Literary Ladies Guide
type: channel
description: An archive dedicated to classic women authors and their work
date: 2026-08-24T00:31:27Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
generator agent: https://wordpress.org/
items: Tove Ditlevsen, Danish author of The Copenhagen Trilogy
items: 10 Fascinating Facts About Ida B. Wells, Fearless Journalist & Activist
items: Shirley Hazzard – on Travel, Love, and Language
items: Émilie du Châtelet (1706–1749), mathematician, physicist & translator
items: Quotes from Shirley Jackson’s Psychological Thrillers
items: Lizzie Magie: Forgotten Inventor of The Landlord’s Game
items: “I Do Not Consent” The Life of Writer and Activist June Jordan
items: “Marriage and Love” by Emma Goldman, a 1911 essay
items: Literary Centenaries 2026: Classic Fiction by Women Writers
items: Christine de Pizan and The Book of the City of Ladies

Tove Ditlevsen, Danish author of The Copenhagen Trilogy
type: item
creator: Elodie Barnes
date: 2026-08-24T00:31:07Z
subject: Author biography
description: Tove Ditlevsen (December 14, 1917 – March 7, 1976) was a Danish author best known for The Copenhagen Trilogy, an account of her life from childhood to adulthood, marriage, and drug addiction. She was also an accomplished and prolific poet. Her contemporaries largely marginalized her work, despite the name she made for herself in Danish literary circles. Ditlevsen’s work has seen a resurgence with the reissue of much of her body of work, especially the autofictional Copenhagen Trilogy, which has been translated into some thirty languages. Tove Ditlevsen’s working-class roots Tove Irma Margit Ditlevsen was born in Copenhagen in 1917. She grew up in Vesterbro, which was then a working-class district, with her parents and older brother, Edvin. Her father was a coal stoker. In the Copenhagen Trilogy, Ditlevsen wrote, “Down at the bottom of my childhood my father stands laughing. He’s big and black and old like the stove, but there is nothing about him that I’m afraid of.” Her mother, on the other hand, was, “Beautiful, untouchable, lonely, and full of secret thoughts I would never know …” Her capricious temper ruled the household, and the young Tove would often find herself on the end of her mother’s “dark anger [that] always ended in her slapping my face or pushing me against the stove.” It was an unhappy childhood. Ditlevsen recalled: “Time passed and my childhood grew thin and flat, paper-like. It was tired and threadbare, and in low moments it didn’t look like it would last until I was grown up.” Early forays into poetry Despite her father’s warning that “a girl can’t be a poet,” Ditlevsen began writing poems at the age of ten. Read More→ The post Tove Ditlevsen, Danish author of The Copenhagen Trilogy appeared first on Literary Ladies Guide.
encoded: Tove Ditlevsen (December 14, 1917 – March 7, 1976) was a Danish author best known for The Copenhagen Trilogy, an account of her life from childhood to adulthood, marriage, and drug addiction. She was also an accomplished and prolific poet. Her contemporaries largely marginalized her work, despite the name she made for herself in Danish literary circles. Ditlevsen’s work has seen a resurgence with the reissue of much of her body of work, especially the autofictional Copenhagen Trilogy, which has been translated into some thirty languages. Tove Ditlevsen’s working-class roots Tove Irma Margit Ditlevsen was born in Copenhagen in 1917. She grew up in Vesterbro, which was then a working-class district, with her parents and older brother, Edvin. Her father was a coal stoker. In the Copenhagen Trilogy, Ditlevsen wrote, “Down at the bottom of my childhood my father stands laughing. He’s big and black and old like the stove, but there is nothing about him that I’m afraid of.” Her mother, on the other hand, was, “Beautiful, untouchable, lonely, and full of secret thoughts I would never know …” Her capricious temper ruled the household, and the young Tove would often find herself on the end of her mother’s “dark anger [that] always ended in her slapping my face or pushing me against the stove.” It was an unhappy childhood. Ditlevsen recalled: “Time passed and my childhood grew thin and flat, paper-like. It was tired and threadbare, and in low moments it didn’t look like it would last until I was grown up.” Early forays into poetry Despite her father’s warning that “a girl can’t be a poet,” Ditlevsen began writing poems at the age of ten. She later described these as “long, mysterious words [that] began to crawl across my soul like a protective membrane. A song, a poem, something soothing and rhythmic and immensely pensive, but never distressing or sad, as I knew the rest of my day would be distressing and sad.” Ditlevsen began submitting these poems to literary magazines while…

