Required reading: female authors
'This book sucks ... and that's not such a bad thing.'
As an English major Bachelor of English I have a keen eye for literature and people ask me all the time, "Mark, what're some of your favorite books and authors?" Well, everyone knows they need to read Ernest Hemingway, Jane Austen, and O.J. Simpson. But people have no idea that there are literally tens of things that are required reading in more obscure genres.
And so, I'm going to do a series on Required Readings. They are not actually required, just recommended, but that doesn't sounds as important.
This first part of the Required Reading series focuses on contemporary women authors. It is a little known fact that, in the last twenty years, good stuff has been written (this is in sharp contrast to the wide-spread knowledge that no good rock and roll has been made in the last twenty years). Female authors, just like in rock and roll, are typically unrepresented and underappreciated in the literary world. Here are just a few of the Required Reads penned within my lifetime by women:
WARNING: Potential spoilers ahead. Before giving away anything that might damage the experience of reading I'll toss a spoiler tag (SPOILERS AHEAD) in there. Avert your gaze quickly upon seeing that large, capitalized, cautionary text.
'Guilty Pleasures' by Laurell K. Hamilton
This is the first in the series starring Anita Blake, a spunky young woman who investigates vampires and stops them from injuring the citizens of an alternate St. Louis. By alternate I mean that, in this world, shapeshifters and vampires are commonplace and accepted as citizens alongside normal humans. This dichotomy gives one the sense that Hamilton is truly progressive in her worldview; able to metaphorically ignore the trivial issues that divide people like race, creed, religion, gender or need to devour human flesh. A truly enlightened view highlighted by the following fact: (SPOILERS AHEAD) the main character falls in love with a vampire. Nevermind the short-sighted critics who are unable to understand the raw, metaphorical genius of Hamilton's human/vampire sex and have branded the book "erotica." After all, sex is an instrumental part of the human experience. My one criticism might be this: how do vampires, without functioning circulatory systems, maintain erections?
'Dead Until Dark' by Charlaine Harris
First in the Southern Vampire Mystery Series, a series that explores the misadventures of Sookie Stackhouse, a spunky young woman who continually finds herself in investigations involving vampires in an alternate Louisiana. While supernatural creatures are not unheard of, their presence in rural Louisiana rocks the close-minded locals. Only Sookie is able to rise above the racial prejudice of her peers and respect the new-found vampires as equals. She rocks the small town's very understanding of itself when (SPOILERS AHEAD) she falls in love with a vampire. The tale is truly an inspiring one that forces the reader to look inwardly at his or her own pointless prejudices against people who eat other people. Harris has produced the most profound work on the subject since the 1967 film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
'Twilight' by Stephenie Meyer
Unlike all of her contemporaries, Meyer is brave enough to tackle the key issues of gender roles in this series about Isabella Swan, a spunky young woman in an alternate Washington who deals with investigations regarding vampires. Readers cannot help but ask themselves what it means to be a woman in modern America when (SPOILERS AHEAD) Isabella falls in love with a vampire. Isabella is truly an everywoman mimicking the trials and tribulations of all women: What does it mean to love? Are women able to have a career and a family? What's the best way to hide a dead body? My only issue with Meyer is that her novel might be, perhaps, too feminized. The males in the story are flat and two-dimensional, which isn't normally a problem, but compared to the vibrant originality of the rest of the story, it a stark and distracting contrast. Twilight is being made into a movie that is soon to be released at the time of this writing. I will not go see this movie for fear of my own, intimate relationship with the novel being damaged by the director's vision. The personal meaning I garnered from the book changed me profoundly. I encourage everyone to read this book, spend at least four hours meditating over the message you received, and then decide if you want that personal connection to be severed by some short-sighted, money-grubbing, Hollywood type. Those people are always just doing what's been overdone and popular.
Mark Johnson is an unprofessional writer who drinks too much and smokes too little. Witty, unconventional, cavalier, badass: all terms rarely used by others to describe him. His hobbies include loitering publicly, exchanging high fives, and embellishing himself. He tries to be cynical, but a pesky and staggeringly persistent optimism just keeps getting in the way. Mark takes nothing half as serious as perhaps it should be taken; to date, this has not gotten him physically harmed, but he worries.
So…are you saying the only good contemporary female authors write vampire books? Or are you just sticking with that theme since Twilight comes out this week?
holla, hayley! agreed.
and, i like how all the heroines of these novels are "spunky young" women. :P
if you are going to hone in on FANTASTIC modern female writers then you'd be wise to read some sloane crossley (now SHE is a spunky young woman)!
Yes, yes! I second the vote for Ms. Crossley's "I Was Told There'd Be Cake"!! Really, truly LOL wherever you are reading it.
Mark - what a charming smart-aleck; loading on all those feminist cliches! Love how each "spoiler" is the SAME! Hey, how could you leave out the legendary Anne Rice in this genre? And did you actually read Twilight? (I haven't.) It didn't sound like the previews at all.
No joke: I am actually reading "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" right now (one of the five books I have in progress at any given time) and I can confirm the above statements. Alas, as of yet, no vampires.
