Staff Picks - LibGuides at Boulder Public Library

I am sorry that this book, written in 1983, is just as relevant today, 36 years and counting, as it was upon original publication. Russ explores multiple strategies that keep women's work and experience(s) out of the cannon of literature, though her insights can be applied widely, from art to science. This book can validate many women's experiences as artists/professionals, though it is not written solely for women. Russ opens up questions of what is considered a universal experience as well as the validity of the notion itself. It is a testament to the power of unconscious bias. Russ provokes the thought--what would our art/culture/society be like without that bias?--and she does it with style and humor.

Publisher Description:

Are women able to achieve anything they set their minds to? In How to Suppress Women's Writing, award-winning novelist and scholar Joanna Russ lays bare the subtle--and not so subtle--strategies that society uses to ignore, condemn, or belittle women who produce literature. As relevant today as when it was first published in 1983, this book has motivated generations of readers with its powerful feminist critique.

Find How to Suppress Women's Writing in our online catalog.

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