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A pause to remember woman writers of the past
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Courtesy www.arttoday.com
This time of year is always resplendent with stories of battles fought and wars won. In Philadelphia we can even even visit the places where our country was formed and reflect on the portraits of the leaders of the revolution, sporting powdered wigs, quills in hand, signing the Declaration of Independence. We pause at cemeteries to remember those we knew who gave their lives so bravely so that we could become a free and independent nation.
But, I thought we should take a moment to remember the women writers who came before us. Those brave souls who thought that coming to a new world meant a new path; a new way of life. The women who challenged the status quo and put their thoughts and impressions into essays, poems and literature at a time when society thought it best that they remained quietly in the shadows. When women were only allowed schooling if they wanted to become teachers, these women defied society. They pushed open closed doors and spoke their minds aloud so that women could be respected first as women, then as fully emancipated citizens and finally at whatever chosen profession they decided to pursue.
The Susan B. Anthony and the Katy Stanton’s of the world were vocal, political and well known. What they did for the suffrage movement and women’s rights in this country is infamous. But there is a whole world of women that, unless someone intentionally takes a women in fiction class or focuses on women’s studies, are not very well known. These women are not taught to our daughters in school alongside our founding fathers. We have to dig to find them and their achievements. We have to go out of our way to read them and understand the courage it took to step into the publishing arena at all, let alone accomplish the things they were able to accomplish in the face of severe prejudice.
So, I thought for this Fourth of July celebration I would link to The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Ben Franklin in 1731 ((www.librarycompany.org) (2006)) and recall some of fabulous women they have in their Portrait of American Woman Writers that appeared in print before 1861, gallery.
This list of women writers includes, but is certainly not limited to:
Hannah Adams who published An Alphabetical Compendium of the Various Sects (1784), an encyclopedia of world religions.
Caroline Congdon, who sick and paralyzed, with only the use of her hands, managed to write and publish her poetry collection, The Guardian Angel (1856).
Eliza Leslie who wrote Miss Leslie's Behavior Book, The House Book, and Miss Leslie's New Cookery Book. She settled in and became a Philadelphia institution.
Catharine Sedgwick‘s first novel, A New England Tale, set her on a path to become one of the most recognized and accomplished writers of her time.
On this celebration of our country’s history, please take a moment to visit the Portrait of American Woman Writers gallery at www.librarycompany.org and let’s bow our heads in remembrance of these brave women who forged a new path for us.
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