Here, finally, is my list of female Bildugsromane to read this year as part of the Classics Club's Women's Classic Literature Event 2016. I have only read the first before, and I'm reading the rest as part of my research for a chapter in the book I am writing, tentatively titled Reading Little Women: The History of an American Classic. Many of these are books…
It's been an amazing year in my writing, teaching, and reading lives, and I can't wait for 2016. In fact, for a while now, I've been writing 2016 when I write down the date. That's how much I'm looking forward to it. But first, a look back at 2015. I have been busy completing two books as well as writing four online pieces and…
Claire Vaye Watkins’s essay “On Pandering,” about how much her writing has been influenced by a desire for the approval of the “white male lit establishment,” caused such a frenzy that it crashed Tin House’s website. Responses rapidly appeared at Salon, Jezebel, Flavorwire, Slate, and the LA Times, with more to come, surely. . . Thus begins an essay I wrote for The…
A couple of months ago I received an email from Jane Ciabattari, BBC Culture contributor, asking me to participate in a poll of non-UK critics to determine our views on the best British novels of all time. As an American Studies Ph.D. and American literature professor, I must admit my opinions about British literature are pretty subjective. I love reading it but haven't had the…
The folks over at The Classics Club recommend beginning the Women's Classic Event (I sort like the idea of calling it a "Challenge") by answering some questions about yourself. So here goes . . . Introduce yourself. Tell us what you are most looking forward to in this event. I teach American literature at the university level and my research interests are particularly…
A really exciting reading challenge for 2016 focused on "classic" women's writing (interpreted broadly). I'm going to participate by reading coming-of-age books. I would love to have some company. Send me an email or write in the comments below if you'd like to join me.
I recently sent out my fifth newsletter, The Woolson and Alcott Chronicles. As I sat down to begin writing, I couldn't think of much "news." I had maybe two items of interest. Then gradually more came to me, including the first two reviews of Constance Fenimore Woolson: Portrait of a Lady Novelist, scheduled giveaways on Goodreads, and a reveal of the publisher for my…
Today I will revisit Rome, the final stop on my 2013 trip to walk in Woolson's footsteps in England and Italy. I visited the Forum, saw the Coliseum, and battled with the crowds at the Vatican. (I gave up when I leaned my head back to look up at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and got whacked in the head by another…
I've been reliving my trip to England and Italy to follow in Woolson's footsteps almost exactly 3 years ago. It was late October, early November, and the weather was cold and rainy pretty much nonstop. I had to buy extra layers to stay warm, but I was still freezing and wet most of the time. When I arrived in Florence, I discovered the…
I'm revisiting my trip of three years ago (almost exactly) to the sites in England and Italy where Woolson lived. You can see my first two posts about England here and here. I've been back to England again since, but Italy still haunts me. My first stop was Venice, the city that Woolson thought of as her Xanadu. Once I saw it in person, I…