Review: How to Suppress Women’s Writing by Joanna Russ
Title: How to Suppress Women’s Writing
Author: Russ, Joanna
Length: 159 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction, Women, Writing
Publisher / Year: University of Texas Press / 1983
Source: BookDepository.com
Rating: 5/5
Why I Read It: Ana tumblr-ed it. She is dangerous to my tbr!
Date Read: 21/05/11
In case you can’t read the cover, it says:
She didn’t write it. (But if it’s clear she did the deed….) She wrote it, but she shouldn’t have. (It’s political, sexual, masculine, feminist) She wrote it, but look what she wrote about. (The bedroom, the kitchen, her family. Other women.) She wrote it, but she wrote only one of it. (“Jane Eyre. Poor dear, that’s all she ever…”) She wrote it, but she isn’t really an artist and it isn’t really art. (It’s thriller, a romance, a children’s book. It’s sci fi.) She wrote it, but she had help. (Robert Browning, Branwell Bronte. Her own “masculine” side.) She wrote it, but she’s an anomaly. (Woolf. With Leaonard’s help.) She wrote it BUT…
Yes, this book is as completely fantastic as it sounds. Completely tongue in cheek and in-depth view of the criticisms of the writing of women, as well as of the working class and writers of color. I am seriously in awe of this book and of Joanna Russ and want. more. now. I know that I will have to re-read this book a few times to really get all of it as it is just packed full of interesting ideas and insight. I also (I who have always been bored by the classics) want to now read all of the women writers mentioned in this book. THAT is how fantastic this book is.
I had perfect timing for my read of this book. Although I must admit that it did make it hard to objectively review Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own for yesterday. My review was definitely colored by things that I noticed / learned in this book and that made me sound smarter. I like sounding smarter though so it all worked out. I cannot recommend this book enough to everyone, but especially to all participants of the Year of Feminist Classics project. And to all reviewers. Seriously. This book really opened my eyes to the ways in which we talk about women writers and their writing and how we often talk it down without even consciously thinking about it.
The list of topics which Russ discusses in terms of women’s writing and the way it is discussed includes: prohibition, bad faith, denial of agency, pollution of agency, the double standard of content, false categorization, isolation, anomalousness, lack of models, responses, and aesthetics. Each of these is discussed in-depth in a very sarcastic manner that had me both laughing and horrified all at once. The book is also peppered with fantastic quotes that I would love to share with you. In the end I can’t though because what I want to do is share the whole book. JUST GO READ IT ALREADY! K thanks,
I loved how she kept pointing out so many great things that we know, and yet are so hard to articulate. The bad faith that comes even from the socially institutionalized racism and sexism that we follow along with because we accept so much of our culture ready packaged from others. The ways in which denying the legacy of earlier women writers makes the works that we do read seem anomalies and how breaking the chain or tradition loses so much of the messages. And so on.
Russ also talks about how by keeping only one piece or a few select pieces of the works of past women writers they have been distorted to be only one thing. A lover, a wife, a mother, a whore, etc rather than true multi-faceted individuals. And the only part that we have to remember is the part that was most palatable to those maintaining the histories / compiling the anthologies / etc (i.e. males). Another point Russ argues strongly on is the ways in which the values of women and women’s experiences are discounted as not important by men.
A favorite quote on page 48 reads:
The social invisibility of women’s experience is not “a failure of human communication.” It is a socially arranged bias persisted in long after the information about women’s experience is available (sometimes even publicly insisted upon.)
And on page 111:
A mode of understanding life which willfully ignores so much can do so only at the peril of thoroughly distorting the rest. A mode of understanding literature which can ignore the private lives of half the human race is not “incomplete”; it is distorted through and through.
And on page 118:
What is frightening about black art or women’s art of Chicano art – and so on – is that it calls into question the very idea of objectivity and absolute standards.
This is a good novel.
Good for what?
Good for whom?
Fascinating right? I will stop now or else this post will never end.
No one is safe in this book. Russ takes the critiques of many (including women themselves) and shows where they went wrong. Woolf of course isn’t overlooked and the author talks a lot about her essay A Room of One’s Own and the ways in which she dismissed so much of the early writings by women. In fact, the author doesn’t even spare herself in this work. She talks about how she herself originally had discounted so many works by authors of color and remarks of her revelation that perhaps centrality is a relative matter and that it takes work to recognize the contributions of others and to fully immerse yourself in it and appreciate it as it ought to be appreciated.
I’m telling you. Fan-freaking-tastic book. I realize that I am gushing but I don’t think I could be any more coherent if I tried. I will re-read it, and I may talk about it again at that point, for now I will just say please read it 
I must dig this out and reread it.
If you do Luci, please share your thoughts
WANT! Since I just had a comment about women writing rebuffed a while ago with ‘even Virginia Woolf said…’ I think I actually need this to make me stronger – should have had the courage to say ‘just because she’s a woman and a famous writer doesn’t mean she wasn’t culturally biased’.