10 Fascinating Facts About Ida B. Wells, Fearless Journalist & Activist
type: item
creator: Taylor Jasmine
date: 2026-07-22T16:34:28Z
subject: Literary Musings
subject: Ida B. Wells
description: Ida B. Wells was a fearless crusader in the early civil rights movement. A journalist, editor, speaker, reformer, and suffragist, she was born on July 16, 1862 (and lived her big, courageous life until 1932). Get an introduction to her remarkable life and work with these fascinating facts about Ida B. Wells. Wells was best known for spearheading a national antilynching campaign, through which she worked tirelessly and fearlessly to end the uniquely American practice of the public mob murders of Black Americans. Wells’ reputation continues to grow, even decades after her death. Journalism awards have been established in her name, scholarships are endowed in her honor, and there’s a museum celebrating her legacy in her hometown in Mississippi. In 2020, nearly ninety years after her death, Ida B. Wells was awarded a long overdue posthumous Pulitzer Prize in the category of Special Citations and awards for “her outstanding and courageous reporting on the horrific and vicious violence against African Americans during the era of lynching.” Wells’ legacy lives on in the civil rights work she founded and the courage she displayed as a journalist and newspaper publisher. Following are some fascinating facts about her life and work, adapted from Ann Allen Shockley’s essay in Afro-American Women Writers 1746 – 1933. . . . . . . . . . . . <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-5654" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ida_B._Wells.jpg" alt="Ida B. Wells, pioneering African-American journalist" width="380" height="522" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ida_B._Wells.jpg 556w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ida_B._Wells-218x300.jpg 218w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ida_B._Wells-187x257.jpg 187w" sizes="(max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px" /> Learn more about Ida B. Wells . . . . . . . . . . . Ida B. Wells was born to enslaved…
encoded: Ida B. Wells was a fearless crusader in the early civil rights movement. A journalist, editor, speaker, reformer, and suffragist, she was born on July 16, 1862 (and lived her big, courageous life until 1932). Get an introduction to her remarkable life and work with these fascinating facts about Ida B. Wells. Wells was best known for spearheading a national antilynching campaign, through which she worked tirelessly and fearlessly to end the uniquely American practice of the public mob murders of Black Americans. Wells’ reputation continues to grow, even decades after her death. Journalism awards have been established in her name, scholarships are endowed in her honor, and there’s a museum celebrating her legacy in her hometown in Mississippi. In 2020, nearly ninety years after her death, Ida B. Wells was awarded a long overdue posthumous Pulitzer Prize in the category of Special Citations and awards for “her outstanding and courageous reporting on the horrific and vicious violence against African Americans during the era of lynching.” Wells’ legacy lives on in the civil rights work she founded and the courage she displayed as a journalist and newspaper publisher. Following are some fascinating facts about her life and work, adapted from Ann Allen Shockley’s essay in Afro-American Women Writers 1746 – 1933. . . . . . . . . . . . <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-5654" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ida_B._Wells.jpg" alt="Ida B. Wells, pioneering African-American journalist" width="380" height="522" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ida_B._Wells.jpg 556w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ida_B._Wells-218x300.jpg 218w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ida_B._Wells-187x257.jpg 187w" sizes="(max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px" /> Learn more about Ida B. Wells . . . . . . . . . . . Ida B. Wells was born to enslaved…

Shirley Hazzard – on Travel, Love, and Language
type: item
creator: Chris Prickett
date: 2026-07-20T18:50:28Z
subject: Literary Analyses
subject: Literary Musings
