Sexism and Books By and About Women

(formerly  posted  WOMEN’S FICTION WRITERS.com)

 

  Many female authors bristle at the label “women's fiction” for the same reason Wikipedia users were upset years ago a when all novels written by women were segregated from those writers whose gender was deemed irrelevant to their writing: men.  Why isn't there a 'men's fiction'? Because men have determined that to be the default. 

In one of my favorite reviews of Sue Miller, she’s described as writing about “families and marriages, infidelity and divorce -- what we call ‘literary fiction’ when men write about those things.”

Though women's writing doesn't get the same respect, the reason it doesn’t hurt sales is that most book buyers are women, a fact that makes the predominance of male reviewers even more bizarre.

Whenever I read an article about sexism in contemporary literature, I’m frustrated by what seems to be missing from the conversation. To me, all these issues are connected and they have to do with the way girls and boys are taught how to read.

During the four years of my public high school education, I was assigned close to twenty novels. Only two of them were written by women: Pride and Prejudice and To Kill a Mockingbird.  A British lady from the 1800s and a ten year old American girl from the 1930s are representing all of female human experience. It’s a heavy burden.

The books I was assigned in school are the same books my parents were assigned, the same books they’re assigning today. I’ve been told this isn’t sexist; it’s a product of the sexism of the past. Classic literature must stand the test of time.

Certainly, there were fewer women being published in the 1900s and I don't suggest we whitewash history to pretend otherwise. But when we create a mandatory reading list for children, why are we focusing on this time period, perpetuating the ideas of white men whose sexism can be forgiven? Doesn't time march onward? Haven’t there been any great novels written in the last three generations?

As an adult, I read an article that quotes F. Scott Fitzgerald as saying: “Women learn best not from books or from their own dreams but from reality and from contact with first-class men.” It colored my impression of his female characters. 

Did you read The Great Gatsby in high school? Is it possible that every American to pass through a public school in the last fifty years has been forced to read the same book, absorbing the perspective of this old-school misogynist because critics have decided it is one of the "great American novels"?

And, can a woman write the great American novel? Salon’s Lauren Miller writes: “Men are allowed to stand for the entirety of a national identity or for humanity itself, but women are only supposed to stand for womanhood, if in various flavors.” 

Imagine if The Great Gatsby had focused on Daisy instead. Could it have been a story representative of what it was like to be an American in the 20s, or would it have only been representative of what it was like to be an American woman in the 20s?

When a subject is written by a man, it's considered universal because men see stories about men as universal and men make these definitions. Because assigned reading is so heavily male, women have been taught to find universal themes in books written by men and about men. The opposite is not true. Men have not been required to find universal themes in books written by women, about women. They have rarely even been required to read such books.

Out of curiosity, I tracked down the current reading list for my public high school. The freshman and sophomore reading remains unchanged: eight titles (including Gatsby!), only one written by a woman. The junior reading list is a choice among 100 books, five of which were written by women. Of the fifty-five books on the senior reading list, there are six books and ten short stories by women. It’s unclear whether the reading choice is made by the students or the teacher, so I’m still not sure boys are being assigned more female authors than they were twenty years ago.

Beyond the obvious charge of sexism, the disadvantage this presents to female students, I’d suggest a disservice is being done to male students as well. I think reading habits are developed early in life, and this may have something to do with why women are better, more diverse readers.

It’s true that in order to make room for more female authors, some of the established male authors would have to be cut. Perhaps ten straight, white men who wrote before the 20th century would be enough. Maybe it’s time to hear some other voices. If not now, when?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/opinion/sunday/wikipedias-sexism-toward-female-novelists.html?_r=0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/20/AR2010042004354.html

http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/nov/11/dont-patronise-popular-fiction-women

www.vulture.com/2013/05/schulz-on-the-great-gatsby.html?test=true

http://www.salon.com/2013/06/05/rachel_kushners_ambitious_new_novel_scares_male_critics/

That time of year again

 As if holiday shopping isn't hard enough, this is my ninth year shopping for products made in America. Years ago, an ABC News report said that if each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during our holiday shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs. I think that's a challenge worth taking.

I think Christmas is only for those who believe in Santa. As my friends kids get older, I've relaxed this rule a bit. As far as I know, they're still believers.

When I'm looking for US made kids clothes, I usually go straight to etsy.com.

For kids who are constantly outgrowing their wardrobes, you can afford several outfits of likenew brand name items at ThredUp.com.

I've always had good luck with the American made section of FatBrainToys, which has reasonably priced, educational toys and games.

I always ask for readers to send me their suggestions and finally got this guide to US made toys & games that allows you to search the list by age range.

For several years now, my family has decided to donate to charity in lieu of gifts to each other. We have given to Unicef, Heifer, CharityWater, and OxFam to name a few. Before selecting a charity, I always check them out at Charitynavigator.org to find out how much of donations go to services and how much they pay the CEO. (I can't stand charity CEOs who make millions.) I recommend checking out your charity here before donating. You can even look at their list of top-rated charities if you need ideas.

Open Letter to HGTV about Renovating for Accessibility

About a quarter of the US population has some form of disability. If this is surprising, it may be because we’ve been rendered invisible by an inaccessible society. We may be the only minority group physically excluded by the very way public spaces are designed. No one needs a sign that says ‘disabled not welcome here’. All you need is a staircase to your front door without a ramp.  More than thirty years after the ADA became law, people with disabilities struggle to be able to exist in public spaces and to find affordable housing. Many communities have no accessible housing while some cities have accessible housing available only in low income apartments.