Ray - Wow! What are the odds? : ) If, by the end of her essays, you need "more Sloane" (as we did) you MUST go to YouTube and see the diaramas video she made. She built a miniature "scene" for each of her favorite essays. Adorable! Does this make us official groupies?
u should read a jacky pawulich book
But are they making it into a movie?
I think it's great that you stuck with the point of the article: pointing out female authors who are unknown!
While I could hardly call "Twilight" unknown or a book worth reading , I will difinitely agree that "Guilty Pleasures" Laurell K. Hamilton is an excellent read. Here are some other little known female writers I would recomend. Alas, none of them write about vampires.
"Breath, Eyes, Memory" by Edwidge Danticat. I would also recomend anything else she has written. All her books are great.
"Nervous Conditions" by Tsitsi Dangarembga
"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See
I would also like to recomend anything by Judy Blume. She's not what one would call unknown, but few writters have the ability to capture the true bitter sweet torture of female puberty in the enchanting way that Judy can. Happy reading! (That last statement appplies to anythign you're reading, not just to my picks.)
Also, a movie based on a book that Jackie wrote would be something to see. I'm holding out on actual judgement until that happens, but good or bad it would certainly be something to see.
But are you saying that those authors deserve respect?
Beth - I couldn't agree more with your perfect phrase about Judy Blume. She is a classic treasure!
Looks like, in spite of my comments, Twilight the movie is being advertised on this site.
Don't see it.
Ah, a fellow vampire fan! I vant to suck your blood. Of course everyone has heard of Anne Rice, but I agree that many quality female authors don't get much of a spot in the limelight. Good choices all around! Nice to see someone singing well deserved praises in their names.
Three authors that I like are Ann Purser, Lisa Scottoline, and Dana Stabenow.
Very interesting - as an Anne Rice fan, I am very interested in female authors writing books about falling in love with vampires. I like your sense of humor in this article, it made for excellent reading! I just might check these books out once I finish school next month. Thanks!
Charlaine Harris beat Stephanie Meyer to media fame- "Trublood" is the HBO series based on the Sookie Stackhouse books.
Is fame a race?
O.J. Simpson is required reading???
I was laughing so hard reading this piece I had tears in my eyes. Nice job, Mark. It's good to see that you are putting your hard-won English literary skills to good use, and that taking that contemporary female authors class is not going to waste.
Looking forward to reading about what your keen eye spots next!
Excellent review and I can't wait for the next installment in the Required Reading series. Time traveler visits childhood self? Cranky cop a month from retirement cracks one last case? Priceless secrets of the Vatican/CIA/British Royals?
female writers have always reminded me of rock and roll too.
I'm glad people are starting to understand this article.
haha
I won't touch vampire books with a ten-foot pole, but I like your style so I would love to read your reviews on another genre.
FYI: Mark is making fun of these women.
Mark has the best kind of humor.
I certainly think so.
people are smart!
My goal here was simply to erk some trivial laughs out of people by pointing out a growing and rather silly trend in literature of late. If I offended any New York Times Best Selling Authors, I apologize.
Mark - where is your bio on WUNT?
Yes, where is your bio?
I've read Twilight and I have doubts about whether you have. Serious doubts. Keep writing, though. You have a knack.
The cause of erection for those suffering from porphyric vampirism is diverted intestinal gas; hence the long-held belief in vampires' aversion to garlic.
On a side note, while I haven't read Sloane's book, everyone I know that read it found her to be vapid and self-absorbed, and they felt that the handful of laughs didn't outweigh the grating nature of the author. They recommended that I read more David Sedaris instead.
Wait. So they have farts inside their wang that make them able to love a woman? That's horrible.
Wow - I'm relieved that someone came up with an answer to the vampire circulatory-system mystery (disgusting as it may be). Vampires seem to get a lot of action, so there had to be an explanation.
Oh, and Bob - way to burst a bubble. Some people are still enjoying Sloane. All of us have spots of vapid self-absorption, true? She just packaged it cleverly.
mark and bob, i am completely grossed out.
If cleverly packaged but ultimately vapid self-absorption is grating, then I think we would all agree my literary career is over.
agreed. :D
We love you Ray. And you're not that self-absorbed (only slightly). :) :) :) Do you like my emoticons?
I can't fight the facts of nature, and vampire love is certainly a worthy subject to ponder and explain… erectile disfunction is a serious issue, especially if you live for centuries at a time.
Sorry to burst the Sloane Crossley bubble… I was just passing along what I'd heard to give a more complete view of what to expect.
Well, Bob, I'd like to hear what you say after you've read some Sloane… Hearsay - bah!
As far as the anatomy of vampire passion - until you brought up this E/D situation, I had always been completely convinced that their total physical satisfaction was the blood-sucking; that nothing was going on "down below". No penetration except fangs to throat. (But then I'm a conservative literalist). ; ) You're shaking my convictions here.
And Ray, keep writing. I've read a lot of it and I'm not grated yet.
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