I recently read an article in which a feminist writer was asked if everything she writes needs to be feminist, or have a feminist slant. Her response was that since she is a feminist, it tends to bleed through all of her writing and that, naturally, it would more than likely show up in all of her works.

Personally, I’m a bit offended by that response. As a writer and an admirer of many different writing styles, I feel that really pigeonholes women and feminists and writers. And women who are feminists and writers. A writer who is an expert on a particular topic should be expected to spend most of their time writing about that topic, but to say that’s the only thing they could (and should) write is a bit upsetting. Why would you want your authors to be so predictable?

Ahem. For example. Stephen King is an amazing horror writer whose books consistently reach the bestseller list, but that’s not all he can write. He’s written amazing short stories – The Shawshank Redemption, believe it or not, was penned by King, the famed “horror writer.” Not only that, but i’s transcended genre, as it’s frequently studied by bible groups as a way to understand forgiveness and the path of Jesus Christ. King also wrote Stand By Me, a coming of age story of four young boys. [Ed. Note: King also wrote a novel by the name of Rose Madder, which chronicles the growth and travels of a former abused woman who moves on with her life, begins the unimaginable on her own in starting over, and ultimately puts her ex-husband ... well, go read the book. It's fabulous.]

So to say that feminist writers can only write about that, or that Stephen King can only write horror, is rather short-sighted in my humble opinion. Yes, darkness creeps into a lot of what King writes, and feminist writers probably have a very strong and self-sufficient heroine in each of their stories, but there is no need to pigeonhole. To write is to create an escape or to educate a reader. Writing is an art form and we dip into ink of many different colors.

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One Response to “Can A Feminist Writer Only Write About Feminism?”

1. Jarrett says:

   February 25, 2012 at 7:51 am

   Isn’t the whole point of feminism that you should be able to do what you want and not get a bunch of shit about it? If you want to be queen of the corporate world, you can do that. If you want to be queen of the kitchen, you can do that, too. And both of those women should support the other’s decision and be glad that you have the right to be whoever you want to be.

   Reply

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