(female) writers

dandelion_17 · Joined: 01 Jul 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Conroe, Tx

im looking for some suggestions for female writers/poets. I really like Francesca Lia Block, & Sandra Cisneros.... but i'm not following a guidline, just anything you think is good, fill me in..... Thanks in advance!
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abigailamy · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 53

Female writers...... my money is totally on Isabelle Allende. I could be spelling her name wrong, but she wrote House Of Spirits, a beautiful book, and a whole bunch of others. She writes magical realism, and her writing is just amazing - its totally addictive! Have you read her?

:) Abigail
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soapandwater · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 945

Sylvia Plath, earlier Margaret Atwood, Donna Tartt, Joyce Carol Oates (Blonde or Foxfire specfically), the Brontes, Barbara Kingsolver...

I had better shut up.
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dandelion_17 · Joined: 01 Jul 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Conroe, Tx

no, i havent heard of Isabelle Allende, but thanks i'll check her out.
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Baby, you bring out the Mexican in me...

empressCrash · Joined: 04 Jun 2004 Posts: 78 Location: Pacific NW

Dorothy Parker, Nora Zeale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Kate Chopin (The Awakening), Kathy Acker off the top of my head. There are a few great poets - but their names aren't coming to me right now - I'll post more when I can get home to my bookcases.
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abigailamy · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 53

Hi Dandelion,

Oh.... you are in for such a treat! :)

House of Spirits is a multi-generational novel - its about three generations of women living in Cuba. A very wealthy family and what happens during the fall of Communism. A lot of the story centers around the daughter of the house who is clairvoyant, and has visions and also sees spirits. There is a wonderful romance in the story.

This is the kind of book you stay up until 3am to finish. She's that good!

:) Abigail
_________________
author of GiftWrapGoddessWraps & Journal Seeds zines - both @ yahoo! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GiftWrapGoddessWraps/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/journalseeds/
"Follow your bliss" - Joseph Campbell

CraftinFool · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 809 Location: New England

I second the recommendations already made - esp. Kate Chopin, Barbara Kingsolver, Dorothy Parker.

I also love Anne Tyler, Diane Ackerman (non-fiction), Banana Yoshimoto, Lucy Grealey (non-fiction), Arundhati Roy, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Anne Lamott.

Some others I like are: Anna Quinlain, Elinor Lipman, Muriel Spark, Jane Austin, and Louisa May Alcott.

nicegirl512 · Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 114 Location: Washington DC

Lee Smith-Southern woman writer writing about Southern women. I love her so much.
Terry McMillan-yes, How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a fluffy bestseller, but it's a well-written fluffy best seller. Her other books are also good but quite depressing.
Dorothy Cannell-pulpy spunky-woman-in-a-mystery books. Love them.
hmm, why am I at such a loss? I need to go to the library!

dandelion_17 · Joined: 01 Jul 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Conroe, Tx

Thanks everyone for all the greeeat replies. you chicks are cooool, hehe.
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Baby, you bring out the Mexican in me...

robotgirl · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 47

Louise Erdrich. My favorites by her are Love Medicine and The Beet Queen
Flannery O'Conner

soapandwater · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 945

Oh. I forgot. I think everyone should read The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. Or, if you have a spare copy of the book, send it to me.
I know, I know. Beggarly nerd.
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When you got a hundred voices singin',
who can hear a lousy whistle blow?

honeybee · Joined: 15 Apr 2004 Posts: 285 Location: appalachia

i third barbara kingsolver- her first 3 novels are very different than the poisonwood bible, which is very different than prodigal summer, my favorite. her essays are also wonderful.
as for poets, i never even liked poetry until i read mary oliver, specifically, new and selected poems.

revelatrice · Joined: 29 Jun 2004 Posts: 7

if you enjoy fairy tales at all -- especially slightly twisted ones with a feminist bent -- you might like angela carter. she is by far one of my favorite female writers (i would put virginia woolf up there too, especially orlando). carter has a unique way with words and detail -- some might find her a little over the top, too wordy, and her colorful details are sometimes a little overwhelming, like overripe fruit... but i love it and eat it all up!
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viggie · Joined: 30 May 2004 Posts: 26

ooh, i loooooove isabel allende altho i have yet to read house of spirits.

mystril · Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 7:24 pm Post subject:

Lorrie Moore's Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? is one of my favorites. Also, for a more speculative fiction bent, Nina Kiriki Hoffman has a style that is warm and lovely like drinking a cup of hot cocoa. Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time is another old favorite and still my favorite mystery. Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle is either boring or brilliant, depending on who you ask.