Aren’t all books about road trips and adventure now tales by women? Eat, Pray, Love or Under the Tuscan Sun -- or what about Wild? (Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is a more exciting journey than driving your car). I grew up at a time when there were few great or even good books written by women. But that seems to have flipped. Look at your monthly suggestions -- few male authors ever make the cut.
From the depths of my memory, I agree that Travels With Charlie was a bore. But I loved the much earlier Steinbeck classic, Grapes of Wrath. As always, I appreciate your work, wit and candor in these posts.
You’re right. We are getting to write more and more memoirs. But mostly those still manage to focus on the domestic/traditionally female realm. Eat, Pray, Love was really about her search for self and identity — whereas Travels with Charlie is actually subtitled “in search of America.” Men tend to get to write in the broader realm — go out and find America! And women get asked to write about the internal. (Not that they can’t crossover.)
Women are definitely more represented in publishing now — tho I’d say it’s more a rebalancing than a “flip.” And my lists mostly center women because I go out of my way to make that a conceit. Nonfiction that isn’t memoir continues to be a hard place to find work by women though it is increasing. Yay!
Love that you read and comment, Laura. It means the world.
OMG, a historical marker. In New Orleans, I very much enjoyed standing a half a block away from the dudes while they read a historical marker and we made fun of them. Also, I'll be over here waiting for both of my parents to shame you for not having read Mockingbird.
I mean, I am accepting of their shame. It is correct. I am also trying to figure out what I actually read in high school. And why was Death in Venice more important than Mockingbird? Or should I have already read it? So many questions. But never any about historical markers 🤣
I had a high school English class that was read the book, take a test/write an essay. The teacher was infuriated that I brought other work to class, even though I was not disruptive. But, he was giving people weeks to read Lord of the Flies and as the child of two English teachers I had already read every book he had planned. As punishment I got my own special pop quiz for each book. Perhaps he could have offered me a wider variety - I've never read Death in Venice - instead of being an ass. I don't even remember his name, but he can eat an entire bag of dicks.
I will have to check that one out. Thanks for the recommendation!
I guess I’m looking for those road trip books where the men go out in search of what it means to be American. I want that for women. Tho we do, more now, at least get to write about our experiences. It just rarely gets tied back to the bigger theme of “who are we as a people.”
Life’s too short to continue reading books you don’t like. If women haven’t written those types of books or they lightly exist, now will be the time they’ll be written. I saw a To Kill a Mockingbird play performance and it was really touching. It’s one of my favorite stories from school.
Aren’t all books about road trips and adventure now tales by women? Eat, Pray, Love or Under the Tuscan Sun -- or what about Wild? (Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is a more exciting journey than driving your car). I grew up at a time when there were few great or even good books written by women. But that seems to have flipped. Look at your monthly suggestions -- few male authors ever make the cut.
From the depths of my memory, I agree that Travels With Charlie was a bore. But I loved the much earlier Steinbeck classic, Grapes of Wrath. As always, I appreciate your work, wit and candor in these posts.
You’re right. We are getting to write more and more memoirs. But mostly those still manage to focus on the domestic/traditionally female realm. Eat, Pray, Love was really about her search for self and identity — whereas Travels with Charlie is actually subtitled “in search of America.” Men tend to get to write in the broader realm — go out and find America! And women get asked to write about the internal. (Not that they can’t crossover.)
Women are definitely more represented in publishing now — tho I’d say it’s more a rebalancing than a “flip.” And my lists mostly center women because I go out of my way to make that a conceit. Nonfiction that isn’t memoir continues to be a hard place to find work by women though it is increasing. Yay!
Love that you read and comment, Laura. It means the world.
OMG, a historical marker. In New Orleans, I very much enjoyed standing a half a block away from the dudes while they read a historical marker and we made fun of them. Also, I'll be over here waiting for both of my parents to shame you for not having read Mockingbird.
I mean, I am accepting of their shame. It is correct. I am also trying to figure out what I actually read in high school. And why was Death in Venice more important than Mockingbird? Or should I have already read it? So many questions. But never any about historical markers 🤣
I had a high school English class that was read the book, take a test/write an essay. The teacher was infuriated that I brought other work to class, even though I was not disruptive. But, he was giving people weeks to read Lord of the Flies and as the child of two English teachers I had already read every book he had planned. As punishment I got my own special pop quiz for each book. Perhaps he could have offered me a wider variety - I've never read Death in Venice - instead of being an ass. I don't even remember his name, but he can eat an entire bag of dicks.
In the bathroom the other day the smell of Listerine brought back a wave of sense-memory of that stuff.
😂😂😂😂🤮
It was SO BAD. I am traumatized by the memory.
We all need therapy from the trauma!
You are my friend and you made me smell and drink that shit. Love you.
I always make you taste the terrible stuff just to confirm my belief that it is terrible. Thank you for your service 🤣
Dad says he’s glad he didn’t have to test that stuff. Lol.
Oh. There’s plenty left. I can bring him some 😂
Read this years ago, but Beryl Markham's memoir 'West With the Wind' might be a good fit for a female lead road trip read--albeit a road in the sky!
I will have to check that one out. Thanks for the recommendation!
I guess I’m looking for those road trip books where the men go out in search of what it means to be American. I want that for women. Tho we do, more now, at least get to write about our experiences. It just rarely gets tied back to the bigger theme of “who are we as a people.”
I read TWC in High School and LOVED it, reread it last year and loathed it. Though I adored his bucket and a rubber band idea for washing clothes
I’ll give him that. It was clever! It’s fascinating how our tastes change. I’m scared to try and reread Kerouac. 😳
Whatever you don’t reread Catcher In The Rye
Ha! Ok!
Life’s too short to continue reading books you don’t like. If women haven’t written those types of books or they lightly exist, now will be the time they’ll be written. I saw a To Kill a Mockingbird play performance and it was really touching. It’s one of my favorite stories from school.