description: Like many of the main characters in her novels, Australian-American writer Shirley Hazzard (1931–2016) traveled and moved homes from a young age. At first, this relocation was due to the decisions of parents responding to work or world events, and later to the dictates of her employers. Photo at right, Shirley Hazzard in 2007, photo by Christopher Peterson. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Hazzard’s Free Travelers In her short stories, we sometimes see tourists and travelers who visit of their own free will—for the sake of it. And those who fall in love with a place that may nurture them even more than a human they had the poor luck to fall in love with. Hazzard’s fiction, therefore, is a neat fit for those who love to travel and for those (like me) who have also moved all their lives. Across her writing and interviews, a taxonomy of travel emerges. There are the Bell sisters in The Transit of Venus (1980), who are simply happy to have arrived in England from Australia, as Shirley Hazzard had. Less worried than their new English friends and mentors about the work they must get, they feel that they’ve accomplished their triumphant objective: arriving. This IS the project, what they’ve long planned to do: Getting here. Victory is theirs from the beginning. And this is one way we travel. . . . . . . . . . . <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-27727" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shirley-Hazzard-A-Writing-Life.jpg" alt="Shirley Hazzard - A Writing Life" width="380" height="570" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shirley-Hazzard-A-Writing-Life.jpg 380w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shirley-Hazzard-A-Writing-Life-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shirley-Hazzard-A-Writing-Life-179x269.jpg 179w" sizes="(max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px" /> Learn more about Shirley Hazzard . . . . . . . …
encoded: Like many of the main characters in her novels, Australian-American writer Shirley Hazzard (1931–2016) traveled and moved homes from a young age. At first, this relocation was due to the decisions of parents responding to work or world events, and later to the dictates of her employers. Photo at right, Shirley Hazzard in 2007, photo by Christopher Peterson. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Hazzard’s Free Travelers In her short stories, we sometimes see tourists and travelers who visit of their own free will—for the sake of it. And those who fall in love with a place that may nurture them even more than a human they had the poor luck to fall in love with. Hazzard’s fiction, therefore, is a neat fit for those who love to travel and for those (like me) who have also moved all their lives. Across her writing and interviews, a taxonomy of travel emerges. There are the Bell sisters in The Transit of Venus (1980), who are simply happy to have arrived in England from Australia, as Shirley Hazzard had. Less worried than their new English friends and mentors about the work they must get, they feel that they’ve accomplished their triumphant objective: arriving. This IS the project, what they’ve long planned to do: Getting here. Victory is theirs from the beginning. And this is one way we travel. . . . . . . . . . . <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-27727" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shirley-Hazzard-A-Writing-Life.jpg" alt="Shirley Hazzard - A Writing Life" width="380" height="570" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shirley-Hazzard-A-Writing-Life.jpg 380w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shirley-Hazzard-A-Writing-Life-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shirley-Hazzard-A-Writing-Life-179x269.jpg 179w" sizes="(max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px" /> Learn more about Shirley Hazzard . . . . . . . …

Émilie du Châtelet (1706–1749), mathematician, physicist & translator
type: item
creator: Marie Lebert
date: 2026-06-28T00:08:00Z
subject: Translators (Marie Lebert, contributor)
description: Émilie du Châtelet (1706–1749) was a French mathematician, physicist, and translator. Her major work as a writer was Foundations of Physics, first published in 1740. Her major work as a translator was the translation of fellow scientist Isaac Newton’s seminal book Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy from its original Latin into French. Published in 1759, her translation is still the standard French translation to this day. Émilie du Châtelet received a good education in literature, mathematics and science. After marrying the Marquis du Châtelet at the age of nineteen and bearing three children, she resumed her mathematical studies in 1733 at the age of twenty-six. She became the intellectual collaborator and romantic partner of the French philosopher Voltaire, one of the key figures of the Enlightenment. Later on, while still being friends with her husband and with Voltaire, she began an affair with the French poet Jean Francois de Saint-Lambert but didn’t survive a new