Notes from an Anonymous American Mom is a podcast and a community history project. It’s an archival record of the experiences of moms in America in 2026 (and beyond) preserved for future generations.
Definitions of American and Mom
For the purposes of our community history project:
- American is defined as anyone who is living in America – and is therefore living the unique American experience.
- Mom is defined as someone who has mothered or is mothering. Moms, step-moms, adoptive moms, grand moms, great grand moms, god moms, cat moms, iguana moms. We’re not uptight about how you identify as mom.
How to submit a note
If you are an American Mom and would like to participate:
- The content: Your “note” can be a reflection on life, parenting, hope, anxiety, fear, circumstance, struggle, triumph, daily tasks, work, family, exhaustion, energy. Anything really. You can keep it short and sweet with a “daily dispatch” vibe or go deep with a reflective essay. You can vent, spill some tea, have a laugh, set down your anxiety. The idea is to capture your life and feelings as they are right now in America. Don’t be perfect. Do be real.
- The form: This “note” can be a letter to a child or a loved one, or it can be a journal/diary entry, an essay or a poem, a “captain’s log,” a list. See writing prompts, below, for ideas on how to begin.
- The signature: These are meant to be anonymous, but you’re welcome to use a nickname, a vibe and region if you’d like (ex. Restless in Rochester or Anxious in Alberta) or just a region (ex. Signing off from Wichita).
- Submission: Send your note to AmericanMomNote@gmail.com –Please place the note in the body of the email. No attachments. Once sent to this email, your reflection will be archived online and in print, preserved for future generations, and will potentially be read for the Notes from an Anonymous American Mom podcast. By sending to this email, you understand that your submission will be made available and will be archived (your contact information and identity will not).
or fill out form below
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I request that my note be archived, but not read on the podcast?
Yes, if you would like your letter archived for posterity, but left out of the podcast, please indicate this at the top of your email.
Where is the digital archive?
Online at The Internet Archive and backed up elsewhere.
Where is the print archive?
The print materials will be deposited in multiple repositories upon completion of the project.
Will you be editing the submissions?
No, your piece will be archived as is. That does not mean it needs to be flawless, but reviewing it or having a friend review it prior to sending it isn’t a bad idea!
Will every submission be read on the podcast?
No. While each piece is important and unique, not all submissions will be read on the podcast. Choosing the piece to read will depend on variety, length, subject matter – all in an effort to balance the content. They all will be archived online and in print, however.
Why are we doing this project?
This project is inspired by the archives. Personal notes about the human experience during historic moments are both informative and fascinating. Leaving reflections on current times will help future learners, historians, researchers and, well, humans. You can listen to more about the inspiration in the first episode.
Why moms?
Moms offer a unique perspective – as guardians and caregivers, as community and family organizers, as nurturers and bread winners. Moms are everywhere, watching everything. They are historically overlooked in the archives. We capture their voices, here.
Why anonymous?
There are many reasons:
- First off, quiet moms are sitting there very quietly. I see you. I know you’re there and have some thoughts. I think your thoughts are important.
- With so much online toxicity, this allows for an element of freedom to share.
- There is a lot of jockeying for the spotlight, out there. This takes away the spotlight, so ego is less in the mix.
- When the letters are anonymous, it’s hard to come at it with a preconception. Instead of “Oh, Linda wrote this. I know she’s a __________” you can tune in without bias.
- You can listen to more about why I think this is a good exercise in the first episode
What if I don’t want to be anonymous?
Ultimately, you own your writing piece. You can share it wherever you’d like, archive it for family, leave a note or archive it in your own way at home.
What’s the point of doing this when I can just share my thoughts on my own social media?
- Who knows how social media is backed up. We don’t know if it will be there forever or just disappear someday.
- It’s a unique collection from a specific perspective (not a political perspective) but from the perspective of moms.
- It’s often longer-form. Sometimes, but not always, that can be more reflective and less reactive. It will be unique.
What if I don’t speak English but still want to contribute?
Send it in your own language and it will be translated.
Who is running the project?
I’m Erin Moulton. I am a writer, librarian, and family historian.
Is there anything you will not accept for the archive?
Letters that have nothing to do with the assignment will be discarded. Anything that is obviously AI will be discarded. Threats and political tirades will be discarded. Hate speech will be discarded. Letters written solely in response to other moms who wrote in will be discarded.
Are you making money off of this? Will you sell this as a book?
No. I’m just here to archive this. My time is voluntary. The podcast and archive are meant to be without a paywall and are always free and open to the public. Likewise, your letters will always be free and open to the public and never sold as a book etc. I will bind these and make them available in a handful of repositories and they will be available in the online archive. If you would like to support the binding of the print materials or throw me 5 bucks for coffee, you can always shoot that my way via Venmo.
Want to submit a question? Email AmericanMomNote@gmail.com