Women’s Lives into Print: The Theory, Practice and Writing of Feminist Auto/Biography

255 Pages·1999·51.56 MB·English

by  Pauline Polkey (eds.)

WOMEEN'S LIVES INTO PRIINT
Wotmnen' s Lives
into Print
The Theorryy, Practice and Writing
of Feminist Auto/lBiography
Edited by
Pauline Polkey
Firsl pubHshed in Greal Brilain 1999 hy
MACMlLLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmill~. Basingsloke, Hampshirc RG21 6XS and London
Compan ies and represenlal iv es Ih roughout Ih e world
A catalogue reeord for Ihis book is available from Ihe Bridsh UbraT)'.
ISBN 978-1-349-40067-6 ISBN 978-0-230-37457-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230374577
Firsl publishcd in Ihe United Stales of America 1999 by
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, [NC ..
Scho[arly and Reference Division,
175 Fiflh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
ISBN 978-0-312-22352-6
Library ofCongress Calaloging-in-Publicalion Dala
Women's lives inlo print: the theory. practice and writillg of
fern in ist aUlo/biograph y I ed il ed by Pau Ii ne Pol ke y.
p. em.
Includes bibliographical referellces and index.
ISBN 978-0-312-22352-6 (cloth)
I. Women's sLudies-Biographical meLhnds. 2. Women-Biography-
-Metlmdology. 3. Autobiography-Women oUlhors. J. Polkey.
Pauline, 1958- .
HQ1185.W67 1999
HO!f.06692---de 2 1 99-1 H1 58
CIP
Seieci ion, editorial malle rand Chapter 5 © PiLu lin e Pol ke y 1999
Chaplcrs 1-4.6-15 © M~cmmml Press LId [999
All ri g hl s reserv('d. No reprod uct ion .•· upy ur lransm is s io n or th is pu hl ka! ion may bo:- made
wilhoUI wrinen permission.
No parugr..tph or this pUh[ication muy oe reproduced. ~opied or transmiued silve with
written pennission or in ilccordanee with the provisions of thc Copyright. Designs und
Palents ACI 19118. or under the tenns of Imy liecnce pennining limiled copying issued by
the Copyright Licensing Ag.:ncy. 90 Toucnham Coun Ruad. Lundon W IP OLP.
Any person who does any unaulhorised act in relUlion 10 this pl1blicillion may Oe liable tu
cri mi na [ prosecutlon und ci vii cl ai ms f or dn mage s.
The authoTs have asserted their righls 10 he identified as Ihe authoTs of Ihis wurk in
accordance with Ihe Copyright. Designs and Patenls Ac! 1988.
This hook is prinled on paper suitablc for recycling and made from fully managed und
suSI ai n ed forest so urees.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 ::! I
08 07 06 05 04 03 02 0 I 00 99
Contents
LLii~s1t ojf 1Il/IlluISstimtlioulls V\,1l1l
Ackumulfdgenll'n ts \' IIlIlI
No/tces 011 ItIhILe' CoO11l lIt ributors ix
IInI/ rnoldli lu/ct! iOonIl xiiii
PAART I THEEORY
Puttling Woommeenn's LLiives into PPrint: FFeemmiinnist Etthics,
Methodologies and EEppiisstemollogies
How Do We Knilow abboout Paasst Livvees? Mlvlectthhooddoolologgicic<al1l
nand Epiisstlt'e1lm10o1looggi<ic.'adl Maatteers Innvolvi ng PI'rinc(e' PPhilip,
the Russsi<n11n1 Revolution, EEmily Wilddinng DDavisson,
My Muum and the Abbsseent SuuCe'
Liz Stianul/Ilct'y 3
2 Teerrrible Times: Experience, Etthhnicitly a(lnnd
Auto/Biioography
BoOg;u\IsIiSni aTlci'1!1Il1pp!lc 22
3 Meemory, Trruuth ac:nmdd Ornal1 i lty: the LLi\ v\ 'cI'sS of
Northern Woomen l-Ieexltilec Woorrkkeerss
Chris/tiiin/(e' KC('Jll/ully 34
