Regular readers here know that I choose my Library of America offerings for various reasons: for authors I haven't read before but would like to (such as Edgar Allan Poe and Sherwood Anderson), for authors I love and am always happy to read more of (such as Willa Cather, Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton), or … Continue reading Mary Austin, The land (Review)
Gender
Emma: 200 years of perfection: Pt 3, Gender and the study of Austen
Jane Austen and gender studies are made for each other, not only because the content of her novels inspire feminist critique (albeit sometimes conflicting, because, well, all her heroines get married, don't they?), but also because reactions to her tend to be polarised along gender lines. (Remember my reporting in a recent post on VS Naipaul's … Continue reading Emma: 200 years of perfection: Pt 3, Gender and the study of Austen
Raising my consciousness: Thoughts of a reader on International Women’s Day
I am not, and never have been, scared to use the "F" word - that is, I call myself a Feminist. My philosophy is a simple one: women are not the SAME as men, but women deserve EQUAL rights and respect as men. This is not to say that the interpretation and application of this … Continue reading Raising my consciousness: Thoughts of a reader on International Women’s Day
Monday musings on Australian literature: Where are our women writers?
It might be just me, but it seems that women writers (I know the adjective should be female but it just doesn't feel right in this context where "women writers" is short-hand for "women who are writers" or "writers who are women") are somewhat thin on the ground in Australia at present, at least in … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Where are our women writers?
Nine, just 9, books by female authors at the top of a 20th century list?
The Reading Ape, in his February Literary Fact of the Day compilation, included the following tidbit: There are only 6 female authors on The Modern Library's list of the 100 best novels of the 20th Century. In fact, in the Modern Library's Board's list (over 10 years old now), a woman doesn't appear until slot 15, … Continue reading Nine, just 9, books by female authors at the top of a 20th century list?
Why I love Radio National
One of the best things about retirement for me is being able to listen to Radio National in the morning. For you overseas readers, Radio National is the national radio station of our national broadcaster, the ABC, Aunty, or, if you want to be formal, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Here is the usual morning line-up: … Continue reading Why I love Radio National
Wikipedia wants YOU (if you’re a woman)
Wikipedia has turned 10 - as I'm sure you've heard by now. Like all good organisations celebrating an anniversary, it is engaging in a little navel-gazing - and discovering some interesting things. To wit ... Yesterday the thoughtful Stefanie of So many books emailed me an article from The New York Times because she remembered … Continue reading Wikipedia wants YOU (if you’re a woman)
Whispering Gums 