Category: Bibliography

Bibliography

Annotated Bib: “Modernist Women’s Memoir, War and Recovering the Ordinary: H.D.’S “The Gift””

Mandy Webster
Photograph of H.D., c. 1921. Beinecke Rare Boo...
Photograph of H.D., c. 1921. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This week’s Annotated Bibliography entry analyzes an article by Lorraine Sim who explores a World War II memoir written by H.D. You may view the full text here.

Annotated Bib Entry

Sim, Lorraine. “Modernist Women’s Memoir, War and Recovering the Ordinary: H.D.’S The Gift.” Women’s Studies 38.1 (2009): 63-83. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

In this article, Lorraine Sim discusses the theme of “the ordinary in H.D.’s wartime memoir The Gift” (63). Sim also discusses modernist theories that uphold war as a part of ordinary life. H.D. wrote this memoir during and soon after World War II. She chose to stay in London during the war despite the dangers from the frequent air-raids that occurred during that period. Throughout the text, H.D. discusses how grounding herself in the everyday helped to keep her attached to reality in the midst of the bombings even as the air raids themselves became a part of her “normal,” everyday life. Continue reading “Annotated Bib: “Modernist Women’s Memoir, War and Recovering the Ordinary: H.D.’S “The Gift””” →

Bibliography, Book Reviews, Writing Prompts

An analysis of “Plaintext” by Nancy Mairs

Mandy Webster
The silhouette of a large saguaro stands at su...
This image has nothing to do with my post. I just think it’s pretty. And soothing. It’s my blog and I’ll do what I want. | The silhouette of a large saguaro stands at sunset in Saguaro National Park on the east side of Tucson, Arizona. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The following is my third course autobiography for the course I am taking on women’s writing. I just have to write one more of these and then a 20-page final paper, and my homework will be done for the semester! In this piece, I wrote about how I would use this text to create a framework for a creative nonfiction essay assignment. I think this would also make an excellent writing prompt!

The Embodiment of Labels

In Plaintext, Nancy Mairs explores how individuals embody the labels that are placed on them by society. In her essay, “On Being a Cripple,” Mairs chooses to define herself as a “cripple” regardless of the fact that others may wince at the word. She says, “Perhaps I want them to wince. I want them to see me as a tough customer, one to whom the fates/gods/viruses have not been kind, but who can face the brutal truth of her existence squarely. As a cripple, I swagger” (9). She challenges the politically correct euphemisms that others use and would have her use to describe herself. In many ways, she refuses to meet society’s expectations of her as a cripple, even seeking to change the meaning of the word. I would like to teach this text in a writing course where I could ask students to examine their own labels, how they embody their labels, and how societal expectations based on these labels impact the individual, as well as how the individual can impact society by either meeting or shattering those expectations. Continue reading “An analysis of “Plaintext” by Nancy Mairs” →

Bibliography, Domestic Violence

Annotated Bib: ““He Won’t Hurt Us Anymore”: A Feminist Performance of Healing For Children Who Witness Domestic Violence.”

Mandy Webster

This week’s Annotated Bibliography entry analyzes a very powerful article (one I hope you will read) by Danielle M. Stern, who witnessed the abuse of her mother at the hands of a violent step-father as a child. You may view the full text here (Sorry, I couldn’t find this one free for you. However, if you check with your local library, they might be able to provide a copy).

Annotated Bib Entry

Stern, Danielle M. ““He Won’t Hurt Us Anymore”: A Feminist Performance of Healing For Children Who Witness Domestic Violence.” Women’s Studies in Communication 37.3 (2014): 360-378. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.


Embed from Getty Images

Danielle M. Stern writes an autoethnographic essay that explores the childhood trauma of being a witness and victim of domestic violence at the hands of her step-father. She discusses the importance of feminist storytelling in transforming a victim story into a survivor story. This essay mixes Stern’s personal stories of family violence with academic analysis to inform the reader of the impact on children who are forced to witness violence perpetrated against their mothers. Continue reading “Annotated Bib: ““He Won’t Hurt Us Anymore”: A Feminist Performance of Healing For Children Who Witness Domestic Violence.”” →

Bibliography, Book Reviews

Annotated Bib: “Holocaust Testimony, Ethics, and the Problem of Representation.”

Mandy Webster

This week’s Annotated Bibliography entry analyzes an article by Tony Kushner who discusses how the marginalization of Holocaust survivors kept many of them from telling their individual stories until several decades after the end of WWII. You may read the full article here.

