytelling from a diverse range of contributors. It is a place where parents, caregivers, and families can find not answers, but communion—a reminder that the complexities of raising the next generation are best met with honesty, humor, and a whole lot of heart. And in the powerful words of Alison Stine, it's a place that reminds us that creativity, even in the face of adversity, matters most of all. For Stine, the act of making art is

If you are a parent tired of being told to "treasure every moment," read "Alison." It will make you feel seen in your most shameful thoughts. If you are not a parent, read it as a horror story—or better yet, as a love story so fierce it has teeth.