pregnancy one year later. Émilie was the first woman to have an essay published by the French Royal Academy of Sciences in 1739. Her essay dealt with the nature and propagation of fire (“Dissertation sur la nature et la propagation du feu”). . . . . . . . . . . <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-27638" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/du_chatelet-emilie-1.jpg" alt="emilie du châtelet" width="372" height="475" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/du_chatelet-emilie-1.jpg 424w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/du_chatelet-emilie-1-235x300.jpg 235w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/du_chatelet-emilie-1-187x239.jpg 187w" sizes="(max-width: 372px) 100vw, 372px" /> Émilie du Châtelet . . . . . . . . . Foundations of Physics Émilie du Châtelet’s main work as a writer was Foundations of Physics (original title: Institutions de Physique), pub…
encoded: Émilie du Châtelet (1706–1749) was a French mathematician, physicist, and translator. Her major work as a writer was Foundations of Physics, first published in 1740. Her major work as a translator was the translation of fellow scientist Isaac Newton’s seminal book Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy from its original Latin into French. Published in 1759, her translation is still the standard French translation to this day. Émilie du Châtelet received a good education in literature, mathematics and science. After marrying the Marquis du Châtelet at the age of nineteen and bearing three children, she resumed her mathematical studies in 1733 at the age of twenty-six. She became the intellectual collaborator and romantic partner of the French philosopher Voltaire, one of the key figures of the Enlightenment. Later on, while still being friends with her husband and with Voltaire, she began an affair with the French poet Jean Francois de Saint-Lambert but didn’t survive a new pregnancy one year later. Émilie was the first woman to have an essay published by the French Royal Academy of Sciences in 1739. Her essay dealt with the nature and propagation of fire (“Dissertation sur la nature et la propagation du feu”). . . . . . . . . . . <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-27638" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/du_chatelet-emilie-1.jpg" alt="emilie du châtelet" width="372" height="475" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/du_chatelet-emilie-1.jpg 424w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/du_chatelet-emilie-1-235x300.jpg 235w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/du_chatelet-emilie-1-187x239.jpg 187w" sizes="(max-width: 372px) 100vw, 372px" /> Émilie du Châtelet . . . . . . . . . Foundations of Physics Émilie du Châtelet’s main work as a writer was Foundations of Physics (original title: Institutions de Physique), pub…

Quotes from Shirley Jackson’s Psychological Thrillers
type: item
creator: Emma Ward
date: 2026-06-26T11:24:10Z
subject: Author Quotes
subject: Shirley Jackson
description: Shirley Jackson (1916 – 1965) was an American author whose work explored motifs of psychological horror. Presented here is a selection of quotes from Shirley Jackson’s best-known fiction in this genre, in which she was a master. Many of her works addressed the dark side of human nature. “The Lottery” (1948) is her best-known short story; standouts among her novels are The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons pioneered the genre of “momoirs” that inspired such writers as Erma Bombeck and Jean Kerr. In Jackson’s case, her own family life wasn’t quite as fun as the glossy and wry depictions in her pages. As a master of the psychological horror genre, Jackson influenced Stephen King and others. Having suffered from various ailments and addictions, she was only forty-eight when she died of heart failure. Even so, Jackson’s literary legacy has proven sturdy and enduring. . . . . . . . . . . The Lottery (1948) <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-4995" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the_lottery.jpg" alt="The lottery by Shirley Jackson" width="368" height="565" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the_lottery.jpg 360w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the_lottery-195x300.jpg 195w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the_lottery-175x269.jpg 175w" sizes="(max-width: 368px) 100vw, 368px" /> The Lottery and Other Stories “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.” . . . . . . . . . . “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, Read More→ The post Quotes from Shirley Jackson’s Psychological Thrillers appeared first on Literary Ladies Guide.
