A Year in Books/Day 130: Passionate Minds

Screenshot of Mae West from the trailer for the film I’m No Angel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: Passionate Minds Women Rewriting the World
Author: Claudia Roth Pierpont
Year Published: 2000 (Vintage Books)
Year Purchased: 2002
Source: Barnes & Noble clearance rack
About: This is a subject close to my heart, and one that I frequently write about: women writers. Especially dead women writers. Twelve women (with different view-points, strengths and contributions), twelve in-depth profiles: each chapter is a study in grace, perseverance, individuality and talent. The subjects present interesting juxtapositions, from the expected (Gertrude Stein) to the controversial (Margaret Mitchell, Ayn Rand); the forgotten (Olive Schreiner) to the unexpected (Mae West). It offers complexity where so often there is indifference or cliché; it’s uplifting and respectful without resorting to heroine worship. Brisk and engrossing, you’ll be hard-pressed to put it down without finishing it in one straight read.
Motivation: DEAD WOMEN WRITERS.
Times Read: 3
Random Excerpt/Page 81: “Because there were no available acting roles for a woman who drove men wild and enjoyed them in bed by the dozen and gave as good as she got and didn’t want to marry and never suffered for any of it, Mae West had to become a writer before she could be a movie star.”
Happiness Scale: 10

2 thoughts on “A Year in Books/Day 130: Passionate Minds”

Awesome review. My Kindle is ready.

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