Comments on: Is It Chick Lit? Is It Not Chick Lit? What Do We Call It?

By: Looking back/looking ahead | All the small things

Looking back/looking ahead | All the small things — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 02:09:59 +0000

[…] #Readwomen2014 hashtag. It takes a village, indeed, to hack away at gender bias in publishing. With all that I now know, would I still put Shoes Hair Nails front/center of a story collection? You bet. Call me […]

By: Deborah Batterman

Deborah Batterman — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 15:21:50 +0000

In reply to Don't Judge. I think it's changing, even if change is slow . . . All the more important that blogs like yours, websites like Women Writers/Women(s) Books, the VIDA count, etc., continue to raise awareness. I, like you, give Joanna Walsh a lot of credit for what she has managed with her #ReadWomen2014 campaign. Here's to its continuation.

By: Don't Judge

Don't Judge — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 08:58:42 +0000

It sad to see that topics written by women is not deemed as well as topics men write about. Stereotypes and societal perception has always placed women’s writing in categories such as chick-lit and romance, which is incredibly unfair to both readers and authors. Books should be about the content, not about who wrote it.

By: Deborah Batterman

Deborah Batterman — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 16:46:46 +0000

In reply to Gina Barreca. So wonderfully put, Gina. . . .it's a message we need to remind ourselves of again and again until one day, in that best of all possible literary worlds, it won't be necessary.

By: Gina Barreca

Gina Barreca — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 19:50:41 +0000

It’s ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to… Women writing for women readers needs no explanation or apology and yet we often feel as if we need to offer a caveat for our work. Thanks for the interesting read and for mentioning so many of my favorites–all in one essay. I look forward to reading your new collection. Your admirer, Gina

By: Deborah Batterman

Deborah Batterman — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 15:44:57 +0000

In reply to Anne Stormont. I appreciate your thoughts, Anne. In the grand scheme of things, I think we're living in a good time for women writers. All the more reason that the historical perspective fascinates me. Yes, we need to keep an open mind about how we perceive what's being published.

By: Anne Stormont

Anne Stormont — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 14:31:27 +0000

Yes, yes, yes, Deborah. What an excellent piece. I couldn’t agree more. Speaking as a woman and a writer of ‘a certain age’, whose writing is based in ‘the domestic’, but isn’t ‘chick-lit’, I completely to relate to all that you say here. And as an eclectic reader of fiction and non-fiction, I value the open-minded approach to all writing.

Thanks to booksbywomen and to Deborah.

By: Deborah Batterman

Deborah Batterman — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 14:05:55 +0000

In reply to Jayne Martin. Thank you, Jayne. Like you, I don't shun books by men but I do find myself more and more drawn to what women are writing and have written centuries back -- which makes me ever more grateful to friends, scholars, critics, etc., who open my eyes to what I may have missed.

By: Jayne Martin

Jayne Martin — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 00:41:17 +0000

Excellent piece. Lots of good fodder for thought here. I read books by women almost exclusively. It’s not that I shun the male voice. It’s that there are so many brilliant women’s voices out there and not enough time to get to all of them. I rather spend what time I have supporting my sisters in print.