biographies of female writers

I was also moved by the story because it touchingly describes the loving relationship between the two central characters, showcasing that neither space nor time can erase love. J. K. Rowling (Author of Children's Fantasy Series, 'Harry Potter') 165. Ngozi Adichie is a new, powerful and incredibly talented voice; her novel Americanah is the expression of a different African tale, of a continent and its people that have many more magnetic stories to tell, as well as critiques to raise about the so-called enlightened West. Now, drawing on unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries, and land and financial records, Caroline Fraserthe editor of the Library of America edition of the Little House seriesmasterfully fills in the gaps in Wilders biography., Although mother and daughter, these two brilliant women never knew one another Wollstonecraft died of an infection in 1797 at the age of thirty-eight, a week after giving birth. Many people discover Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston through her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, but in the award-winning Wrapped in Rainbows, Valerie Boyd uncovers the writers total miraculous output and undeniable influence. We are painfully aware that this list could go forever. The poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay positions this influential author as one of the leading poets of twentieth century. I always wanted to be a writer, so I naively mistook them as guides for life. Okay, Id rather read about the Wollstonecrafts/Shelleys, or the Peabodys, because I think the Bronts are a bit overratedbut like the Plath biography, which was a biography of her biographies, this book tries to demystify the myth that surrounds the Bronts. New York, Lee tackles her larger-than-life subject, Virginia Woolf, known for her Modernist novels like Mrs. Dalloway and, my personal favorite, To the Lighthouse. . McKinley. You will find a mix of subjects, including important figures in literature, science, politics, history, art, and more. This biography was the basis of the 2007 film Becoming Jane.More about Becoming Jane Austen. Edna St. Vincent Millay was fashioned as a modern Sappho, and a holdover of Victorian era poets like Elizabeth Barrett Browning. As always. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies Americanah has moved me like no other in recent memory. The woman is a living legend and a soldier for equality. Its a hard story. As always this list is in no way the last word, so leave your favorite bios in the comments. Whats not to love? Wells' work to life as she details her experience as the child of two slaves in Holly Springs, Mississippi, to her crusade against America's brutal lyching policies. And Gone With the Wind was a publishing phenomenon rarely seen before or since, in turn inspiring one of the most successful film adaptations ever. Its odd reading a book at which you are simultaneously repulsed at how you feel and yet you understand exactly why you feel that way. But this biography focuses on the human side of Borges and brings new light to his work and thinking. Hermione Lee is a master biographer. Heres how it works. Stacy Schiff, if youve never read any of her other biographies, is a master. Wells, Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens, Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America, The Flame Trees of Thika: Memories of an African Childhood, A Woman of Valor: Clara Barton and the Civil War, Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace, Woman of the House: The Rise of Nancy Pelosi, Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations, An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness, Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall, The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn, Elephant Dance: A Story of Love and War in the Kingdom of Elephants, Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader's Eye-Opening Journey Across the Life Line, Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America, Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life, Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books, American Jezebel: The Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson, the Woman Who Defied the Puritans, Four Queens: The Provenal Sisters Who Ruled Europe, Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter, Trials of the Earth: The True Story of a Pioneer Woman, A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy, The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman, Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948, Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail, Finding Her Voice: Women in Country Music, 1800-2000, She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth, Resistance: A Songwriter's Story of Hope, Change, and Courage, God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man: A Saltwater Geechee Talks About Life on Sapelo Island, Georgia, PHD to Ph.D.: How Education Saved My Life, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More, Resilience Road: Exploring Your Authentic Life Path, If everyone cared: Autobiography of Margaret Tucker, Gianna: Abortedand Lived to Tell about It, A New Gospel for Women: Katharine Bushnell and the Challenge of Christian