We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Allison Mei-Li. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Allison below.
Allison, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I think the most meaningful projects are the ones you can’t help but create, the ones that tug at you until you finally begin. My debut poetry collection, A History of Holding, did exactly that. Written through the lens of motherhood, it’s a meditation on time, love, and loss—an exploration of what it means to be a human while raising one.
Many motherhood narratives tend to live in extremes, focusing on either the unbridled joy or the unbearable burden of it all. The mother is often flattened and two-dimensional, when in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Motherhood is complex, layered, and full of contradiction. It touches every part of a person—from the physical to the existential. I wanted to create a book that could hold the depth and duality of motherhood, one that could be brutally and beautifully honest.
What made this project especially meaningful was the choice to publish it myself. I never sent the manuscript to agents, publishers, or competitions—not because I didn’t believe in it, but because I wanted to be deeply involved in every step of its creation. I founded my own imprint and taught myself everything I could about the publishing process, from cover art to distribution.
Poetry isn’t only a literary art form; it’s also a visual one. The negative space, the typography, the length of a line on a page—all of these elements carry meaning and shape the reader’s experience. Because that mattered so much to me, I studied book design and learned how to typeset the interior myself. I wanted every detail to reflect the spirit of the work.
Though there was a steep learning curve and many frustrations along the way, the process became an act of devotion to the art itself. I loved it so much that I plan to publish books by other poets, too—bringing the same author-centered care and creative intention that I brought to my own. I’m excited to help bring another writer’s vision to life.
Allison, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Allison Mei-Li and I’m a poet, mother, and speech-language pathologist living in California. I’m the author of A History of Holding, a poetry reader at the Turning Leaf Journal, and the founder of Third Moon Press.
My writing life really began before I could even hold a pen. Every night before bed, my parents would sit with me and transcribe my thoughts into a tiny Cinderella diary—entries filled with kindergarten recess drama, gopher holes, and classroom crafts. I still have that diary, along with every journal I’ve filled since, a tangible thread that runs through my life and my work.
At the heart of everything I do is a belief in the power of words to connect, heal, and help us make meaning. Alongside writing, I host poetry-centered gatherings online and in my local community—from creative workshops for mothers to immersive poetry sound baths blend weave spoken word with live music. I’m passionate about finding new ways to bring poetry into the community because poetry is for everyone, even if it hasn’t always been presented that way.
On my substack, To Be Seen, I share reflections on the creative process, publishing, and how we can build meaningful communities. I’m hosting a virtual Friendsgiving this November to help writers gather, share stories, and form lasting connections. Everyone is welcome.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I’ve had to unlearn the idea that art is frivolous, that it’s something you do only after all the “important” work is done. Especially as a mother now, I’ve felt guilty prioritizing my writing. But art is not a hobby for me. It’s a calling, a way of being. I’ve come to understand that making art is part of how I show up for the world. It’s how I process, connect, and contribute. It’s also part of how I show up for my son. I want him to see what it looks like to follow a passion, to honor the parts of yourself that make you feel most alive.
Creatives are the meaning-makers of society. The world needs beauty and reflection, and artists are the ones who help us see—who notice the small things and offer new ways of understanding ourselves and one another. Imagine a world without books, film, music, or art. It would be a world stripped of beauty, introspection, and empathy.
If we want a thriving creative ecosystem, we need to value art as essential. We need to show up to events, buy books from small presses, commission work, and share it widely. In general, we need to talk about art differently. We need to cultivate a culture that recognizes creativity as vital to our collective well-being, something that enriches not just our lives, but our shared humanity.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.writtenbyallison.com
- Instagram: @writtenbyallison
- Other: https://writtenbyallison.substack.com
Image Credits
Headshot by Leigha Smith