Feminist Chick Lit, Anyone?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Eryka Peskin on September 12, 2008 at 12:42pm

Oooh, I want to read your books. :)

I'm a feminist and I'm writing what some would call "trashy" and what I call "fun" books! And there are lots more than you and me, Sofia! I actually did research on this in college because I was fascinated/disgusted by the idea that a genre that is mostly read by women and accounts for over half of the books sold is so fiercely denigrated. Love (or sex) + women = 2nd class, in just about everything, from film to books to sex ed, etc. Actually most things + women get 2nd class status--women's health (don't you love how it took western medicine a couple of millennia to realize that men and women's bodies are different so it might be good to study both?), politics....I could go on and on but I won't.

There's a great essay "Are romance novels and feminism mutually exclusive?" at Would love to hear what you think.

Anyway, some other commercial and feminist authors I've come across are Jennifer Crusie, Nora Roberts (I've never come across her calling herself a feminist, but her female protagonists are strong, and in her JD Robb books she definitely espouses environmentalism and reproductive health and justice)...I'll look for more. :)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sofia Quintero on September 13, 2008 at 4:43pm

Hey, Eryka,

I'd love to read that essay as well as your research. Do you have a link to the essay? Is your research available to the public? Where can I found your fiction?

I recently heard of another chick lit novel written by an author who readily calls herself a feminist. Her names is Joanne Rendell and she wrote "The Professors' Wives Club." I met her via MySpace, and she seems very cool.

If you like romance, check out the novels by Gwyneth Bolton. In her other life (smile), she teaches English and women's studies. In fact, she has taught some of my Black Artemis novels.

I'm not very familiar with romance -- yes, because of my own narrowmindedness -- but now I've realized that it's a genre with tremendous diversity and has come along way from the bodice rippers with Fabio on the cover, lol! From what I understand, Nora Roberts is a goddess in romance circles to readers and authors alike. Which of her books do you think I should start with?

It's funny because there's a major debate in literary circles as to whether or not Jane Austen wrote chick lit. Sadly, women who write chick lit and romance have been under attack by female authors who write literary fare. Like we don't have enough challenges without other women attacking us. A group of them went as far as to author an anthology called "This is NOT Chick Lit!" Now I'm the first to say that a lot of chick lit is vapid, but that doesn't mean the entire genre is devoid of substance so the elitism truly irks me.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lizz on September 16, 2008 at 1:32pm

i've been reading a lot of "heavy" books lately, and realized it was time for something lighter. i was happy when i plucked Sofia's "Divas Don't Yield" out from the shelf (wink). i knew it would be fun, but wouldn't leave me feeling like a wasted brain cells on fluff! the female protagonists aren't flat or simple; they make you think, smile, cry, laugh. thanks 'mana!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sofia Quintero on September 22, 2008 at 1:51pm

Aw, shucks, Lizz. :)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lina Villegas on October 7, 2008 at 9:34pm

I know this was posted a while ago, but I couldn't help it..
there's a female author I really like, Laura Restrepo, (incidentally, she is from Colombia, a feminist and political activist) one of her latest books was recently translated into English....I highly recommend reading it, specially because the heroine is a passionate and crazy! ..The book is called "Delirio' ( although not chick lit!)

• ▶ Reply