Writing Feminist Lives: The Biographical Battles over Betty Friedan, Germaine Greer, Gloria Steinem, and Simone de Beauvoir (Breaking Feminist Waves)

This book draws attention to the controversy that surrounds Betty Friedan, Germaine Greer, Gloria Steinem, and Simone de Beauvoir’s lives and the important role that their life stories have played in their feminist writing. Directly and indirectly, the four women have contributed to battles over feminism’s meaning through autobiographically informed political writing. Inevitably, therefore, their biographers are also participants in these battles, yet not always on the same side as their subjects. __Writing Feminist Lives__ introduces a further fold of nuance into considerations of biography and feminism by showing that the biographers of the four women have made methodological choices that reflect their loyalty to, or their scepticism towards, competing ideological definitions of the exemplary feminist life. This Book Draws Attention To The Controversy That Surrounds Betty Friedan, Germaine Greer, Gloria Steinem, And Simone De Beauvoir's Lives And The Important Role That Their Life Stories Have Played In Their Feminist Writing. Directly And Indirectly, The Four Women Have Contributed To Battles Over Feminism's Meaning Through Autobiographically Informed Political Writing. Inevitably, Therefore, Their Biographers Are Also Participants In These Battles, Yet Not Always On The Same Side As Their Subjects. Writing Feminist Lives Introduces A Further Fold Of Nuance Into Considerations Of Biography And Feminism By Showing That The Biographers Of The Four Women Have Made Methodological Choices That Reflect Their Loyalty To, Or Their Scepticism Towards, Competing Ideological Definitions Of The Exemplary Feminist Life.-- Malin Lidström Brock. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 211-226) And Index. "This book draws attention to the controversy that surrounds Betty Friedan, Germaine Greer, Gloria Steinem, and Simone de Beauvoir's lives and the important role that their life stories have played in their feminist writing. Directly and indirectly, the four women have contributed to battles over feminism's meaning through autobiographically informed political writing. Inevitably, therefore, their biographers are also participants in these battles, yet not always on the same side as their subjects. Writing Feminist Lives introduces a further fold of nuance into considerations of biography and feminism by showing that the biographers of the four women have made methodological choices that reflect their loyalty to, or their scepticism towards, competing ideological definitions of the exemplary feminist life."-- Publisher's website This book draws attention to the controversy that surrounds Betty Friedan, Germaine Greer, Gloria Steinem, and Simone de Beauvoir's lives and the important role that their life stories have played in their feminist writing. The four women have contributed to battles over feminism's meaning through autobiographically informed political writing.Therefore their biographers are also participants in these battles, yet not always on the same side as their subjects. The book introduces considerations of biography and feminism by showing that the biographers of the four women have made methodological choices that reflect their loyalty to, or their scepticism towards, competing ideological definitions of the exemplary feminist life Front Matter....Pages i-viii Introduction....Pages 1-15 A Question of Authority....Pages 17-49 Negotiating the Tradition—Feminist Realist Biography....Pages 51-105 Breaking New Ground—Feminist Exemplary Biography....Pages 107-150 Deconstructing the Life—Feminist Poststructuralist Biography....Pages 151-202 Conclusion....Pages 203-209 Back Matter....Pages 211-239