Rereading History: Women's History Month

March, known as the month of showers and the beginning of spring is also Women's History month. Prior to the 1970s our country traditionally spoke about history as a political topic. Forty years ago people, women especially began to question the place or invisibility of women in history books. 

This is when more and more female historians grew to exist and America's idea of ‘history' grew to include many cultures, socio-economic classes, and public life.  Carroll Smith-Rosenberg, one of the early women's historians, has remarked that "without question, our first inspiration was political. Aroused by feminist charges of economic and political discrimination . . . we turned to our history to trace the origins of women's second-class status." It was not until 1978 that Sonoma County, CA began to celebrate "Women's History Week," and, in 1987, US Congress declared March as Women's History Month in the United States. If you're looking for a good read during this month here are a few iconic and influential American female writers to consider taking a look at.

Sylvia Plath (1932-1963): This poet, novelist and short story writer is known best for her tragic, semi autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar or her most popular books of poetry, The Colossus and Other Poems and Ariel. In 1982 she was the first poet to win a Pulitzer Prize after her death.

Helen Hokinson (1893-1949): Over a 20-year time span, she contributed 68 covers and more than 1,800 cartoons to The New Yorker. Hokinson had over 3 volumes of her cartoons published in the 1950s. 

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886): Today she is a well known poet in American society; however, during her lifetime only about a dozen of her 1,800 or so poems were published. It was after her death that her younger sister found the breadth of her work and had it published. Some of her more popular poems include themes of nature, life and death, and the use of unconventional dashes and capitalization.

Judy Blume (1938-Present): Blume is a well known author of children's book and books for young teens in the US. She has written about topics that are considered to be controversial by some for her middle school aged audience. Some of these topics include racism, divorce, teen sex and bullying. You may remember some of her books, popular in elementary school, such as Superfudge, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing or Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. 

Maya Angelou (1928-Present): Angelou is an autobiographer and poet who is well known for her involvement in the 1950s with the Civil Rights Movement. She has been called, "America's most visible black female autobiographer" and is known best for her 1969 novel, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. 

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888): This author is probably known best for her novel Little Women. This book was loosely based on her experiences with her sisters growing up. Inspired by fellow natives of Concord, MA, Alcott grew up a transcendentalist. Alcott's father established a transcendentalist school and worked closely with Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

To find upcoming events that celebrate Women's History Month at Plymouth, check out Lamson Library's list of books to celebrate the month or "The Works of Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee," an American contemporary classical composer from Boston, MA, whose works are performed worldwide, will be featured on March 13 at 11:00 in the Silver Center for the Arts. Also is the Annual Theodora J. Kalikow Award, Powerful Outstand Women's Advocate Award on March 30 at 3:30 in Heritage Hall.