Annotated Bib Entry

Kushner, Tony. “Holocaust Testimony, Ethics, and the Problem of Representation.” Poetics Today 27.2 (2006): 275-295. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.


Embed from Getty Images

This article examines how Holocaust stories were widely ignored in the years immediately following the war and how these stories have recently become of interest to society. By the end of the 20th century, several organizations, having recognized the importance of these stories, had begun to collect the testimonies of Holocaust survivors. Continue reading “Annotated Bib: “Holocaust Testimony, Ethics, and the Problem of Representation.”” →

Bibliography

Annotated Bib: “Writing For Recovery: A Practice Development Project For Mental Health Service Users, Carers And Survivors”

Mandy Webster

This week’s Annotated Bibliography entry analyzes an article by Sam Taylor, Helen Leigh-Phippard, and Alec Grant. You may view the full text here.

Annotated Bib Entry

Taylor, Sam, Helen Leigh-Phippard, and Alec Grant. “Writing For Recovery: A Practice Development Project For Mental Health Service Users, Carers And Survivors.” International Practice Development Journal 4.1 (2014): 1-13. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.


Embed from Getty Images

This paper discusses a research project based on the topic of “writing for recovery narrative practice development” (1). The participants consisted of mental health “service users,” caregivers for service users, and survivors of trauma. Participants were provided with a safe place to explore creative writing activities in an effort to reduce the stress of writing and to develop a creative environment where they could find their own individual “writing voices” (1). The major purpose of this project was to help participants use creative writing to work toward recovering from traumatic personal experiences and to create “social meaning” out of those experiences. Continue reading “Annotated Bib: “Writing For Recovery: A Practice Development Project For Mental Health Service Users, Carers And Survivors”” →

Bibliography, Book Reviews

Annotated Bib: Analysis of Eliza Leslie’s 1854 “The Behaviour Book”

Mandy Webster
English: American author Eliza Leslie
English: American author Eliza Leslie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The first article I reviewed for my series on the annotated bibliography was a painful read. However, I very much enjoyed the article that I analyzed for today’s post. So much so, in fact, I had a little extra fun creating memes from quotes that I borrowed from the text!

Annotated Bib Entry

Peary, Alexandria. “Eliza Leslie’s 1854 “The Behaviour Book” and the Conduct of Women’s Writing.” Rhetoric Review 31.3 (2012): 219-35.JSTOR. Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.

In this article, Alexandria Peary analyzes how 19th century author Eliza Leslie encouraged the development of women’s writing via her 1854 etiquette text, The Behaviour Book. Within this text, Leslie not only instructs would-be writers on how to conduct themselves in their everyday lives (i.e. “how to request writing supplies from a servant” (220)), but she also informs non-writers of her time that female writers should be treated “with due consideration” (221). Continue reading “Annotated Bib: Analysis of Eliza Leslie’s 1854 “The Behaviour Book”” →

Bibliography, Book Reviews

The Annotated Bib: Amazons and Mothers?

Mandy Webster

Have you ever had to write an annotated bibliography? I have, once, and I hated it! Well, guess what I get to do for the Studies in Women’s Writing course I am taking this semester. You guessed it: an annotated bibliography! This assignment requires that I read and analyze a minimum of ten scholarly secondary sources on the subject of “women’s writing.” The annotated bib will be almost as long as my final paper!

After all these years of blogging, it seems like a waste of time to me to put so much effort into writing something that will result in nothing more than a grade. As with much of my other school writing, I am adapting this assignment to generate content for my blog. Over the coming weeks, I will be posting my individual annotated bibliography entries as blog posts.

So, without further ado, I present to you the very first entry in my annotated bibliography!

Amazons and Mothers? Monique Wittig, Helène Cixous and Theories of Women’s Writing

Griffin Crowder, Diane. “Amazons and Mothers? Monique Wittig, Helène Cixous and Theories of Women’s Writing.” Contemporary Literature L’Écriture Féminine 24.2 (1983): 117-44. JSTOR. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.


http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/103007438

This article explores the modern feminist notion that the oppression of women is a changeable social construct that does not depend on the fact that women are born with the potential to bear children. The article discusses the women’s writing theories of French feminists Monique Wittig and Helene Cixous. While “Cixous views motherhood as a primary trait of women” (132), Wittig views the tendency of women to identify primarily with the role of mother as oppressive. Continue reading “The Annotated Bib: Amazons and Mothers?” →