4 Feemmiinist Ethics nand Issues in the Production nand
Usec of Life History Rr~ecsseea;rucch
Lesley FOorITre('stl a(lnild JIluledly Gilees 44
PART II PRACTICE
RReccovvering and RReeaadding Woommen's LLives::
Interpretive IIssues
5 Reeccuupperating the Loovvee-Paassssioons of Eddith Simcox
PaUullfiiul/el' Pool/khe'y 61
6 Traavellinng towwaards Selfhood: YViiccttoorinan Reeliggion and
the PProcceessss of Feemmaale Iddenti ty
j/0o:s':s' W\'\Iel'sMt--Bl3ul1 mrnl/ww11lI1I xROo
\'
vi Cotlnlltienl/tis
7 Other People's Truths? Scientific Subjects in the
Persooln1aal Recooilll eeeclt icomlls, From Early Life t/o0
Old Age, of Mnary SOomIlleCrlv'viilllle
Jlulliin Swil1zdells 96
8 Alice HI-Iavergall Skji]l]licorn, PPrincipall of
HHoomrneerton College, Cambridge, 19355--60:
Gender and Poower
Eliznabeltlhl Edwards 1109
9 When Writing the Other is Beeiinng True
to the Self: Jamaica Kinncaaidd's
Thilel' Aluitlobiooggrmapihly of My MMotihller
AlIi isoln/ DoO11l/1I1/eell 123
110 Self~-lImmaaggee and Occupational Identity::
Barbaddian Nurrses in PPost-War Britain
J/ullliina Hanlllallmll 1137
1I1I The Lives of Indira Gandhi
Kaltlhlle'rr;iln/te? Frmalnlk 152
PI~AARRT IIlIl WRITING
RRepresenting Womenn''s LLiives: the LLiife~-Hf-listtory PI)rojectl
112 A Good School Revisited
Mary £Evlmlzls 173
1133 The Most Difficultt Door
Caatth/,ecrri1il1lle' Byroln/ 185
14. Digging Up Tanngled Rootss: FFeminism and
RHesistlance to White Working-Class Culture
Val Walslhl 1197
15 The Swashbbuucckkllerr, tlh1e Landlubbing Wimp and
the Woman in Between: Myself as Pirate(ss)
j}o StIanl/ley 216
InI/dex 229
List of Illustrations
Portrait of Alice Havecrgal Skillicorn by
Henry Lamb, 1953 J11122
Daddy's Girrl (c. 1944) 202
Father /IGGrraannddad, Daughter /MMothheer,
Daughter /GCrraanddaughter 210
Steeve and Anna in Tuchan, France, Aprill 1990 210
Jo Stanley: female pirate 224
ViIIl
Acknowl edgements
Siince its incepttion iin 11993, this book h11a<1s5 evolved from a,1 v<<1riiety of
inflluueennccees ailnd mottiivv<altions. It would cerrtauiinnlly not h<n1vvCe been possi-
ble without the grounnddbbrreeialking work th<nlt has been produced by
feeminist schoolbars working on auto/bbiioography during the pnast two
dceca.ldce5s. The support <anlnd enllCcoOuUrfa<glgeemmecnnt of dennr friends and (coli-
leEa'iglguues hhas been a" vitall lifeeline, a<lnnd my thanks to aill1l those vwvho
haove offered their tlime, pmracctiticc<alll help and intcelllceccttuucall stimuull<alttiion..
Pailm Lilley's diliggent a<l ttcentiion to det(alii l in the ffin,all stailgees of the
book's production has bCe{e'1nl execmmpblarryy, aond IJ aillmll indebted to her
assistancee. f[ a,1m111 p<alrrtticula rly gr<alttecfful to Sonia Lal\wvson for permis-
sion to reeproduce her 'HolmTlailgge to Emily Broonte, Night Writing' on
the jaccket. HI le<nHr"tfelt thanks to David Taaylor and Tom PI'olkeyy,. whose
support has been unendingg; a<lnnd to EIliY;..:aabeth Ellis, 'wNh(ol always
m<aJkes me think twice before lI put pen to papeerr.
But this book has been a.1 collnab/Joommtliiul'ct' project, ailnd my graZtlitittuude
goes to alll the contributors for their patiienccle! and co-oppeerr<altiion in
bringing this book into pprint.
