Selected Writings of Judith Sargent Murray (Women Writers in English, 1350-1850)

As a novelist, essayist, dramatist, and poet, Judith Sargent Murray candidly and often humorously asserted her opinions about the social and political conditions of women in late eighteenth-century America. As a committed feminist, she urged American women to enter a "new era in female history," yet published her own writings under a man's name in hopes of more widely disseminating her ideas. Murray published poems, essays, and plays regularly in the Massachusetts Magazine. Throughout this early work, Murray addressed various controversial topics, including female education, racial prejudice, equality of the sexes, the value of self-esteem, and theories of universal salvation held by her family. In addition to her literary endeavors Murray was a prolific letter-writer, and revealed in her correspondence, as elsewhere, her unwavering commitment to human rights. Also during this period, Murray produced numerous sketches of celebrated female contemporaries and her major work, The Gleaner. With selections from The Gleaner and Murray's other publications, this latest addition to the Women Writers in English series unearths an important early feminist voice, one that should engage the intellect and imagination of readers both inside and outside the academy.

As a novelist, essayist, dramatist, and poet, Judith Sargent Murray candidly and often humorously asserted her opinions about the social and political conditions of women in late eighteenth-century America. As a committed feminist, she urged American women to enter a "new era in female history," yet published her own writings under a man's name in hopes of more widely disseminating her ideas.

Murray published poems, essays, and plays regularly in the Massachusetts Magazine. Throughout this early work, Murray addressed various controversial topics, including female education, racial prejudice, equality of the sexes, the value of self-esteem, and theories of universal salvation held by her family. In addition to her literary endeavors Murray was a prolific letter-writer, and revealed in her correspondence, as elsewhere, her unwavering commitment to human rights. Also during this period, Murray produced numerous sketches of celebrated female contemporaries and her major work, The Gleaner.

With selections from The Gleaner and Murray's other publications, this latest addition to the Women Writers in English series unearths an important early feminist voice, one that should engage the intellect and imagination of readers both inside and outside the academy.

Judith Sargent Murray (1751-1820) was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and spent most of her life in New England, where her extraordinary intellectual achievements gained recognition in literary and political circles of the late eighteenth century. Author of "On the Equality of the Sexes" (1790), Murray was one of America's earliest feminist writers and a gifted satirist. She was one of the first women in America to have her own literary column (in Massachusetts Magazine), and the first American to have a play produced on the Boston stage. In addition to writing essays, plays, poetry, and fiction, Murray was a prolific letter writer. Throughout her long career, she focused on the themes of women's education, history, and contributions to American culture. In 1798, one hundred of her essays from Massachusetts Magazine were collected and published in a single volume, The Gleaner. The Selected Writings features Murray's "On the Equality of the Sexes" and other essays from The Gleaner; selected correspondence; a play, The Traveller Returned; and Murray's only novel, The Story of Margaretta. This latest addition to the Women Writers in English series reintroduces an important early feminist voice, one that should engage the intellect and imagination of readers both inside and outside the academy

As a novelist, essayist, dramatist, and poet, Judith Sargent Murray candidly and often humorously asserted her opinions about the social and political conditions of women in late eighteenth-century America. As a committed feminist, she urged American women to enter a "new era in female history," yet published some of her own writings under a man's name in hopes of more widely disseminating her ideas. In addition to her literary endeavors Murray was a prolific letter-writer, and revealed in her correspondence, as elsewhere, her unwavering commitment to human rights. Also during this period, Murray produced numerous sketches of celebrated female contemporaries and her major work, The Gleaner.

With selections from The Gleaner and Murray's other publications, this latest addition to the Women Writers in English series unearths an important early feminist voice, one that should engage the intellect and imagination of readers both inside and outside the academy.

* Includes selections from The Gleaner, her major work, and other publications As a novelist, essayist, dramatist, and poet, Judith Sargent Murray candidly and often humorously asserted her opinions about the social and political conditions of women in late eighteenth-century America. As a committed feminist, she urged American women to enter a 'new era in female history', yet published her own writings under a man's name in the hopes of more widely disseminating her ideas As a novelist, essayist, dramatist and poet, Judith Sargent Murray candidly and often humorously asserted her opinions about the social and political conditions of women in late 18th-century America. This volume includes selections from "The Gleaner", her major work, and other publications.