Bio

Julie Rodgers is Associate Professor in French at Maynooth University, Ireland. Her research (mainly in the field of French Studies) focuses on the production and reception of maternal counternarratives and incorporates the study of a wide range of mothering experiences that do not correspond to the normative, patriarchal script of motherhood. Julie has published widely on motherhood and mothering in both peer-reviewed academic journals and edited volumes. In 2021, Julie co-edited The Truth about (M)Otherhood: Choosing to be Childfree (Demeter Press). Julie is involved in MotherNet, a network of researchers on contemporary European motherhood that received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 952366.

Project

The project that I will work on relates to secondary infertility. Secondary infertility is an incredibly common but largely undiscussed condition. It is every bit as difficult to traverse (physically, psychologically and emotionally) as primary infertility. However, women suffering from secondary infertility report an overwhelming lack of empathy and understanding from society due to the fact that they already have a child/children. This, in turn, leads to feelings of guilt and shame on the part of these women who want another child, given that they are perceived to have already succeeded in accessing motherhood. During the residency, I will focus on Helen Davies' personal narrative of secondary infertility entitled More Love to Give (published in 2017). I will explore the sense of voicelessness and invalidation that is often associated with secondary infertility and discuss the role of scriptotherapy in the negotiation of this poorly acknowledged reproductive trauma.