Encyclopedia of Women's Autobiography

Women have been writing about their lives for hundreds of years, and their autobiographical works are a record of the eras and cultures in which they lived. Through nearly 200 alphabetically arranged entries written by more than 130 expert contributors, this encyclopedia overviews women autobiographers and autobiography from the Middle Ages to the present. Entries discuss individual writers, major works, national and ethnic autobiographical traditions, particular autobiographical genres, and special terms, issues, and themes related to women's autobiography from around the world. Entries cite works for further reading, and the encyclopedia closes with a selected, general bibliography. Women have been writing autobiographical works for centuries, and these texts are a valuable source of information about their lives and times. They reflect the personal experiences of their authors as well as the larger cultural, political, and intellectual contexts in which they lived and wrote. Multicultural in scope and the first work of its kind, this encyclopedia overviews more than 400 years of autobiographical writing by women. Working with the assistance of distinguished scholar and advisory editor Emmanuel S. Nelson, the volume editors have assembled nearly 200 alphabetically arranged entries by more than 130 expert contributors. The entries cover individual writers and major works, particular autobiographical genres, national and ethnic autobiographical traditions, and special issues, themes, and terms related to women's autobiography. Because of the sustained interest in works by women writers and the centrality of many of these works to the curriculum, high school libraries will need this essential reference. Public libraries supporting research in this area will also find it a valuable guide to the rich tradition of life writing by women and to the wider realm of gender studies.