Celebrating Memoirs and Autobiographies from Female Authors
If we don’t, then who will?
As part of William Zinsser’s introduction to “Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir,” he shares the following reflection from Jill Ker Conway, Australian-American author and first female president of Smith College.
“So unassertive have American women been about their identity, she says…that in [the 20th century] eight autobiographies have been written by men for every one written by a woman.”
I found this fact so fascinating and sad. An 8:1 ratio? Wow.
Intuitively I assumed many reasons for this. Traditional gender roles and “acceptable” career paths, inequality, discrimination. I went on to investigate further.
There were a small number of autobiographies and memoirs written by women prior to earning the right to vote in 1919 (in the United States). Notable ones include Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Written by Herself* by Harriet Jacobs (1861) and Twenty Years at Hull House by Jane Addams (1910).
But as progress was made in the fight for women’s rights in the 20th century (e.g., the 20th Amendment, Equal Pay Act, Civil Rights Act, Title IX), more and more women felt empowered (and were encouraged) to document their stories. And I’m thankful they did.
“If feminism has revolutionized literary and social theory, the texts and theory of women’s autobiography have been pivotal for revising our concepts of women’s life issues — growing up female, coming to voice, affiliation, sexuality and textuality, the life cycle. Crucially, the writing and theorizing of women’s lives has often occurred in texts that place an emphasis on collective processes while questioning the sovereignty and universality of the solitary self. Autobiography has been employed by many women writers to write themselves into history. Not only feminism but also literary and cultural theory have felt the impact of women’s autobiography as a previously unacknowledged mode of making visible formerly invisible subjects.” (Smith & Watson, 1998)
Brava! To that end, I’ve listed six of my favorite autobiographies and memoirs written by female authors below.
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Her prose is mesmerizing, and the story of her upbringing is a triumph over the cruelties in our world. Let’s take a minute to revel in Angelou’s prolific use of simile, with lines like “The eggs had withdrawn from the edge of the platter to bunch in the center like children left out in the cold.” Thank the heavens that she left us such an extensive body of work.
Wild, by Cheryl Strayed
It’s the perfect “hero’s journey” narrative of a lost woman who finds herself in an 1,100-mile trek along the Pacific Coast Trail. In the opening scene of the movie adaptation, the author (played by Reese Witherspoon) throws away her pair of hiking boots in a fit of rage, but the original book is the real prize, chock full of dramatic moments that take you from anger to fear to disgust to empathy. I couldn’t put it down.
Becoming, by Michelle Obama
I loved this intimate narrative from the only African American to serve as First Lady of the United States. What I also loved were the pages she dedicated to describing lessons learned from her mother Marian, a strong woman who commanded respect and instilled values of loyalty, dedication, and excellence in all things.
Educated, by Tara Westover
The author could have titled this “Survivor” as that was the theme of this gripping memoir of her life in a survivalist Mormon family. Her mother contested Westover’s account in her own book, “Educating.” That should tell you something about how powerful this book is in detailing Westover’s life, family dynamics, and eventual escape through formal education.
Eat, Pray, Love
In my copy of this gem from Elizabeth Gilbert, the pages are worn from the times I highlighted passages and dog-eared every insight I wanted to remember. Gilbert is all of us at our most vulnerable moments, and her journey through heartbreak, self-love and discovery make for a compelling and inspiring read.
Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Songs, by Sara Bareilles
I am a big fan of this Grammy Award winner whose songwriting speaks to my soul. She may be known for hits like “Brave” and “Love Song,” but it’s the beauty of “Gravity” and “Once Upon Another Time” that leave me breathless. In the book, she takes us on the the journey of inspiration and background for several songs in her catalog.
Two others that spark joy in me include Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home (Rhoda Janzen) and Bossypants (Tina Fey). On my nightstand sit my next books to tackle: What We Carry (Maya Shanbhag Lang) and An American Childhood (Annie Dillard).
Let us continue to write and share our stories, loud and proud. Please use the comments to list your favorite autobiography or memoir written by a female author. I can’t wait to add it to my list!
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