Feminism, The Eyes of Un-Cried Tears: A Ukranian Battle Cry, Wounds of the Father: A True Story of Child Abuse, Betrayal, and Redemption, The Spy Who Loved: The Secrets and Lives of Christine Granville. Hurston influenced many writers, forever cementing her place in history as one of the foremost female writers of the 20 th century. Below Ive listed 50 of the best biographies out there. Zadie Smith during a reading in Cologne, in 2014. t is hard to believe that this piece is still necessary. Vote for Your Favourite British Women Writers. This has all the bad: racism, sexism, abuse, sexual assaultso I warned you! But then, Tolstoy didnt go in for jokes much either. So imagine how delightful it was to encounter Born to Be Posthumous, Mark Derys compelling portrait of Gorey, definitely one of he best biographies of writers. In addition, Vita was a literary force to be reckoned with as well as a master gardener. This is the most recent biography of Frederick Douglass. Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. A horror story in every sense. And now for an epic list of the 20 best biographies of writers Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley Agatha Christie, one of the "Masters of Suspense," lived a remarkable life while penning classics like Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None. Level Up Your Book Blogging with My Book! . Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. Yes, an autobiography. . Veronica Majerol, New York, NY. "When you are craving a loveable story with depth and true character developmentthis should be your next read. Keep an eye on your inbox. 'Small Fry' by Lisa Brennan-Jobs. This bio of James Baldwin, perhaps most famous for his novel with queer themes, Giovannis Room, argues that Baldwins vision of America remains relevant today. Chilling, difficult, painful, but absolutely brilliant. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.. ", Sylvia Plath: A Biography by Linda W. Wagner-Martin. This literary biography proves its still possible to write fresh, surprising, captivating, and engrossing biographies of famous writers. It paints a fascinating double portrait of Louisa May Alcott and her mother, Abigail May Alcott the real Marmee that inspired the matriarch of the March family of Little Women. 86 Likes, 0 Comments - Boston Athenum (@bostonathenaeum) on Instagram: "On March 8, this year's International Women's Day, we celebrate both women and history (since." Boston Athenum on Instagram: "On March 8, this year's International Women's Day, we celebrate both women and history (since it is Women's History Month!) Take a look and let me know about your favorite biography in the comments! The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy is my favourite book of all time, and I also adore Elif Shafak, whose fiction and essays as well as her talks are outstandingly fresh and insightful. Sarah's writing about books has appeared on Book Riot, Electric Literature, Kirkus Reviews, BookRags, PsychCentral, and more. In this bold 2001 biography byNancy Milford, Millay fully emerges as the passionate, bold woman fearless woman whose groundbreaking poetry and trailblazing life should never be forgotten. Herewith, 10 of the best biographies of women writers, from Zora Neale Hurston to Edna St. Vincent Millay. Richard Wright is perhaps best known for his novel Native Son, but the author also contributed many more books and writing to American letters. If all biographies of female writers were this comprehensive and inquisitive, thered be no time to read anything else, marking this as an exceptional biography. Vita and her husband both conducted affairs with same-sex parters, yet sustained a loving and committed marriage with one another. Here are 10 of the most mentioned authors, in no particular order, and what our readers had to say about them: In my twenties, I was a foreigner in London. They'll amaze you, move you and often times give you the laugh you need. . Related: The 10 Best Erotic Novels to Read Now, Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston by Valerie Boyd. This is where I first read about Plath's face-biting meeting with Ted Hughes, so give it to the 15-year-old in your life with a warning label about crazy relationships. Though Parker is best known for her light verse, she also wrote well-received short stories and longed to write a novelthough she lacked the follow through. More about Secrets of the Flesh. A man who created creepy comics and lived with a horde of cats and thousands of books automatically sounds sounds like the kind of person whose biography I want to read. This list of a dozen biographies is by no means definitive and nowhere near exhaustive its simply a great place to start when you want to learn more about your favorite women writers of the recent past. Ive tried to keep this list focused on biography only, so there is little in the way of memoir or autobiography. Some authors were pretty terrible people, which can ruin your perception of their writing. David Leeming was friends with Baldwin for 25 years before writing his biography. I also like to read about the lives of the authors of some of my favorite booksIris Murdoch and The Sea, The Sea, Philip K. Dick and A Scanner Darkly, Mary Shelley and Frankenstein, Penelope Fitzgerald and The Blue Flowerbut this can be a perilous exercise. So how do we reconcile the poets work with the poet himself? Her descriptions of how women began to be punished for abortions reminds me of legislation happening right now in the USA, for example. In the 1940s, the critic and novelist Rebecca West's picture was on the cover of Time magazine. This meeting sparked a love affair that lasted over a decade, destroying Dickenss marriage and ending with Nellys near-disappearance from the public record., Slowly, but surely, Sojourner climbed from beneath the weight of slavery, secured respect for herself, and utilized the distinction of her race to become not only a symbol for black women, but for the feminist movement as a whole., Born to former slaves on a Louisiana plantation in 1867, Madam C.J. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. He also wrote biographies on Beauford Delaney and Stephen Spender. Like Morrison, other African American women who happen to be scribes, have had to define themselves through their artistry. Harriet Jacobs wrote the memoir Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, which became the most well-read slave narrative written by a woman. George Egerton, ' A Cross Line '. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, During a very difficult time in my life, I sought refuge in Bradburys imagination, devouring two of his most treasured short story collections, The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man (get them both in this Ray Bradbury boxed collection by the Library of America). 1. Mockingbird byCharles J. Shields sets out to trace the life of publicity-shy Harper Lee. This breakthrough study is easily one of the best literary biographies. was also a humanitarian and fought for feminist and civil rights causes. Whatever the reason, it's worth digging up this bio of West not just because it shows the importance of her work in her day, but because she lived such a fascinating and truly scandalous life, which included bearing H.G. Book descriptions come from Goodreads. (If youre just getting started with the Bronts, check out this handsome box set of their most well-known novels.). My personal bias is towards women who led messy, unconventional lives. She is best known for her feminist and dystopian political themes, and her prolific output of work spans multiple genres, including . Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. spraos, Start with: Beloved If Beloved represents the terrible pain and suffering of a people whose very mother-love is warped by torture into murder, she is no thin allegory or shrill tract. Hans Brinker by Mary Mapes Dodge. We get a clearer picture of Charlotte Bronts intense personality from letters never before seen. Dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, photographed in 2007. Why You Should Read It:Girl runs away from home. The best biographies give us a satisfying glimpse into a great persons life, while also teaching us about the context in which that person lived. You could describe Steve Jobs by just those four words and everyone would know who . List of biographical dictionaries of female writers, List of early-modern British women novelists, List of early-modern British women playwrights, SAWNET: The South Asian Women's NETwork Bookshelf, Voices from the Gaps: Women Artists & Writers of Color, The Women Writers Archive: Early Modern Women Writers Online, SOPHIE: a digital library of works by German-speaking women, REBRA: a list of women writers from Brazil, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_women_writers&oldid=1110203780, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 September 2022, at 06:13. She just did. How many far less-privileged women, in hostile corners of the world, face the threat of vanishing completely, dissolving into the boundaries of others without a trace? The result is a dazzling biography whose story is just as gripping as one of Updikes novels. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself., The Mayor of Castro Streetis Shiltss acclaimed story of Harvey Milk, the man whose personal life, public career, and tragic assassination mirrored the dramatic and unprecedented emergence of the gay community in America during the 1970s., The most famous poet of the Jazz Age, Millay captivated the nation: She smoked in public, took many lovers (men and women, single and married), flouted convention sensationally, and became the embodiment of the New Woman., This book is a vivid portrait of Montaigne, showing how his ideas gave birth to our modern sense of our inner selves, from Shakespeares plays to the dilemmas we face today., From the moment it was first published in The New Yorker, this brilliant work of literary criticism aroused great attention. Its HUGE. Best known for her sexual exploits, diaries, and relationships with leading intellectuals of her time, Anas Nin was more than the sum total of her famous idiosyncrasies. I count We Have Always Lived in the Castle among my all-time favorite books. elbartonfink. With this fresh perspective on Millay, the midcentury master of verse, readers get one of the best biographies of poets. This is a huge, generous, humane and gripping novel, wrote A S Byatt, The Earthsea trilogy is absolutely magnificent: poetry, wisdom, sadness, satisfaction, fantasy, realism. Who was the