I love watching home renovation shows. I wish there was a show that renovated houses to be accessible. You would need a host who uses a wheelchair, both to increase representation and because a person with a disability understands what is needed in ways able bodied people can't. I can't tell you how many 'accessible' hotels I've been to where the grab bars are too short or too far from the toilet to reach. Or there's a glass enclosed shower with a pull open door because someone imagined a wheelchair user could roll in, transfer, push the chair out, pull the door closed, then push the door open, reach the chair to pull it back in and transfer back.

These renovations do not need to be ugly, hospital-like, or expensive. I did mine for under 50k, including a kitchen with roll-under sinks and front -mounted stove controls and countertops at different heights, a roll-in shower with beautiful tile and a teak bench, a slowly graded concrete slope to my front door that most people don't recognize is a ramp. Many of these are universal design choices that help parents with strollers as well as an aging baby boomer population.

I don't believe the audience would be limited to the disabled community. When I think about reality shows about little people, obese people, polygamist families, etc., I see a big audience interested in the lives of people different from them. The way to keep a show like this from becoming exploitative 'inspiration porn' is to be sure you include a diverse group of disabled voices following the 'nothing about us without us' standard.

It would be great to show how these universal design options could be used in businesses that serve the public in ways that would be inclusive for all kinds of people. I would love to have a show like this to watch, and when the pandemic is over, the ability to participate in the world outside my home.

 

 

American-made Holidays

Holiday shopping can be incredibly difficult. I add to the challenge by forcing myself to buy American. Years ago, an ABC News report said that if each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during our holiday shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs. I think that's a challenge worth taking and this is my seventh year of doing my part.

I think Christmas is only for those who believe in Santa. As my friends kids get older, I've relaxed this rule a bit. As far as I know, they're still believers.

When I'm looking for US made kids clothes, I usually go straight to etsy.com.

For kids who are constantly outgrowing their wardrobes, you can afford several outfits of likenew brand name items at ThredUp.com.

I've always had good luck with the American made section of FatBrainToys, which has reasonably priced, educational toys and games.

I always ask for readers to send me their suggestions and finally got this guide to US made toys & games that allows you to search the list by age range.

For several years now, my family has decided to donate to charity in lieu of gifts to each other. We have given to Unicef, Heifer, CharityWater, and OxFam to name a few. Before selecting a charity, I always check them out at Charitynavigator.org to find out how much of donations go to services and how much they pay the CEO. (I can't stand charity CEOs who make millions.) I recommend checking out your charity here before donating. You can even look at their list of top-rated charities if you need ideas.

Book Review: All Threats Within

I was excited to receive an early copy of All Threats Within, a sequel to Sam Boush's cyber thriller All Systems Down, in which a cyber attack cripples America, and a group of strangers comes together to fight back.

I was worried I might have forgotten some important details since reading the first over a year ago, but Boush does a good job refreshing my memory just enough without too much rehashing. There is no time for that.The pacing is perfect, the dialogue is spot on, the writing itself is beautiful.

The cast of ethnically diverse, interesting characters is back. The story is told in alternating first-person narratives and the reader gets to know and care for each of these original characters deeply. What this story says about human nature is sort of heart-breaking: we're our own worst enemies. When the nation is under attack, the lawlessness of fellow citizens becomes one of the greatest threats. This time, the group gets pulled into a new danger involving traitors working in the US military.

Again, I found myself worrying about whether I have stored enough emergency water. This is a cautionary tale that seems so plausible, it will haunt you.

I enjoyed every moment of this fast-paced read and look forward to the next novel.

Here's my interview with Sam Boush for Today'sAuthor.

Rules are Dumb, as a Rule

I read a lot of blogs about writing. Something I’ve grown really tired of is the “how to be a writer” blog - as if this is something that can be conveyed in a few paragraphs. It isn’t that I don’t think there are aspects of writing that can be taught. I’ve taken writing classes and found them beneficial. But a one-size-fits-all list of dos and don’ts that you stumble across on the internet is something to be skeptical of.

If there are rules, they apply to everyone differently, depending on your audience and your specific writing goals. How many times have you been warned not to use adverbs? Tell that to JK Rowling. Or better: don’t. Adverbs have their place as does every other bit of language. A better suggestion would be to use all your words consciously, to understand where the rule came from and break it with that knowledge.

But even that makes me uncomfortable. It ignores the fact that there are writers with natural talent who don’t need to know the why of it. 

The reason I love hearing writers speak about their particular writing process is that they all have something different to say. Some of them plot it out on color coded note cards before they type a word while others have no idea where the story is going and swear their characters battle them for control. Some have MFAs and others no formal training. Some write several titles a year; others leave one perfect book as their life’s work.

There are many different ways to be a writer. If you’re seeking commercial success, there are certain formulas for certain genres. There are rules for spelling and grammar, but even some of the rules about commas are flexible. Tense and point of view should probably be consistent. (Real anti-rulers are calling me a hypocrite for adding that.) But learning to “drop these seven words” won’t make you a writer. It’s just not that easy. 

If you think I’ve just written a blog on “how to be a writer”, you may have a point. That’s the problem with giving advice to ignore advice. But maybe that’s not what I’m saying. Don’t ignore it; just don’t take it as gospel. Don’t let it subvert your own writer’s instinct. I think you should be very critical of the writing advice you take, including mine.

Mary Vensel White

I've been lucky enough to workshop with Mary Vensel White and I've been able to read a lot of her work. I've liked it all so it says a lot that this is my favorite. Bellflower comes out today and you should check it out. Here's my review:

Mary Vensel White is an expert at creating original, believable characters you can root for in a paragraph or less-a skill that comes in handy when writing a novel that is a series of vignettes. These are the defining moments of these characters' lives: the cancer scare, the mid-life crisis affair, the paternity test results that seem like the end of the world. Bellflower tells these stories about the human condition and reminds us that, in the end, we're all connected.