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From: sophie@mnetor.UUCP (Sophie Quigley)
Newsgroups: net.books,net.singles,net.women
Subject: Re: Feminist Reading Material Followup
Message-ID: <1898@mnetor.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Aug-85 13:54:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: mnetor.1898
Posted: Wed Aug 28 13:54:13 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 28-Aug-85 15:17:42 EDT
References: <1804@reed.UUCP> <3328@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> <1843@mnetor.UUCP> <1539@peora.UUCP>
Reply-To: sophie@mnetor.UUCP (Sophie Quigley)
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Xref: utcs net.books:2230 net.singles:8789 net.women:7184
Summary: 

In article <1539@peora.UUCP> jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) writes:
>Sophie writes:
>> One of my favorite woman writer is Margaret Atwood.
>
>My favorite "woman writer" is Carson McCullers.  I've never understood why
>a female writer has to be sociopolitical in her writings in order to be
>considered good.  (Or to have a name like "Iron".)
>
Hmmm, I've only read "The heart is a lonely hunter" by Carson
McCullers, which I think is a wonderful book.  If all her other works
are similar to this one, I consider her writings to be very
sociopolitical.  The strongest image I remember from this book was of
the one main black character (a doctor, I think) being shocked as he
witnessed some religious ceremony where other blacks were praying to
become white once in heaven.  Ah, yes, a very good book.  Thanks for
mentioning her.

I feel very uncomfortable about using the term "woman writer", As
though women were of a different species or something.  However, in the
case of Margaret Atwood, I think that the fact that she is a woman is
very important in her work.  Also, the original enquiry was about feminist
fiction, if I remember well.

Joanna Russ discusses this issue of the separation of "woman writers"
in her book: "how to suppress women's writing".  I found her analysis
quite interesting even if a bit skimpy.  It helps put into perspective
the issue of writers being taken seriously when they are women.  Quite
a thorny issue.  There certainly is not a concensus on this issue from
the part of writers who are women either.

>I like Flannery O'Connor, too.  And Eudora Welty.
>
>Try "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe".

Will try.  I will also look up the ones you mentioned.


-- 
Sophie Quigley
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