encoded: Shirley Jackson (1916 – 1965) was an American author whose work explored motifs of psychological horror. Presented here is a selection of quotes from Shirley Jackson’s best-known fiction in this genre, in which she was a master. Many of her works addressed the dark side of human nature. “The Lottery” (1948) is her best-known short story; standouts among her novels are The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons pioneered the genre of “momoirs” that inspired such writers as Erma Bombeck and Jean Kerr. In Jackson’s case, her own family life wasn’t quite as fun as the glossy and wry depictions in her pages. As a master of the psychological horror genre, Jackson influenced Stephen King and others. Having suffered from various ailments and addictions, she was only forty-eight when she died of heart failure. Even so, Jackson’s literary legacy has proven sturdy and enduring. . . . . . . . . . . The Lottery (1948) <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-4995" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the_lottery.jpg" alt="The lottery by Shirley Jackson" width="368" height="565" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the_lottery.jpg 360w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the_lottery-195x300.jpg 195w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the_lottery-175x269.jpg 175w" sizes="(max-width: 368px) 100vw, 368px" /> The Lottery and Other Stories “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.” . . . . . . . . . . “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones.” . . . . . . . . . . “They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than la…

Lizzie Magie: Forgotten Inventor of The Landlord’s Game
type: item
creator: Evan Atlas
date: 2026-06-05T21:31:37Z
subject: Other Voices
description: Introduction by Literary Ladies Guide: Although Monopoly is one of the most iconic board games in the world, the fascinating story of its origins has been lost to time. First published by Parker Brothers in 1935, the game’s invention was long credited to Charles Darrow, a salesman. But Monopoly was actually based on The Landlord’s Game, invented and patented by Lizzie Magie in 1904. The usurping game is now the best-selling modern board game, by far, with approximately 285 million copies sold. Its digital equivalent, Monopoly Go!, has amassed 150 million downloads, with millions of daily active users. Some history of Lizzie Magie and her invention is explored in the following piece by Evan Atlas, who recently reimagined Magie’s creation as an online game called Prosperity. . . . . . . . . . Lizzie Magie and The Landlord’s Game Contributed by Evan Atlas Who Was Lizzie Magie? She was a champion of prosperity. That’s the short version. But this incredibly multifaceted woman defies brief classification. Her path was one of iconoclasm and entrepreneurial creativity. Elizabeth Jones Magie (1866 – 1948), born in Macomb, Illinois, was the daughter of James Kingsley Magie and Mary Jane Ritchie. Her father sparked her lifelong interest in economic justice by introducing her to Progress and Poverty, the groundbreaking book by Henry George. It not only inspired The Landlord’s Game, but stayed with her throughout her life. . . . . . . . . . . . <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-27494" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/The-Sign-of-the-Flying-Hands-Lizzie-Magie-General-Typewriter-and-Stenographer.jpg" alt="The Sign of the Flying Hands, Lizzie Magie, General Typewriter and Stenographer" width="500" height="194" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/The-Sign-of-the-Flying-Hands-Lizzie-Magie-General-Typewriter-and-Stenographer.jpg 500w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-co…
encoded: Introduction by Literary Ladies Guide: Although Monopoly is one of the most iconic board games in the world, the fascinating story of its origins has been lost to time. First published by Parker Brothers in 1935, the game’s invention was long credited to Charles Darrow, a salesman. But Monopoly was actually based on The Landlord’s Game, invented and patented by Lizzie Magie in 1904. The usurping game is now the best-selling modern board game, by far, with approximately 285 million copies sold. Its digital equivalent, Monopoly Go!, has amassed 150 million downloads, with millions of daily active users. Some history of Lizzie Magie and her invention is explored in the following piece by Evan Atlas, who recently reimagined Magie’s creation as an online game called Prosperity. . . . . . . . . . Lizzie Magie and The Landlord’s Game Contributed by Evan Atlas Who Was Lizzie Magie? She was a champion of prosperity. That’s the short version. But this incredibly multifaceted woman defies brief classification. Her path was one of iconoclasm and entrepreneurial creativity. Elizabeth Jones Magie (1866 – 1948), born in Macomb, Illinois, was the daughter of James Kingsley Magie and Mary Jane Ritchie. Her father sparked her lifelong interest in economic justice by introducing her to Progress and Poverty, the groundbreaking book by Henry George. It not only inspired The Landlord’s Game, but stayed with her throughout her life. . . . . . . . . . . . <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-27494" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/The-Sign-of-the-Flying-Hands-Lizzie-Magie-General-Typewriter-and-Stenographer.jpg" alt="The Sign of the Flying Hands, Lizzie Magie, General Typewriter and Stenographer" width="500" height="194" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/The-Sign-of-the-Flying-Hands-Lizzie-Magie-General-Typewriter-and-Stenographer.jpg 500w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-co…

“I Do Not Consent” The Life of Writer and Activist June Jordan
type: item
creator: Elodie Barnes
