Women Writers: 20th Century

Women writers of twentieth century history: women who have made an impact through their fiction or journalism or poetry.

Francesca Alexander
A profile of folklorist Francesca Alexander, who published Tuscan folk songs.

Isabel Allende
Biography and list of Net and print resources about and by Isabel Allende, Chile-born writer and educator who has worked and lived in the United States.

Sylvia Woodbridge Beach
Information on Sylvia Woodbridge Beach, owner of the Shakespeare & Co. bookshop in Paris, 1919-1941, and publisher of James Joyce's Ulysses.

Rita Mae Brown Quotes
Quotes by Rita Mae Brown - part of an extensive collection of quotations by notable women.

Erma Bombeck Quotes
Quotes by Erma Bombeck, humor writer who documented mid-20th-century domestic life.

Rachel Carson
Biography and Net resources for the pioneer environmentalist, Rachel Carson, and her books including Silent Spring.

Sarah Norcliffe Cleghorn
Sarah Norcliffe Cleghorn was a 20th century woman poet from Vermont whose poems often highlighted social injustices.

Willa Cather
Novelist of the early 20th century, her novels of the west are still well-read today.

Zelda Fitzgerald Quotes
Quotes by Zelda Fitzgerald, author who was married to F. Scott Fitzgerald and whose works were little appreciated until well after her death.

Alice Dunbar-Nelson Books
Alice Dunbar-Nelson -- who also wrote as Alice Ruth Moore, Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson, and Alice Dunbar Nelson -- was an African American woman writer at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. Her life and writing provide insight into the culture in which she lived. Here are some recommended books by or about Alice...

Barbara De Angelis Quotes
Quotes by Barbara De Angelis, self-help author.

Alice Morse Earle
A profile of Alice Morse Earle, whose writings on colonial life and the Puritans focus on domestic life and foreshadow the discipline of women's history.

Elizabeth Fox-Genovese
Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, pioneer in women's history and women's studies, moved in her career from leftist to conservative.

Susan Glaspell Quotes
Quotes by Susan Glaspell, experimental playwright of the early 20th century.

Harlem Renaissance Women: Dreaming in Color
From the roots to the blossoming to the neglect to the rediscovery of this important literary movement.

Doris Kearns Goodwin
Doris Kearns Godwin biography - profile of writer Doris Kearns Goodwin, biographer of the Kennedys, Roosevelts, Lyndon Johnson, and Abraham Lincoln.

Zora Neale Hurston: Biography and More
Anthropologist and folklorist, this Harlem Renaissance writer died virtually forgotten. Fortunately, Alice Walker has brought her back to public attention.

Muna Lee
A biographical sketch of Muna Lee, author, feminist, and Pan-Americanist.

Pauline Kael Quotes
Quotes from the film critic Pauline Kael, known for her self-assured and strong opinions on both good and bad movies.

Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Le Guin, a fantasy and science fiction writer, published since the 1960s, and has won many awards, including for children's books.

Caroline Keene and Nancy Drew
Who was the real author of the Nancy Drew books? A relative of the creators weighs in with her argument.

The Golden Notebook
The Golden Notebook influenced many feminists in the 1960s. See how Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook reflected and contributed to feminism.

Caroline Kennedy
A biography of Caroline Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, daughter of Jackie and John Kennedy, and herself a writer and lawyer.

Sarojini Naidu
About Sarojini Naidu, Indian poet and political activist, a key part of Gandhi's independence movement.

Amy Lowell
Amy Lowell biography, bibliography, and selected links to more information.

Edna St. Vincent Millay Quotes
Quotes by Edna St. Vincent Millay - part of an extensive collection of quotations by notable women.

Dorothy Parker Quotes
Quotes by Dorothy Parker - part of an extensive collection of quotations by notable women.

Toni Morrison
Biography of Toni Morrison, Nobel winning writer and explorer of human experience through the experiences of black women.

Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver, poet of the 20th and early 21st century, often used nature themes to explore the inner personality.

Marge Piercy Quotes
Quotes by Marge Piercy - part of an extensive collection of quotations by notable women.

Edna St. Vincent Millay
Basic facts and a biography of Edna St. Vincent Millay, 20th century poet known for her Bohemian lifestyle.

Woman on the Edge of Time
Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time explores what a post-gender future might bring. Read about the classic feminist novel Woman on the Edge of Time.

About Ayn Rand
A biography of Rand, with links to more information on the Net. From Jone Lewis, About.com Guide to Women's History.

Adrienne Rich
Read about Adrienne Rich, an internationally recognized, award-winning poet and essayist as well as feminist activist.

Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution
Adrienne Rich's feminist classic looks at motherhood, pregnancy and childbirth, epitomizing the "personal is political" approach.

Adrienne Rich
Poet and essayist Adrienne Rich is depicted here in a 1991 photograph.

Rebecca West
Biography of Rebecca West, British woman writer and (scathing) literary critic.

Alice Walker
Probably best known for her novel The Color Purple, Walker is also an unabashed activist for causes she believes in.

Who Remembers Nancy Drew?
The history of the series of books which has fascinated several generations of young female readers.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox
A major poet, but often thought to be a bad one, she catered to popular tastes. One poem, represented here among many others, was a conversation between the old century and the new -- the 19th and the 20th. Another is an answer to a male critic who said "Woman is man's enemy, rival and competitor."

Virginia Woolf Quotes
Quotes by Virginia Woolf - part of an extensive collection of quotations by notable women.

Women's Writing - On the Art of Writing - Suggested Reading List on Women's History
A suggested book list for reading groups on women's history, focused on women writers on the art of writing.

Dorothy Thompson Quotes
Quotes by Dorothy Thompson - part of an extensive collection of quotations by notable women.

Julia de Burgos
Gale biography of Julia de Burgos, 20th century poet and Puerto Rican nationalist.

Sandra Cisneros
Gale biography of an American poet and writer. Among her books is The House on Mango Street.

Jayne Cortez: Poet
Basic information on Cortez, a jazz-inspired poet.

Rita Dove: Lady Freedom Among Us
Virginian poet Rita Dove's poem to freedom, with images, mpegs, audio and text.

Ntozake Shange Quotes
Quotes by Ntozake Shange - part of an extensive collection of quotations by notable women.

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