[O]n the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog, which liberates you to be a bitch. Not a bitch to others — …online mothers’ groups are quick to sanction hostility — but the impatient, imperfect bitch of a mom uses jarred babyfood, disposable diapers and a TV-as sitter. The mom who takes off the halo and admits to impefection.

That comes from the foreword I wrote for Motherhood Online, a terrific volume of essays edited by Michelle Moravec. The chapters cover topics ranging from online communities for mothers trying in vitro fertilization, to the online conversations among moms of autistic kids, to the online support networks for teenage moms who are rewriting the narrative of young motherhood. Reading these essays was fascinating and inspiring, and I was honored that Michelle invited me to contribute a foreword that reflects on some of the essays’ common themes and insights.

You can check out the Table of Contents, read the preface and my foreword to Motherhood Online here — or just go ahead and order a copy on Amazon.com.