date: 2026-05-08T20:38:19Z
subject: Author biography
subject: Elodie Barnes
description: June Jordan (July 9, 1936 – June 14, 2002) was a poet, playwright, and essayist, known for her political activism and commitment to human rights. Her writing spanned thirty years and nearly thirty books, covering subjects such as marginalization, oppression, and inequality, as well as racial, political, and sexual identity. She was also passionate about the use of Black English in writing and in education, and had a thriving teaching career in several universities. Early life in New York June Millicent Jordan was born in the Harlem section of New York City in 1936 and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Her parents, Mildred and Granville Jordan were immigrants from Panama and Jamaica, respectively. An only child, she had a difficult relationship with her father, who never hid his disappointment that she was not a boy. Later, she would write, “For a long while during childhood I was relatively small, short, and, in some other ways, a target for bully abuse. In fact, my father was the first regular bully in my life.” However, she credited him with passing along his love of literature, and by age seven, she began writing her own poetry. Her mother later took her own life. Fifteen years later, in a 1981 essay called “Many Rivers To Cross,” Jordan wrote: “I thought about the idea of my mother as a good woman and I rejected that, because I don’t see why it’s a good thing when you give up, or when you cooperate with those who hate you…I came too late to help my mother to her feet. By way of everlasting thanks to all the women who have helped me to stay alive I am working never to be late again.” She attended Midwood High School in Brooklyn for a year, Read More→ The post “I Do Not Consent” The Life of Writer and Activist June Jordan appeared first on Literary Ladies Guide.
encoded: June Jordan (July 9, 1936 – June 14, 2002) was a poet, playwright, and essayist, known for her political activism and commitment to human rights. Her writing spanned thirty years and nearly thirty books, covering subjects such as marginalization, oppression, and inequality, as well as racial, political, and sexual identity. She was also passionate about the use of Black English in writing and in education, and had a thriving teaching career in several universities. Early life in New York June Millicent Jordan was born in the Harlem section of New York City in 1936 and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Her parents, Mildred and Granville Jordan were immigrants from Panama and Jamaica, respectively. An only child, she had a difficult relationship with her father, who never hid his disappointment that she was not a boy. Later, she would write, “For a long while during childhood I was relatively small, short, and, in some other ways, a target for bully abuse. In fact, my father was the first regular bully in my life.” However, she credited him with passing along his love of literature, and by age seven, she began writing her own poetry. Her mother later took her own life. Fifteen years later, in a 1981 essay called “Many Rivers To Cross,” Jordan wrote: “I thought about the idea of my mother as a good woman and I rejected that, because I don’t see why it’s a good thing when you give up, or when you cooperate with those who hate you…I came too late to help my mother to her feet. By way of everlasting thanks to all the women who have helped me to stay alive I am working never to be late again.” She attended Midwood High School in Brooklyn for a year, followed by the elite Northfield School in Massachusetts. The student bodies of both schools were predominantly white. In 1953, she attended Barnard College in New York (the women’s college affiliated with Columbia University), but also felt alienated as a Black student, and by the white-centered curriculum. In her 1981 b…

“Marriage and Love” by Emma Goldman, a 1911 essay
type: item
creator: Taylor Jasmine
date: 2026-04-20T21:23:55Z
subject: Full Texts of Classic Works
subject: Emma Goldman
description: Emma Goldman (1869 – 1940) was a noted as a promoter of the anarchist philosophy. Best known for her role in the development of its theories in the early twentieth century, she was also actively involved in other social reforms. “Marriage and Love,” one of her best-known and widely read essays. This thoughtful, often cynical, and surprising examination of marriage in the early twentieth century still speaks to the contemporary institution in many ways. In 1906, Goldman founded the Mother Earth Journal, serving as both an editor and frequent contributor. The essay that follows was originally published by Mother Earth Publishing Association in 1911. It is in the public domain. . . . . . . . . . . Marriage and Love by Emma Goldman The popular notion about marriage and love is that they are synonymous, that they spring from the same motives, and cover the same human needs. Like most popular notions this also rests not on actual facts, but on superstition. Marriage and love have nothing in common; they are as far apart as the poles; are, in fact, antagonistic to each other. No doubt some marriages have been the result of love. Not, however, because love could assert itself only in marriage; much rather is it because few people can completely outgrow a convention. There are today large numbers of men and women to whom marriage is naught but a farce, but who submit to it for the sake of public opinion. At any rate, while it is true that some marriages are based on love, and while it is equally true that in some cases love continues in married life, I maintain that it does so regardless of marriage, and not because of it. Read More→ The post “Marriage and Love” by Emma Goldman, a 1911 essay appeared first on Literary Ladies Guide.
