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Introduction

This book is intended to be a travel guide from the library to the Left Bank of Paris and back again. Moreover, it is a tribute to those solitary nuns who scratched out their feminist theologies in anchorite cells, to slave girls who composed classical poetry the equal (at least) of that written by their male contemporaries, to the biblical “J,” and to Saint Jerome’s nameless army who wrote and translated the Bible we know today. It’s a gift of gratitude to the defiant dames who survived rejection letters, bad reviews, and jail time, a big bouquet to the first novelists, pioneer poets, and innovative intellectuals who hosted salons. From the mass-marketed darlings of the mystery world and the romance writers who steal our hearts to the bravehearted who find themselves banned and blacklisted into obscurity, this collection of profiles offers a look at the price women have had to pay to be creative, to be political, and to break new ground. Their surviving, and in some cases ongoing, work continues to affect people worldwide. A great book or poem is, at its zenith, an expression of the divine. For you, for me, for the women portrayed here, to read and to write is to live!

If you ask a distinguished writer the secret to great writing, they will often tell you that reading is the best thing you can do to advance your craft. By reading, absorbing, and paying close attention, you will learn so much about what works in writing. Even more importantly, you will discover what does not work and avoid it thereafter. J. K. Rowling, who went from being an impecunious unknown to one of the wealthiest women in the world thanks to her successful Harry Potter series, admits, “I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.” Joyce Carol Oates reveals a hint of her approach to craft in her reverie on reading: “Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” Many an awesome woman writer is a voracious reader who learned much about craft and excellence from exemplars of the same.

My great hope is that YOU are inspired by these women, their personal stories, and the stories they tell in their writing. Whether you aspire to change the world with your poetry, strive to write the truly great American novel, or perhaps forge new worlds and galaxies with your speculative fiction or fantasy series, you, my dear, can do all of that and more. I would love nothing more than to craft another volume including you, dear reader. You can also nominate anyone you think should be included in future volumes; please find the nomination form in the back and do be in touch. We would love to hear from you.

Stay awesome,

Becca