Not Helpless: Women and Poetry and Numbers Trouble

Once again, there is numbers trouble brewing. Yes, though women far outnumber men as readers of books, women who write their own books are in trouble if they expect an equal number of reviews, awards, etc., as their male counterparts. Who are the serious women writers getting overlooked in favor of the Franzen’s of the world? Will we ever hear about them? Will they fade into obscurity because no one will talk about them, no one will even look at their books on the review pile or prize committee nominations?

I want to point out that we are not just helpless victims in this matter. Some of the most influential critics in the country are women. They’re just choosing to write about men’s books. So what can you do? Speak up! Write in the New York Times Review of Books or The New Republic and ask for equity in book reviews. Write your own book reviews and publish them. Make noise about women writers you love and appreciate, especially those who are up-and-coming. I hope one day there will be more equity, or at least that it will be a consideration, among those doling out the prizes and grants and reviews and other things that can make or break a writer’s career, give them hope, keep them from giving up. Until then, we do what we can.