Women, On Paper
From books to tweets, prepare to get inspired with these recommendations to mark Women's History Month.
Getting To Know Amazing Women Through Their Biographies
Over the last century, women’s stories have taken back the space they deserve (still a long way to go, though). Whether it’s by full-on inventing literary genres or as trailblazers who inspired people and social movements. It’s safe to say there is no such thing as too many women in one’s library.
My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
If you’re a fan of the Notorious RBG’s story fighting for gender equality and the women’s rights movement in the United States, this one is for you.
Witty, engaging, serious, and playful, My Own Words is a fascinating glimpse into the life of one of America’s most influential women and “a tonic to the current national discourse” —The Washington Post.
Josephine Baker: The Hungry Heart by Jean-Claude Baker
Based on twenty years of research and thousands of interviews, this authoritative biography of performer Josephine Baker (1906-1975) provides a candid look at her tempestuous life. Born into poverty in St. Louis, the uninhibited chorus girl became the sensation of Europe and the last century's first black sex symbol. A heroine of the French Resistance in World War II, she entranced figures as diverse as de Gaulle, Tito, Castro, Princess Grace, two popes, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Yet Josephine was also, as one critic put it, "a monster who made Joan Crawford look like the Virgin Mary." Via Goodreads.
Carmen Herrera: Lines of Sight by Dana Miller
The Cuban-born artist who has painted for more than seven decades, though it is only in recent years that acclaim for her work has catapulted the artist to international prominence. This handsome volume offers the first sustained examination of her early career from 1948–78, which spans the art worlds of Havana, Paris, and New York. Essays consider the artist’s early studies in Cuba, her involvement with the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles in post-war Paris, and her groundbreaking New York output, as well as situate her work in the context of a broader Latin American avant-garde art. Via Amazon.
Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality by Sarah McBride
Informative, heartbreaking, and profoundly empowering, Tomorrow Will Be Different is McBride’s story of love and loss and a powerful entry point into the LGBTQ community’s battle for equal rights and what it means to be openly transgender. From issues like bathroom access to health care to gender in America, McBride weaves the important political and cultural milestones into a personal journey that will open hearts and change minds. Via Amazon.
“The energy and vigor Sarah has brought to the fight for equality is ever-present in this book.”—Vice President Kamala Harris
We Are Not Here To Be Bystanders by Linda Sarsour
Activist Linda Sarsour shares her story of growing up as a Muslim American in Brooklyn and the journey that led her to become a leader in The Women’s March on Washington. With personal narrative, Sarsour explores everything from her decision to wear a hijab at age 19 to the effects of 9/11 and the toll of social justice work. We are Not Here to Be Bystanders is part memoir, part sociological analysis, and part rallying cry for standing up for what is right. Via Book Riot.
5 Articles About Women In Literature You Should Read Now
A brief history of the extremely wrong practice of women having to write under men’s names by Yohana Desta via Mashable.
Historically, they've had to hide their identities, adopting male names in order to combat sexism and prejudice. Using a male pen name often helped a female author get her foot in the door, past male publishers who didn't think the literary world was a place for women.
An eye-opening analysis of the coverage that the New York Times Book Review (then called The Review of Books) gave to male and female authors 100 years ago in Women in Publishing 100 Years Ago: A Historical VIDA Count by Rachel McCarthy James.
But I was sad to note that many literary organizations can’t even beat the Book Review from 100 years ago. In 2014, only about one in five books reviewed by The Nation were by women.
A thought-provoking reflection on the pleasure that a beautiful woman dying seemed to bring in classic literature books in Women in 19th-century novels: Rebellious wives had to die!
Women make more attempts at suicide than men. But men actually die by suicide at a rate “that is 3.0 to 7.5 times that of women.” Despite that fact, literature has always depicted more suicidal women. Dr. Elise P. Garrison, Professor of Classical Studies, cataloged more than 60 female suicides in Greek and Roman mythology alone. Dido, Lucretia, Ophelia and Cleopatra are widely known examples.
As a follow-up, a list of Things Women In Literature Have Died From that is guaranteed to leave you cry-laughing.
Too many pillows
Garden troubles
Someone said “No” very loudly while they were in the room
A look at the vital participation of women in the field of publishing in North America by Lyndsey Claro in Women in the gentleman’s career.
According to a 1916 career guide for girls “editors, the reporters, and the men who rewrite stories, must be able to work under the pressure in a way that is beyond the power of most women”.
Bonus: Everything on the Men Write Women Twitter account showing the absolutely cringe-worthy ways men authors portray women. O$
A Room Of One’s Own: A Classic For Our Book Of The Month
A Room of One's Own is an extended essay from a series of lectures that Virginia Woolf delivered to groups of students at Cambridge women's colleges addressing the societal factors that deny women financial and intellectual independence.
Using her own experience, and an imaginary sister to William Shakespeare and his equal in talent, she illustrates the hardships faced when creating their path in an academic and literary world created by and for men.
In the end, Woolf's most renowned book leaves a message of hope... but also a warning and an incitement, that in order to change at all the fragile position of women in literature, this generation must forcibly change it.
A quote:
“So that when I ask you to earn money and have a room of your own, I am asking you to live in the presence of reality, an invigorating life, it would appear, whether one can impart it or not."
Book specs:
112 pages - 4 hours read approx.
The book is a collection of essays that became a must-read for those interested in knowing more about the women’s movement but also the complicated dynamics of the literary world.
Woolf’s works entered the public domain this year (read more about what that means in our January newsletter).
Get it here or listen to the audiobook here.
If you think that someone should read A Room Of One’s Own, make sure to share:
Bonus: A 💣 Tweet That Made Our Day
March is almost over. Let us know what you read this month!
If you haven’t done so yet, tell your friends about 12 BOOKS CLUB and help them stay on track with their reading goals (and read more women’s stories as well).