VIII
Notes on the Contributors
Catherine Byron g~rre\wV up in Bl3el fa<1sst a<1nndd rfea.ld mIllecdieval litcefr<a1ttuurrec
aillt Soome('rfvviillke C(o)llIecg~e,, Oxford. Her poOedtry ailnd prose hn.,ve been pub-
lished widely in IIreila()nndd., Brit.alin aMnld North Amme('riiCca(l. Her most
reecceent poetry collection is Tile(' Faa//'--l-/l-c/1m1 Field f/-llosWpilalll (1"199993). In 1997
she recceived <a1nn Arts Council of England Writer's Awa<1rrdd..
Aliissoon DDonnell !t(e'Z<1lechLe's poossttccoololonni<i,1dl liltteor'<f1iltluure:s" a<11t Nottttiinngghh<<1lm Treennt
UniiVve('rsityy. Her sSpeCcCiai.lliisst rCes'secn<Hrcchh inntereests n.mre~ C<alribbee<alnll wrriittin~g,,
postcolonial women's w riting and postcooloniaill theoryy. She is co-
editor of TiIllet' /\(ollullht/'e((dIZge!' 1I\<emadde!'r in Cnarribibl}/(w'1a1In1 Litlel'frlalftlulnre.' a;lnd joint-
le.d'diittoor of l1u1Il/c1r'In1'\l'Jllfii ioOlllss: fIlIuI!•' illifcenrnlllalitoioJulnnll f/oOullrfnlWo/l <(!{f fH>~olsctocl(o)l!ollillialll StlluIdlile':s'.
Elizabeth Eddwwards is a senioor rfesCeailrch i<lJsSssoocci<i Z1~ t\ec ailt HoOmlllcerrttoon
Cnollege, Cailmillbbriddge, nand waas foorrmmerly the Colleege's liibbnr;1nriiialn ailnd
m<1crchhiivvis\t. She hnas published s~eveermnl( n<1rrtticicleks~ on woOmlllen's Ee~xxperiencce
in tle;il1cchher Itmr'linniinngg C(ollle('ge('s, and is currently working on a;1 b(olok to
be enttii tlied WOoIllIlI<C'Jll/ inll TeCalcldhlel'rf TrnaJin!l iullSs C!o!IIl!lc'sSe!~''_.~: A C(IuI/IJ! ulinrc> of FreC11ll1liiulliinllitly
1"l9U00(F-I799 66101 (UCL Press))..
Mary Evans waas educcialt\ed a,1t\ the Loonndon Schhooooli lolf Ecoonnomics and
the Univeersity (oIf Susste'x. She h<alss t<nlullgghht sociioloogy and woommeen's
studies ailt the Unniivne'rsity o(If Kent siinnce(e: 1199771, ail lnld is thet' a<1uu thonr of
A Good Sch!wool, tIhIIe!' Wn(1lI1W1e!nI QIuI(6':f:/iioOn!l,, /1n11il1e1' AulIssf1lC·1I1I aI/nlld I!he(' Stianlek and an
luilir rood uilcd/ iioonll t1o0 COoull lte1lll1l'1OpIo"mnfrYy Ftc'1m1i1li lui,i~1t Tl/hf())IIu.~"lliIt.. Shte' is currently writ-
inng a book on lIon\v,Ie.'.
Leesley FFoorrest origiinn<(1lll1ly tmiinned (<IIS ail tee,alechheelr"~, a<1nndd compleeted her
MA in women's studies a.11t the University (oIf Brialdfonrd. She now
teea,Kches w\Vo(mlnwenn''s studies annd sociology ,a1\t the University College
of Rippon ,amnd Yoork SIt jJo(lhhn. Shte' is currently engg<i'lggecd on ressel<'1;nrch
with young fe]ml1<a11le students who a<1rree studying woOmlllecn''ss studiees at
undte.'rrggri(ldduial the: level.
KKailtthherine Frraank is thhe <,11uuthonr of thrte'e biogri(lphiies: !J\l Voyyangs!'a!"
O01u11t: T/i1lt(' Luif{ti,' of Manry Kinllg:s:lecy (1986), E11ll1Iily IB3rnoJnlJl/ii;' (1J990) a<1nlldd
Lulltc"ie,' ODujff GCordon: AII PIals.~,s~aagle' to E[gypl (19999-14-). She is currecntly work-
ilnIlg on a,1 biooggr<r<11pphhyy o(lrf Inddiri<ral G<alnnddhi \wVhich will be puubbllis~lhlel'dd by
ix