Contemporary Contemporary Female WritersFemale Writers

Few women writers until the 18Few women writers until the 18thth centurycentury

Regard the present as part of historyRegard the present as part of history We define what is contemporary We define what is contemporary

cultureculture Multi-cultural and diverse writersMulti-cultural and diverse writers American women writing from a American women writing from a

feminine point of viewfeminine point of view

Alice WalkerAlice Walker 1944 – rural Georgia1944 – rural Georgia ValedictorianValedictorian Spellman and Sarah Spellman and Sarah

LawrenceLawrence Single parentSingle parent Civil Rights ActivistCivil Rights Activist Pulitzer Prize for Pulitzer Prize for The The

Color PurpleColor Purple Founder of Wild Tree Founder of Wild Tree

Press - 1984Press - 1984

ToniToni MorrisonMorrison• 1931 – Lorraine, Ohio1931 – Lorraine, Ohio• Howard and Cornell Howard and Cornell

UniversitiesUniversities• Single parent of 2 sonsSingle parent of 2 sons• Editor at Random House for Editor at Random House for

20 years20 years• 11stst book, book, The Bluest EyesThe Bluest Eyes• Pulitzer Prize winner for Pulitzer Prize winner for

Beloved Beloved – 1988– 1988• 11stst African American woman African American woman

to receive the Nobel Prize in to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature – 1993.Literature – 1993.

• 11stst African American woman African American woman to sit on the board of an Ivy to sit on the board of an Ivy League school – Princeton League school – Princeton University.University.

Leslie Marmon SilkoLeslie Marmon Silko 1948 – Albuquerque, 1948 – Albuquerque,

New MexicoNew Mexico Laguna/Pueblo Laguna/Pueblo

Native American, Native American, Mexican and white Mexican and white ethnicityethnicity

CeremonyCeremony is her is her most famous work.most famous work.

Most accomplished Most accomplished Native American Native American writer of her writer of her generation.generation.

Sharon OldsSharon Olds 1942 – San Francisco1942 – San Francisco Stanford – 1964, Ph.D. Stanford – 1964, Ph.D.

Columbia University Columbia University 19721972

New York State Poet New York State Poet 1998-20001998-2000

New York University New York University teacher/director of teacher/director of creative writing creative writing programprogram

Poet, best known work – Poet, best known work – FatherFather

Writes raw and honest Writes raw and honest words that may make words that may make the reader the reader uncomfortable.uncomfortable.

Maxine Hong KingstonMaxine Hong Kingston 1939 – San Francisco1939 – San Francisco Chinese American Chinese American University of California at University of California at

Berkley – 1962Berkley – 1962 Taught in Hawaii for 10 Taught in Hawaii for 10

yearsyears 11stst book, book, The Woman The Woman

Warrior: Memoirs of a Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among GhostsGirlhood Among Ghosts

Writes with an appreciation Writes with an appreciation of her ancestry through a of her ancestry through a modern woman’s modern woman’s perspective.perspective.

What Contemporary Writers What Contemporary Writers Have in CommonHave in Common

Struggled

Use past lessons as a platform for expression

Female

Many Other AUthorsMany Other AUthors

www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/booklists/feminista.htmlwww.madisonpubliclibrary.org/booklists/feminista.html

www.poetseers.org/contemporary_poetswww.poetseers.org/contemporary_poets

www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/