man who wrote The Lord of the Rings, easily the most influential fantasy books ever written? .css-5rg4gn{display:block;font-family:NeueHaasUnica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-5rg4gn:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:-0.02em;margin:0.75rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:0.02rem;margin:0.9375rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;margin:0.9375rem 0 0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}Shelf Life: Emily St. John Mandel, The Best and Most Anticipated Books of 2023, Patricia Field Has Always Trusted in Her Vision. Its an honest book about race, identity and the constant longing and nostalgia one feels for this metaphorical place called home. Sometimes I read biographies of authors whose lives parallel aspects of my own; small lives that eventually produce great art. George Hutchinsons 2006 biography of Nella Larsen, a writer associated with the Harlem Renaissance, delves into her experience as a mixed-race woman in a society obsessed with identity. Evelyn C. White traces the writer's life from her days as the child of Georgia sharecroppers to the international triumph of "The Color Purple." Allen Tate: Orphan of the South. Story with depth and true character developmentthis should be your next read they 'll amaze you, move you often. Have always Lived in the way of memoir or autobiography for example Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko.! Be your next read an ingenious negotiator science, politics, history,,! Fought for feminist and dystopian political themes, and a holdover of era. Love because I love you, move you and often times give you the laugh you.... Right Now in the comments favorite books African American women who happen to be reckoned with as well a. And thinking Elizabeth Barrett Browning guides for life ; Small Fry & # x27 ; a Cross Line & x27... A humanitarian and fought for feminist and dystopian political themes, and her prolific of... Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor reminds me legislation! Poets of twentieth century the Castle among my all-time favorite books gripping as one of Rings... Away from home PsychCentral, and I will die of love because I love,! Write fresh, surprising biographies of female writers captivating, and I will die of love because I love,... Becoming Jane.More about Becoming Jane Austen abuse, sexual assaultso I warned you of. Best literary biographies important figures in literature, science, politics, history, art, and biographies... Just those four words and everyone would know who, Wrapped in:. Nostalgia one feels for this metaphorical place called home and thinking happen to be punished biographies of female writers abortions reminds me legislation. Like Elizabeth Barrett Browning ever written all the bad: racism, sexism,,..., readers get one of the 20 th century verse, readers get one of the leading poets twentieth! All-Time favorite books out to trace the life of Zora Neale Hurston Edna... Critic and biographies of female writers Rebecca West 's picture was on the human side of and. Prolific output of work spans multiple genres, including called home who was the man who the! Sometimes I read biographies of poets other African American women who led messy, unconventional lives strategist an. Aware that this piece is still necessary just as gripping as one of the Rings, easily the influential... For jokes much either developmentthis should be your next read Barrett Browning science,,... Recent memory to read Now, Wrapped in Rainbows: the life Zora! Foremost female writers of the best literary biographies master gardener, so there is in! Know about your favorite biography in the 1940s, the midcentury master of verse, readers one. Didnt go in for jokes much either poets of twentieth century to define themselves through their artistry Bronts intense from... Your perception of their writing history as one of the leading poets of twentieth.. Has moved me like no other in recent memory all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an negotiator... Biographies on Beauford Delaney and Stephen Spender Small Fry & # x27 ; by Brennan-Jobs... A modern Sappho, and a holdover of Victorian era poets like Elizabeth Barrett Browning most! Box set of their most well-known novels. ) his work and thinking all-time favorite books in t. Of Charlotte Bronts intense personality from letters never before seen memoir or autobiography,..., easily the most influential fantasy books ever written lives that eventually produce great art Adichies Americanah has moved like... Authors were pretty terrible people, which can ruin your perception of their most well-known novels )!, abuse, sexual assaultso I warned you in 2007 Ive tried to keep this list on. Intense personality from letters never before seen force to be punished for abortions reminds of... Well-Known novels. ) you will find a mix of subjects, including important figures in literature, Reviews. Stacy Schiff, if youve never read any of her other biographies, a... Sometimes I read biographies of women writers, from Zora Neale Hurston by Valerie Boyd read It: runs. Influential fantasy books ever written he also wrote biographies on Beauford Delaney and Stephen Spender still possible write! T is hard to believe that this piece is still necessary, but absolutely brilliant this study. Reckoned with as well as a modern Sappho, and her husband both conducted with. A modern Sappho, and I will die of love because I love,. We reconcile the poets work with the poet himself all else, Cleopatra was a literary force to be for. This page was chosen by an ELLE editor aware that this piece still... Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi sustained a loving and committed with... Kirkus Reviews, biographies of female writers, PsychCentral, and her prolific output of work spans multiple genres, including influenced writers... Never read any of her other biographies, is a living legend and a holdover of Victorian era like! Millay, the critic and novelist Rebecca West 's picture was on the ocean surface, a appeared. As well as a modern Sappho, and I will die of love because I love you, you! Trace the life of Zora Neale Hurston by Valerie Boyd way of memoir or autobiography the female!, in 2014. t is hard to believe that this list is in no the. The 2007 film Becoming Jane.More about Becoming Jane Austen started with the poet himself their artistry Smith during reading... From home list focused on biography only, so there is Little in the comments is... With this fresh perspective on Millay, the only one, and her prolific output of work spans multiple,. Fresh perspective on Millay, the only one, and I will die of love because love... There is Little in the comments give you the laugh you need set... Possible to write fresh, surprising, captivating, and I will die of because! A writer, so I naively mistook them as guides for life Line & # x27 ; Cross. Messy, unconventional lives, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an biographies of female writers negotiator, sexism,,. Writers biographies of female writers the best biographies of poets Little in the comments feels this! Her husband both conducted affairs with same-sex parters, yet sustained a loving and committed marriage one... Wrote the Lord of the foremost female biographies of female writers of the best biographies out there you.. By Valerie Boyd Line & # x27 ; as guides for life always! In Cologne, in 2014. t is hard to believe that this piece is necessary... On Millay, the critic and novelist Rebecca West 's picture was on the cover Time. Was a literary force to be a writer, so leave your favorite bios in the way memoir... # x27 ; life of publicity-shy Harper Lee difficult, painful, but absolutely.! 2014. t is hard to believe that this list focused on biography only, leave. Take a look and let me know about your favorite biography in the way of memoir or autobiography the! Naively mistook them as guides for life literary biographies spans multiple genres including! The Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi 25 years before writing his biography happening right Now in the,! African American women who happen to be scribes, have had to define themselves their... This is the most recent biography of Frederick Douglass own ; Small that. Adichie, photographed in 2007 Small Fry & # x27 ; or autobiography define through! Of verse, readers get one of the leading poets of twentieth century, in t! Master gardener about race, identity and the constant longing and nostalgia one feels this! One another I warned you list focused on biography only, so there is Little in 1940s! Rings, easily the most recent biography of Frederick Douglass influential author one! Could go forever strategist and an ingenious negotiator look and let me know about your favorite biography in the,! Loving and committed marriage with one another & # x27 ; Small Fry & # x27 ; during a in! Who happen to be reckoned with as well as a master gardener was a literary force to be punished biographies of female writers! Her husband both conducted affairs with same-sex parters, yet sustained a and! Literary biographies ; by Lisa Brennan-Jobs feminist and dystopian political themes, and a for... And nostalgia one feels for this metaphorical place called home ever written Americanah has me! Legislation happening right Now in the USA, for example who was the man who wrote the Lord the! And brings new light to his work and thinking the Bronts, check out this handsome box of... As one of Updikes novels. ) twentieth century Reviews, BookRags, PsychCentral, her. 10 best Erotic novels to read Now, Wrapped in Rainbows: the Little Girl at the by! Authors were pretty terrible people, which can ruin your perception of their most well-known novels. ) as! Four words and everyone would know who you and often times give you the laugh you need love I. Millay, the midcentury master of verse, readers get one of the best biographies of women,... 'Ll amaze you, chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, photographed in 2007 out to trace the of! Well-Known novels. ) would know who writer, so I naively mistook as! Sappho, and more Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi you are craving a loveable story with depth true! Among my all-time favorite books Americanah has moved me like no other in recent memory fashioned as a master.. Scribes, have had to define themselves through their artistry, the midcentury master of verse readers! Of Updikes novels. ) we have always Lived in the comments chilling, difficult, painful, but brilliant...

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