Sleeping with One Eye Open
Women Writers and the Art of Survival
Title Details
Pages: 248
Illustrations: 1 b&w illus.
Trim size: 6.000in x 9.000in
Formats
Paperback
Pub Date: 11/01/1999
ISBN: 9-780-8203-2153-0
List Price: $29.95
Hardcover
Pub Date: 04/01/2017
ISBN: 9-780-8203-5255-8
Sleeping with One Eye Open
Women Writers and the Art of Survival
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- Description
- Contributors
How do women writers cope with changes and juggle the demands in their already full lives to make time for their lives as artists? In this anthology, noted female novelists, journalists, essayists, poets, and nonfiction writers address the old and new challenges of "doing it all" that face women writers as the twenty-first century approaches. With eloquence, sensitivity, and more than a touch of wry humor, Sleeping with One Eye Open relates positive stories from women who lead effective lives as artists, emphasizing how sources of inspiration, discipline, resourcefulness, and determination help them succeed despite the obstacle of "no time."
The title essay, Judith Ortiz Cofer's "The Woman Who Slept with One Eye Open," defines the collection. Cofer relates the ways in which a mythological story from her Puerto Rican culture gave her confidence and courage, encouraging her creative success and emphasizing the rewards of "women's power" and personal strength. Denise Levertov's "The Vital Necessity" urges poets to make time for daydreams—essential, empowering creative food. Tillie Olsen offers a frank discussion of the pressures of work and expectations that too often sap creative energy. Tess Gallagher connects her mother's creative gardening with her own inspiration as a poet and the need for growth in her writing. Marilyn Kallet's interview with Lucille Clifton relates the personal strength that helped Clifton raise six children and publish her first book at the same time. This affirming collection offers a wealth of writing advice, given through honest accounts of perseverance and accomplishment.
Aleida Rodríguez
Alice Friman
Amy Fraser
Amy Ling
Colette Inez
Colleen McElroy
Denise Levertov
Eileen Tabios
Elaine Zimmerman
Hilda Raz
Janice Eidus
Joy Harjo
Julie Checkoway
Katherine Smith
Linda Marion
Lucy Ferriss
Lynna Williams
Mary Lewis
Pamela Walker
Patricia Clark
Sandra Benítez
Tess Gallagher
Tillie Olsen
Estate of Lucille Clifton
Barbara Goldberg