For my final post, I’d like to talk about something near and dear to my heart: contemporary literature. When I first realized that I wanted to be a novelist, I figured that, gender-wise, I was making the right decision. After all, female scientists might have it hard, but the arts and humanities are totally girl’s stuff, right? Why, just look at writers like Alice Munro, Jhumpa Lahiri, Joyce Carol Oates, and Zadie Smith! I’d have absolutely no problem making a name for myself.
Except, well, no. According to Mslexia.co.uk, even though women read roughly 20% more than men and make up the majority of students in writing workshops, we only author 24% of books published and between 25 and 35% of books reviewed. (Note: this data is old and from the UK, so take it with a grain of salt if you like. Also, I don’t know how many of those women are women of color, although I’m guessing it’s not very many.) In other words, even though women write as much as or more fiction than men, men are much more likely to get their manuscripts published and reviewed. Partly this is because of confidence – women are significantly less likely to submit a manuscript once we’ve finished it – but it’s also due to bias on the parts of editors, reviewers, and readers. Editors are more likely to pass on a manuscript if it’s written by a woman. Reviewers are less likely to write about it. And readers, seeing that female name on the cover, are less likely to give it a try. Sure, some women make it to the big leagues. But they’re a significant minority – and they’re much less likely to develop the cult of personality that male authors (especially those hot young stars!) enjoy. For example, take a look at the sidebar at The Elegant Variation, a major literary blog. Of the twelve works of fiction recommended, ten are written by men.
Then there’s the backlash against women by male writers and readers. I wrote here about Tim Lott’s charge that the Orange Prize (awarded to female fiction writers) discriminates against male writers, whom you’d think were fighting for their very survival from the tone of Lott’s screed. Barry Gewen of Paper Cuts used a book review to explain why men could never be rhythm gymnasts and women could never enjoy pornography. Megan McArdle at the Atlantic tells a reader how he can get his wife to enjoy science fiction, since women could never possibly find spaceships and robots interesting. (The key: tell her it’s like a fairy tale! Awww.) Jonathan Lethem’s last novel featured a mindless caricature of an oversexed woman as its main character. And the literary community accepts all this without question.
The fact is, making it as a female novelist – or poet, short story writer, essayist, journalist, artist, actress, etc., etc. – is a daunting task. I’ve already decided to use a male pen name when I try to sell the science fiction novel I’m working on now; if editors’ and reviewers’ reactions are anything like what I’ve gotten in casual conversation (“You’re writing about what!? What do you know about any of that!?”) I’ll never get anyone to endorse it. Of course, I’m not looking forward to being outed if I go on tour.
Here’s one small thing you can do to help: buy books by female authors. Attend their readings. Recommend them to your friends. Don’t rely on the marketplace to tell you what to read; find alternate feminist channels. In fact, why not post your favorite underrated female writers in the comments section? I’ll start: Margaret Lazarus Dean and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
And with that, I’m out. A quick note: My co-blogger Brown Shoes and I are still looking for contributors to Modern Mitzvot; drop us a line at modernmitzvot at yahoo – com if you’re interested.
Peace!
EDIT: Not that I misspelled Alice Munro’s name or anything.