Aphra Behn (1640 – 1689) is a forerunner in English literary history in more ways than one; she is not only the first professional woman writer, she is also an important innovator in the form of the novel.
Using the epistolary form of Lettres Portugaises as a model and combining it with elements of the drama, with Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister she created the first true epistolary novel.
In Oroonoko she used a narrative voice that combined proximity to her readers with an unusual wealth of detail, while the plot itself involves one of the first examples of the concept of the “noble savage” in literature. Read More→
Anne Bradstreet (1612 – 1672) was one of the most prominent early American poets, and the first writer in the American colonies to be published. Following is a selection of five poems by Anne Bradstreet, most written in the 1650s and 1660s.
At a time when it was considered unacceptable for women to write, Anne rejected the prevailing ideas of women’s inferiority. She endured criticism, not for the quality of her work, but that she, a woman, dared to write. Read More→
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (August 30, 1797 – February 1, 1851) born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, is renowned for her classic thriller, Frankenstein. Her work crossed several genres, including essays, biographies, short stories, and dramas.
Born in London, England, she was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft (early feminist best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman) and philosopher and political writer William Godwin.
She and her half-sister, Fanny Imlay (Wollstonecraft’s daughter from an affair she had with an American entrepreneur and adventurer) were raised mainly by her father; her mother, the early feminist and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, died days after giving birth to her. Read More→
Maud Hart Lovelace (April 25, 1892 – March 11, 1980) was an American author best known for the nostalgic Betsy-Tacy series of books for girls.
Born and raised in Mankato, Minnesota, she enjoyed a happy childhood filled with friends, culture, and a loving family. As soon as she could hold a pencil, she began writing stories and poems.
Maud Hart started her college studies at the University of Minnesota but shortly thereafter had to withdraw when she was diagnosed with appendicitis. More than willing to take a break from her studies and continue her recuperation at her maternal grandmother’s home, she escaped to the sun and warmth of California to rest and recover. Read More→
Tillie Olsen (January 14, 1912 – January 1, 2007) was an American author of fiction and nonfiction whose body of work was small but influential, drawing upon her personal experiences.
Her writings spoke to the struggles of women and working-class families, placing her in the canon of second-wave feminist literature. While her birth was never recorded officially, it’s been determined she was born in either 1912 or 1913.
Born Tillie Lerner in Omaha, Nebraska, she was the second child of Ida Goldberg and Sam Lerner, Russian-Jewish immigrants. Her father, a laborer, was the Secretary of Nebraska’s Socialist party. Her parents’ socialist views and activism impacted Olsen’s childhood and influenced her later life. Read More→
What is it about horse stories that kids, and dare we say especially girls, love so much? There’s something grounding and down to earth about the bond between the beautiful animals and humans devoted to their welfare when illuminated in fiction. Here, we’ll take a quick look at four of the most enduring classic horse stories by women authors.
The novels Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, National Velvet by Enid Bagnold, My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara, and Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry seem to have all stood the test of time.
Though they’re now classified as children’s books, they were intended by their authors to be enjoyed by “children of all ages.” Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why they were all adapted to film, reaching wide and appreciative audiences. Read More→
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle was published in 1962, but not without its share of challenges. The following selection of quotes from A Wrinkle in Time prove that this beloved novel is a timeless work of fiction for all ages.
“A Wrinkle in Time was almost never published,” Madeleine L’Engle wrote. “You can’t name a major publisher who didn’t reject it. When we’d run through forty-odd publishers, my agent sent it back. We gave up.”
Editors found the fantasy novel too dark and complex for children, but of course, the book eventually found its home. Published in 1962, A Wrinkle in Time is still in print, with millions of copies sold worldwide. Read More→
The two intellectuals known as the mother of modern feminism and father of existentialism shared a half-century partnership that defied the conventions of their time and ours.
From 1929, when Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre met in the same elite graduate program in philosophy, to when they were buried side by side in the Cimetiere du Montparnasse, they shared each other’s work and lives without ever sharing a home.
De Beauvoir and Sartre were classmates and competitors at the Sorbonne in 1929, studying for the aggregate in philosophy, a prestigious graduate degree. Although Sartre’s marks surpassed de Beauvoir’s, she was, at 21, the youngest person ever to pass the exam. Read More→
