I ran into the term "Literary Midwife" for the first time yesterday and was tickled to pieces because it explains exactly how I see myself... as a Literary Midwife.  It's so cool to have words for a concept that I couldn't define before. 

The really funny thing was that yesterday morning, the t-shirt I dug out of the bottom of my drawer to wear was the last of my old midwife t-shirts (Midwives: Bringing in the Future).  I hadn't worn that t-shirt in at least a year, and yesterday when I got dressed I pawed past t-shirts I wore much more often because that one t-shirt felt right to wear... and I run across the term "literary midwife" for the first time while wearing my midwife t-shirt.  I was amused.

I've been a real midwife, and vastly enjoyed it.  In the process of my training, I watched ~60 babies being born (and attended one baby's funeral... shit happens, if mom had been at a hospital it'd have died anyway).  I also had my last two babies at home, and when the topic comes up I actively encourage all low-risk pregnancies to consider homebirth.  Then I moved from Texas to Illinois... the land of the midwife-witch-hunts (felony practicing medicine without a license).  Needless to say, my midwifery practice was sparce up here, and when the state began their active witch-hunt, I quit practicing.  It was sad to make the decision to quit something I believed in so completely, but it was the only decision I could make.

Now, after all these years, I see myself again in the midwifery role.  And much the same comparisons hold between "book doctor" and "literary midwife"... to my amusement.

So, now that I know what title to give myself, I can hang out the appropriate shingle.  "Jackie Powers - Literary Midwife" It has a certain ring to it that definitely appeals to me.