Women Who Write

Just what is it that makes a woman take the risk and write her words on paper for all to see? Lucinda Smith explores this question in this slender volume "Women Who Write". In it she features female writers of the past and present who embarked upon writing as their career. Their thoughts and views of the writing process are presented to the reader through biographical sketches of the writers of the past and interviews with contemporary female writers. This book is inspirational and encourages young females to think about pursuing writing as a possible career. It is inclusive of writers in poetry, novels, plays, journalism and screenwriting. Each woman through Smith's interviews gives the reason why they write, the obstacles they endured to break in their field and how they balance their writing lives with a family. Author Jane Goodwin declares she fell into writing by accident. Pulitzer prize winning playwright Beth Henley describes her transition from acting to play writing while Maxine Hong tells us she was born a writer. The stories shared are entertaining and useful as each woman gives advice to those wishing to take up the pen. Lucinda Smith also provides the reader with pragmatic advice on pursuing a writing career and puts the writing woman in a historical context as we see women's literary development throughout the years. This is an appropriate book for young girls to get started in pursuing their goals for a writing career.