Why Read What Women Write? Why Read What Women Write? I have a simple answer to this question: because they have written something! It takes a lot of work and courage to produce anything in writing–even a short blog post–even when someone is a talented writer. There are lifetimes of wisdom, insight, encouragement, creative delight on bookshelves all over the world that women have painstakingly and joyfully pulled from brain to page and gotten them into the hands of readers like you who will devour their words. As it is Women’s History Month in the USA, I’ve been reflecting on what it means to be a writer and to be a woman. There are literally countless written works by women writers available to us in the library, bookstores, online archives, and probably our own bookshelves at home. Where should we start, and why? What first comes to mind for me is something I read as a teenager in English class. Published in 1892, the story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman brought to light issues of mental illness and misunderstanding of female psychology–among other things. This was controversial and revealing about the quality of life and quality of mental health which Gilman observed and wanted to share. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a gift from history left to us to get an inside look at how things might have been experienced in the past, as the story is thought to be partly autobiographical. This fascinating piece is now in the public domain and you can read it here. When we read work written by women writers throughout history it widens our perspective beyond our normal, everyday life, and increases our awareness of how other people experience the world. In the same way that reading fiction allows us the opportunity to practice empathy by connecting with the main characters, reading words written by people who are different from us is essential. As a young girl, I loved writing. When I read, I felt inspired to write and be creative in other areas of my life. I remember one assignment in grade school I had that I loved: research an author you enjoy. I chose a local Minnesota author who lived in St. Paul at the time, Judy Delton. During her career as an author, Delton wrote 40 chapter books for young readers in the Pee Wee Scout series (find out more about them here) and many picture books. She was a family friend and I got the privilege of meeting her–a real author! She even wrote me a letter to encourage me in my own writing. One of the characters in the Pee Wee Scouts is named Molly, and although I’m fairly certain she wasn’t named after me, there was still a connection. And it was inspiring to read because I knew the author. When I was growing up, we had another family friend, romance author named Betina Krahn, who continues to be a delightfully, madly prolific author of stories that her readers devour. In many ways, I can look back and see breadcrumbs of the women who came before me and I feel a weighty sense of gratitude for how they’ve made a way with their writing work so that I could step into being the writer I am today. Writers are normal people–we really are! And when we can as readers make a connection with the authors of work we can appreciate the conversation through literature that follows. Why read what women write? While we can in 2023 look back in history as the women who wrote and inspired us with their courage to overcome societal norms that held them back. George Eliot, for instance, who wrote a book called Middlemarch in the mid-nineteenth century is a pen name for the woman author, Mary Ann Evans. You can read more about Evans/Eliot and other women of classic literature here in the Literary Ladies Guide. She published under a man’s name in order to be accepted as a writer. Some may say that it was oppressive and unfair that she didn’t or couldn’t use her given name, but I think it’s an empowered decision. Evans/Eliot didn’t allow society to hold her back from expressing through words. She overcome society by using a pen name and worked diligently to get her words out into the world. I admire this perseverance greatly. Why read what women write? Why not? I find it interesting that there is an argument for investing time to read Women’s Literature when “Men’s Literature” isn’t really a category that needs persuasion to read from. I don’t have any issues with reading books written by men. However, if we are reading only one type of book or books written by one type of person, our thinking and human interaction can be narrowed. Instead, how might we all benefit from reading widely? I coach and teach my creative writing clients that in order to BECOME the Writer we’re made to be, read voraciously! If you aren’t sure where to start, or you feel stuck in a rut, go to a local bookstore or your local library and ask them for recommendations. Particularly librarians are excellent at curating themed lists and offering recommendations to get readers out of our comfort zones. And don’t just read books written by women. Read books, full stop! Read voraciously to learn, for enjoyment, to stay curious. Reading isn’t about agreeing with everything you encounter, but about opening up to listen to what others are saying. And when we read work from those who have gone before us, reading historical work can be an honoring act. In the same way that wandering through a cemetery with moss-covered gravestones and whispering the names out loud can be an honoring act of remembrance, so too can reading work from authors who have written centuries and decades before us. There are many recommendations I can offer, but instead of trying to name everyone and undoubtedly missing an infinite number of great books to remember, I wanted to share very simply, 5 books that happen to be on my bookshelf today that are written by Minnesotan women. If you’re not sure where to start, perhaps you could begin with one of these: Storm Front by Susan May Warren (part of the Montana Rescue series) Olympus by K. A. Williams (book 2 of the Firebird Chronicles) Thy Father’s Will by Kirsten Jacobsen Stasney (a historical novel based on true events) The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich (juvenile fiction, book 1 of the Birchbark series) Truest by Jackie Lea Sommers (a standalone coming of age YA novel) Read widely. Use your voice. Write for joy. Happy reading this Women’s History Month!