We’re back with five more feminist writers who changed history. If you didn’t catch our first list, you can find it here.  

History is replete with authors and poets who turned pain into prose, giving voice to the women of their time. There are so many feminist writers worth mentioning (and reading); we couldn’t possibly get to all of them, but this list should tide you over until next time. If not, stick around to learn what to do with your insatiable appetite for literature.  

Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) 

At her Paris salon at 27 rue de Fleurus, Gertrude Stein hosted the likes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and other now-famous American authors she dubbed “the lost generation.” Yet Stein is anything but a supporting character in history.  

Her work was fragmented and experimental, reflecting the avant-garde art of her time and the paintings of her friend Pablo Picasso. Lines like “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose” from her 1913 poem “Sacred Emily” confounded audiences and critics alike. However, as evidenced by her bestselling book “The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas”—which took the form of an “autobiography” written by Stein’s life partner—Stein had mastered traditional writing; she was preoccupied with turning the literary world on its head.  

Gloria Steinem (1934-) 

At the start of her journalistic career, Gloria Steinem was relegated to writing lifestyle articles for “the women’s pages.” Whenever she pitched a political story, her editor would shoot her down, telling her, “I don’t think of you that way.”  

Steinem ultimately gained national attention with “A Bunny’s Tale,” a 1963 exposé detailing her grueling experience going undercover as a Playboy Bunny. She’s since devoted her life to political activism, using her platform to report on social issues, particularly women’s rights, around the world. Steinem has received numerous accolades throughout her storied career, perhaps none as prestigious as the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  

History in the Making: Amanda Gorman 

On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. (Click here to watch the electric reading of the then-22-year-old’s original work “The Hill We Climb.”) Gorman has gone on to author poetry collections and a children’s book, and we can’t wait to see what she what she does next.  

Toni Morrison (1931-2019) 

When the Swedish Academy awarded Toni Morrison the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 (Morrison was the first African-American woman to win the award), they noted that, through her novels, she is able to “give life to an essential aspect of American reality.”  

Works like “Beloved,” a staple of high-school English classes everywhere, use magical realism, poetic prose, and nonlinear storytelling to convey the lasting effects of past trauma. Morrison was not as prolific as some of the other writers on our list (she authored 11 novels), but her books were both a critical and commercial success: a rare feat for any author.  

Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) 

“The Bell Jar,” published under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas, is the only novel authored by Sylvia Plath, but that’s all it took for this feminist writer to make history. “The Bell Jar” parallels Plath’s personal life, chronicling a young woman’s struggle with depression and search for her place in the world.   

Plath took her life on February 11, 1963. Volumes of her poems were published posthumously. Her work, which consisted of playful prose depicting violent imagery, has inspired a new generation of female authors. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1982, becoming the first person to receive the award posthumously.  

Margaret Atwood (1939-) 

“The Handmaid’s Tale” was an award-winning novel by Margaret Atwood long before it was a hit TV series. Although this dystopian novel about life for women under a totalitarian theocracy is her claim to fame, Atwood has authored over 50 books, including works of fiction, nonfiction, selections of poetry, and graphic novels. Like some of the other feminist writers on our list, Atwood can’t be pigeonholed into a single genre or writing medium.  

The Handmaid’s Tale was supposed to be a work of fiction. But with reality starting to resemble the novel’s grim take on the future, Atwood’s prophetic work has become a call to defend women’s rights and illustrates the importance of feminist literature. 

Follow in the Footsteps of Feminist Writers Who Changed History 

What do all the women on our list have in common, other than their mastery of written language? They all received a formal education. In fact, Toni Morrison and Margaret Atwood both earned a Bachelor of Arts in English. We like to think their love of literature only grew in the classroom.  

The University of Texas Permian Basin offers a 100% online BA in English program that instills a deep understanding of American and British literature. As a student, you’ll strengthen your knowledge of the English language through the study of plays, poetry, novels, and mythology. 18th Century Women Poets is only one of the online courses you can look forward to in our bachelor’s degree program.  

Earn your BA in English and prepare for a career in copywriting, editing, teaching, or journalism. Visit our program page to learn more about our flexible online format, up-to-date course offerings, and affordable tuition options. Apply now if you’re ready to follow in the footsteps of your favorite feminist writers.   

Sources: 
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/gertrude-stein
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gertrude-Stein
http://www.gloriasteinem.com/about  
https://www.theamandagorman.com/
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/books/toni-morrison-dead.html
https://poets.org/poet/sylvia-plath
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sylvia-Plath
http://margaretatwood.ca/biography/