The Writer on Her Work: New Essays in New Territory [Paperback]

Janet Sternburg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1992

"With its many voices, images and aphorisms--from those of Maxine Kumin to Luisa Valenzuela, from Rita Dove to Elizabeth Jolley--the book is a pleasure and a faithful companion."--Publishers Weekly. "Twenty terrific women writers reveal a little something about their work, and about themselves. . . . A gift in every possible way."--Los Angeles Times.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In the 1970s, Janet Sternburg wanted to read a book about how various writers came to write, but, in order to read that book, she had to write it: The Writer on Her Work, Volume One was published in 1980. Volume Two, spanning a broader range of geographic and generational origins than its predecessor, explores women's perceptions of their engagement with the world through their art. "I write in order to belong," explains Elena Poniatowska, a woman of Polish ancestry born in France and raised in Mexico, a woman whose language is Spanish, who knows she is a Mexican writer. Bharati Mukherjee insists that she is an American writer, "in the American mainstream, trying to extend it;" she is an immigrant whose "investment is in the American reality, not the Indian." Jan Morris, a writer who used to be a male named James, continues to try to believe "the fount of art to be beyond gender." Rita Dove wants to know "How far can a Greek Goddess lead a Black poet?" Margaret Atwood says "It never gets any easier." This book, like Volume One, belongs in the library of every woman who wants to make art. -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Jesse Larsen

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. (June 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393308677
• ISBN-13: 978-0393308679
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,473,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)