encoded: Emma Goldman (1869 – 1940) was a noted as a promoter of the anarchist philosophy. Best known for her role in the development of its theories in the early twentieth century, she was also actively involved in other social reforms. “Marriage and Love,” one of her best-known and widely read essays. This thoughtful, often cynical, and surprising examination of marriage in the early twentieth century still speaks to the contemporary institution in many ways. In 1906, Goldman founded the Mother Earth Journal, serving as both an editor and frequent contributor. The essay that follows was originally published by Mother Earth Publishing Association in 1911. It is in the public domain. . . . . . . . . . . Marriage and Love by Emma Goldman The popular notion about marriage and love is that they are synonymous, that they spring from the same motives, and cover the same human needs. Like most popular notions this also rests not on actual facts, but on superstition. Marriage and love have nothing in common; they are as far apart as the poles; are, in fact, antagonistic to each other. No doubt some marriages have been the result of love. Not, however, because love could assert itself only in marriage; much rather is it because few people can completely outgrow a convention. There are today large numbers of men and women to whom marriage is naught but a farce, but who submit to it for the sake of public opinion. At any rate, while it is true that some marriages are based on love, and while it is equally true that in some cases love continues in married life, I maintain that it does so regardless of marriage, and not because of it. On the other hand, it is utterly false that love results from marriage. On rare occasions one does hear of a miraculous case of a married couple falling in love after marriage, but on close examination it will be found that it is a mere adjustment to the inevitable. Certainly the growing-used to each other is far away from the spontaneity, the intensity, a…

Literary Centenaries 2026: Classic Fiction by Women Writers
type: item
creator: Nava Atlas
date: 2026-04-12T01:09:34Z
subject: Literary Musings
description: I find literary centenaries fascinating. What books were being read and discussed one hundred years ago? What books and stories have become classics? Here we’ll explore literary centenaries that happened in 2026 — specifically, books by women writers published in 1926. Which have stood the test of time? Because of the hoopla surrounding the centenary of The Great Gatsby in 2025, I did a similar roundup of books and stories by women writers from 1925. All of these books and stories following are in the public domain, so you might find free versions of them online on sites like Project Gutenberg. Many are still circulating in print form in public or university libraries; and audio versions of most are available as well. . . . . . . . . . . . The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-23451" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Blue-Castle-Audiobook.jpg" alt="The Blue Castle Audiobook" width="459" height="459" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Blue-Castle-Audiobook.jpg 500w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Blue-Castle-Audiobook-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Blue-Castle-Audiobook-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Blue-Castle-Audiobook-187x187.jpg 187w" sizes="(max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /> Canadian author L.M. Montgomery (1874 – 1942) is best known for her Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon series. The Blue Castle (1926) was two novels she intended for adults (though all her books can be enjoyed by readers of all ages; the other is A Tangled Web, 1931). While this book may not be as famous as Montgomery’s Anne and Emily series, it’s beloved by those who have discovered it, and is one of her few standalone novels. The story’s heroine, Valancy Stirling, is considered a hopeless old maid at …
encoded: I find literary centenaries fascinating. What books were being read and discussed one hundred years ago? What books and stories have become classics? Here we’ll explore literary centenaries that happened in 2026 — specifically, books by women writers published in 1926. Which have stood the test of time? Because of the hoopla surrounding the centenary of The Great Gatsby in 2025, I did a similar roundup of books and stories by women writers from 1925. All of these books and stories following are in the public domain, so you might find free versions of them online on sites like Project Gutenberg. Many are still circulating in print form in public or university libraries; and audio versions of most are available as well. . . . . . . . . . . . The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-23451" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Blue-Castle-Audiobook.jpg" alt="The Blue Castle