International Women’s Day – Literally Speaking

Women writers and female characters who helped shape my writing and my life.

Every year on March 8^th, International Women’s Day, media outlets celebrate the achievements of extraordinary women.  Female doctors, CEO’s, astronauts, and the best of the best are brought forth as examples of feminine achievement. This is a well-deserved and necessary celebration of how far our gender has come in the battle for equality, but I find myself asking who were the influences on these women who achieved so much?

I can’t tell you who shaped their journey, but I can discuss the authors and characters who influenced me to become the woman I am today.  When I began to read at an early age, I had little interest in children’s stories.  My book choices were limited to what I could find at garage sales, and my grandmother never saw a sale sign she could drive past.  She would skillfully maneuver her big green Buick into a space at the curb and hurry up the driveway to paw through a total stranger’s belongings.  Sometimes the well-meaning homeowner would direct my attention to a box of toys, but I always made a beeline toward the books. 

My first garage sale book purchase was the Idylls of the King by Tennyson when I was about to start second grade.  My love for poetry probably began with this book.  From there, I picked up a paperback version of Shakespeare’s tragedies and a selection of works by Edgar Allan Poe.  It appeared as if the entire world was written by men for men, forcing me to forever view life through the male gaze.  Then I got a library card and a brave new world opened to me. 

I discovered The Little Princess, Little Women, Little House on the Prairie.  (Why does everything have to be little for girls?) From there, I moved on to Madeline L’Engle, Nancy Drew, the Wizard of Oz.  My tastes grew to favor girls who had adventures, solved problems, made waves.  The young adult section brought me to Margaret Atwell, Anne Frank, and Judy Bloom, along with the Bronte sisters.  My poetic evolution took me on a tour through Dickenson, Millay, Parker, Plath, Sexton, and Oliver.

The movies of the 1980’s introduced me to a bold new array of fierce female characters who fought against existential threats.  I’m sure James Cameron did not set out to create a feminist icon when he filmed The Terminator movie, but when Sarah Connor pressed that button and said, “You’re terminated, fucker!” I fell in love. 

Likewise, when Ellen Ripley told her crew not to bring the xenomorph on board the spaceship, nobody listened to her because she was a woman. For the rest of the movie, everyone died except for her and the cat.   Of course, we must include Princess Leia and the manner in which Carrie Fisher’s portrayal infused her character with a “take no shit” attitude. 

As with all creative works, representation matters.  Strong female characters inspire girls to be strong themselves, to rise above the perceived limitations imposed by society.  Strong women – may we be them; may we raise them; may we inspire them with our words and actions

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