This does sound like a really important book, and I love that it’s not only interesting and accessible, but also smart and funny too. Great review on this one Amy! You have convinced me that I need to give this book a try soon.
Oh I hope that I have zibilee!
I had read this in library school but forgot all about it. But I remember having the same reaction as you, and now I want to read it again!
Oohh would love to hear your thoughts on it if you do re-read it Jill!
I’ve been hearing a bit about this sort of thing lately, and it’s very new to me.
So interesting Tammie, I really can’t say enough great things about the book.
Wow. I’m definitely writing this one down for my wish list. But I wonder if the source examples she cites are from only women writers that wrote what we now consider classics, or did she include contemporary writers as well? What’s her take on genres that are almost entirely populated by women authors (i.e. romances, chick-lit)?
Hmmm mostly classics Valerie, though of course she does talk a little bit about science fiction currently. Or currently to when she was writing in the 1980s!
AWESOMEAWESOMEAWESOME! YOU are my go-to blog for the BEST most interesting STUFF.
Thank you Care. I can’t take all the credit though, it’s really Ana who is behind this one. But seriously that is an awesome compliment and you totally made my day
You rock.
Wow, what an amazing, vital and important book. I definitely want to read this particularly because, since joining this community, I’ve been reading more and become more aware of the breadth of genres, books and women writers there are and the issues they deal with despite it being 2011. This book makes me think back to college classes in which I read books after reading a critique and criticism of the book…and I got so much more out of my reading! I’d love to know what Russ says about various authors prior to reading their works because her writing will inevitably expand my thinking, awareness and understanding of what I’m reading! I’m so impressed that Russ even discusses her own writing. very cool. Thank you for reviewing this book and bringing t to my attention!
Yes it really does open your eyes I think Amy. I want to read her and then read the authors and I agree, I think I’d get so much more out of them. I am very happy to have brought it to your notice
I’d have read this just from the title! I was reading this post thinking, Hey, this sounds like something Ana would like, and then I scrolled back up and saw where you got the recommendation from. :p Thanks for this review — I loooove gender studies and it’s been a while since I read a good screed.
Heh isn’t Ana clearly awesome Jenny?? Dangerous, but awesome
I hope you read and love this one.
Ana is SO dangerous to my TBR list too. I have to read this! Hello, Book Depository…
Blame Ana, that is EXACTLY what I said when she posted it
I hope you enjoy it Violet!
Gee, you’ve convinced me! I’ll be on the lookout for it
I’m so glad Emily!!
Okay okay I’ll read it.
GOOD you better Cass.
Awesome review, Amy! This looks like an awesome book! I can’t wait to read it! I was discussing about the kinds of books we read with one of my friends recently, and he said that he rarely reads books by women writers. When I asked him why, he said that he doesn’t find the topics addressed by women writers interesting. I found that quite surprising, because there are women writers in every genre today – even if one is a fan of fast-paced action novels with car chases and thrilling scenes, there are wonderful women writers in that space. I was thinking how much he must be missing – he would’t have read Nicole Krauss, George Eliot, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Muriel Barbery, Anne Fadiman, Linda Grant, Scarlett Thomas, Jeannette Walls, Emma Donoghue. When I read your observation – “Another point Russ argues strongly on is the ways in which the values of women and women’s experiences are discounted as not important by men” – I remembered that conversation. I like the way Russ has looked at the topic and how she has critiqued Virginia Woolf and even herself. I liked very much your observation – “She talks about how she herself originally had discounted so many works by authors of color and remarks of her revelation that perhaps centrality is a relative matter and that it takes work to recognize the contributions of others”.
Thanks for this wonderful review, Amy! I have to read this book now!
Ahhhh I can’t believe that people still say stuff like that in real life Vishy! Crazy friend! I guess after Naipaul’s recent comments nothing should shock me… I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one.
Yes, Naipaul’s comments were really shocking! I am looking forward to reading Russ’ book soon
Yay! Glad to hear it Vishy.
I’m definitely getting this book. I went to the Orange Prize readings yesterday and was struck by how diverse and complex all the novels were, never one dimensional or reductive. It’s definitely a problem that underlies the literary world, especially when female writers make a big deal about it and are accused of ‘getting their knickers in a twist’ . Wonderful review, Amy.
Oh I’m awfully jealous that you went to the Orange Prize readings Sakura! Sounds so fun. And yes, this book really really opened my eyes and made me see a lot of things differently. I think you would really enjoy it.
You had me at the title alone! I am all for a book that helps the reader uncover hidden biases and as a result become a better, more critical but accepting reader/reviewer. I have not seen any previous discussion of this book, so thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Isn’t it a completely fantastic title Michelle? That is all it took for me as well
I want to see more and more publicity for this one! Such a great book.
I cant believe I missed this review! I dont think Ive ever seen this blog as excited about anything! What a great review. I must get my hands on it asap! I am about to check Amazon, I hope it is on Kindle . .
Thanks Sarah, I was a little over the top wasn’t I? I have to say that one friend who has tried it isn’t loving it as much as I did so maybe it’s just me, but I do think it is an awesome book!