Audiobook" width="459" height="459" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Blue-Castle-Audiobook.jpg 500w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Blue-Castle-Audiobook-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Blue-Castle-Audiobook-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Blue-Castle-Audiobook-187x187.jpg 187w" sizes="(max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /> Canadian author L.M. Montgomery (1874 – 1942) is best known for her Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon series. The Blue Castle (1926) was two novels she intended for adults (though all her books can be enjoyed by readers of all ages; the other is A Tangled Web, 1931). While this book may not be as famous as Montgomery’s Anne and Emily series, it’s beloved by those who have discovered it, and is one of her few standalone novels. The story’s heroine, Valancy Stirling, is considered a hopeless old maid at …

Christine de Pizan and The Book of the City of Ladies
type: item
creator: Marie Lebert
date: 2026-04-10T16:16:16Z
subject: Book descriptions
subject: Translators (Marie Lebert, contributor)
description: Christine de Pizan (alternatively Pisan) 1364–1430), an Italian-French court writer, is best remembered for The Book of the City of Ladies and its follow-up, The Treasure of the City of Ladies, two manuscripts dated 1405. A prolific writer of poetry, novels, biography and commentary in vernacular French, she earned a living with her writing and is considered the first professional woman writer in Europe. Christine de Pizan’s husband died of the plague in 1389, a year after her father’s death, leaving her to support her children and her mother as a court writer. This was considered a male occupation. She skillfully used patronage in turbulent political times, with royalty commissioning her work, and became a prolific writer, with forty known works which include poetry, novels and biography, as well as literary, historical, philosophical, political and religious commentary. Christine was personally involved in the production of her books, supervising the production of beautifully illustrated manuscripts that were acquired by fellow intellectuals for their own libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-27403" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/From-The-Book-of-he-City-of-Ladies-by-Christine-de-Pizan.jpg" alt="From The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan" width="504" height="385" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/From-The-Book-of-he-City-of-Ladies-by-Christine-de-Pizan.jpg 474w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/From-The-Book-of-he-City-of-Ladies-by-Christine-de-Pizan-300x229.jpg 300w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/From-The-Book-of-he-City-of-Ladies-by-Christine-de-Pizan-187x143.jpg 187w" sizes="(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px" />. . . . . . . . . . . . The Book of the City of Ladies Why did Christine de Pizan write The Book of the City of Ladies (Le Livre de la Cité des …
encoded: Christine de Pizan (alternatively Pisan) 1364–1430), an Italian-French court writer, is best remembered for The Book of the City of Ladies and its follow-up, The Treasure of the City of Ladies, two manuscripts dated 1405. A prolific writer of poetry, novels, biography and commentary in vernacular French, she earned a living with her writing and is considered the first professional woman writer in Europe. Christine de Pizan’s husband died of the plague in 1389, a year after her father’s death, leaving her to support her children and her mother as a court writer. This was considered a male occupation. She skillfully used patronage in turbulent political times, with royalty commissioning her work, and became a prolific writer, with forty known works which include poetry, novels and biography, as well as literary, historical, philosophical, political and religious commentary. Christine was personally involved in the production of her books, supervising the production of beautifully illustrated manuscripts that were acquired by fellow intellectuals for their own libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-27403" src="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/From-The-Book-of-he-City-of-Ladies-by-Christine-de-Pizan.jpg" alt="From The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan" width="504" height="385" srcset="https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/From-The-Book-of-he-City-of-Ladies-by-Christine-de-Pizan.jpg 474w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/From-The-Book-of-he-City-of-Ladies-by-Christine-de-Pizan-300x229.jpg 300w, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/From-The-Book-of-he-City-of-Ladies-by-Christine-de-Pizan-187x143.jpg 187w" sizes="(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px" />. . . . . . . . . . . . The Book of the City of Ladies Why did Christine de Pizan write The Book of the City of Ladies (Le Livre de la Cité des …