You may know the fictional version of Laura Ingalls Wilder from the Little House books, that bumper crop of novels for young readers brought out by Harper & Brothers in the 1930s and ‘40s.
Or from the NBC television adaption first aired in the 1970s and ‘80s, starring Melissa Gilbert as Laura and Michael Landon as a heartthrob version of Charles “Pa” Ingalls.
Behind the fictional Laura was the author, Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867 – 1957), a late bloomer in terms of her literary life. She was well into her forties before she was ever paid for a piece of writing, and sixty-five when the first Little House book was published. So those of you who are just getting started at whatever age, take heart. Read More→
Elizabeth von Arnim (1866 – 1941) produced a wealth of quietly (and sometimes subversively) feminist novels and memoirs. She was best known for The Enchanted April (1922), which many decades later became the 1992 film Enchanted April).
During her lifetime, she usually published under simply “Elizabeth.” She had a wry, dry sense of humor, but also displayed a passion for beauty, especially the beauty of gardens. Here are some passionate and pensive quotes by Elizabeth von Arnim: Read More→
The Australian government refuse to import Letty Fox: Her Luck by native Aussie Christina Stead (the talented and complicated author best known for The Man Who Loved Children) after this novel’s 1947 publication. It was declared “salacious” and “obscene,” and was even occasionally banned.
A frank and witty coming of age story set between the Great Depression and World War II, this banned book didn’t meet much favor in the Australian press, either. Here’s one such review, which panned the novel thoroughly. Read More→
Each year in late September, Banned Books Week highlights books — usually critically acclaimed and beloved by readers — that have been frequently challenged or banned outright. Read on to find out why some classic books by women authors have been challenged or banned in times past and into the present.
Some books have been challenged from the time they were first in print; others banned outright by certain schools, parents groups, and religious organizations. Read More→
It’s widely believed that Lady Ruby MacLean, the protagonist of The Loved and Envied by Enid Bagnold was based on real-life Lady Diana Cooper, a famous socialite of the early 20th century. Bagnold’s fellow British writer Nancy Mitford also drew inspiration from Lady Cooper for Don’t Tell Alfred.
Though the book doesn’t much resonate with contemporary readers, it was apparently enjoyed by a previous generation, and stands firmly in Bagnold’s modest canon.
Lady Maclean is the character through which the theme of aging is explored, in particular, how it affects a beauty who is, as the title implies, loved and envied. Read More→
Jessie Redmon Fauset (1882 – 1961) was an American editor, poet, essayist, and novelist associated with the Harlem Renaissance. Plum Bun (1928) was one of four novels Fauset produced, along with There is Confusion (1924), The Chinaberry Tree (1931), and Comedy, American Style (1933).
In addition to the novels, Fauset’s output of shorter works was quite prodigious. And her eight-year tenure as the literary editor of the influential Crisis magazine was impressively productive, helping to launch the careers of a number of iconic writers of the era. Read More→
Grace Paley‘s literary career encompassed writing about the experiences of women, Jewish life, and teaching at various universities. She was also a poet and received multiple honors for her artistic talent despite not having a college degree. presented here is a selection of quotes by Grace Paley on reading, writing, and living.
Grace Paley: The Collected Stories (2007) encapsulates her style, noting her “quirky, boisterous characters and rich use of language,” and goes on to say:
“Grace Paley’s stories are united by her signature interweaving of personal and political truths, by her extraordinary capacity for empathy, and by her pointed, funny depiction of the small and large events that make up city life.” Read More→
A number of classic women authors were known for their penchant for wearing men’s clothing. And in some, if not most of the instances presented here, it’s not merely cross-dressing for fun and comfort, but an expression of the duality of the writer’s nature.
It’s no longer unusual for women to wear pants or man-tailored jackets,. But in the context of the time and place in which the following authors lived, it was an act of rebellion and occasionally a statement of more fluid identity.
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