Writing Women's Communities: The Politics and Poetics of Contemporary Multi-Genre Anthologies

282 Pages·1997·52.79 MB·English

by  Cynthia G. Franklin

Writing
Women's Communities
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Writing
Women's
Communities
The Politics and Poetics of
Contemporary Multi-Genre Anthologies
CYNTHIA G. FRANKLIN
The University of Wisconsin Press
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TheUniversityofWisconsinPress
2537DanielsStreet
Madison,Wisconsin53718
3HenriettaStreet
LondonWC2E8LU,England
Copyright©1997
TheBoardofRegentsoftheUniversityofWisconsinSystem
Allrightsreserved
5 4 3 2 1
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Franklin,CynthiaG.
Writingwomen'scommunities: thepoliticsandpoeticsofcontemporary
multi-genreanthologies / CynthiaG.Franklin.
280pp. em.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-299-15600-1 (cloth: alk.paper).
ISBN0-299-15604-4 (pbk.: alk.paper)
1. Americanliterature-Womenauthors-Historyandcriticism-Theory,etc.
2. Literaturepublishing-Politicalaspects-UnitedStates-History-20thcentury.
3. Politicsandliterature-UnitedStates-History-20thcentury. 4. Womenand
literature-UnitedStates-History-20thcentury. 5. Communityinliterature.
6. Literaryform. 1. Title.
PS151.F73 1997
81O.9'9287'09045-dc21 97-9460
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Formygrandparents,
ElsieandMelvinFranklin
. CopyrightedMaterial
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
1. Introduction: WritingacrossCommunities 3
2. Another1981: FromThis BridgeCalledMy Backto
Making Face, Making Soul/Hacienda Caras 31
3. ComingOutandStayingHome: NiceJewish Girlsand
Home Girls 56
4. TheMakingandUnmakingofAsianAmericanIdentity:
Making Waves and TheForbidden Stitch 81
5. (Un)CommonClassIdentitiesintheUnitedStatesand
Britain:CallingHome and TheCommon Thread 110
6. Around1996:Re-PlacingIdentityPoliticsfrom the
"RacialParadise" ofHawai'i 155
Notes 203
WorksCited 242
Index 256
vii
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Acknowledgments
Thisbook,whichtakes writingwomen'scommunitiesas itssubject, it
selfdependsuponthewomenwhohaveservedasmymentors,andupon
thecommunitiesattheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeleyandtheUni
versityofHawai'iwhichhavesustainedmeintellectuallyandemotion
ally,andshapedthisstudyatitseverystage.
At UC Berkeley, I was lucky to have wonderful teachers and advi
sors.IamparticularlygratefultoElizabethAbelforgivingmedirection
andconfIdenceinmyscholarship,andfor rigorous, probing,and prac
ticalcriticismand generouslygiveninsightsateverystageofthisproj
ect. IalsoamdeeplyindebtedtoSusanSchweik,whogavemetheidea
forthisproject,andthenguidedmethroughitwiththerightquestions,
warmencouragement,andcrucialadvice. Thanksalso toNorma Alar
con,for challenginginsightsandsupport.
AlsoatUCBerkeley,KristinaBrooksandKimberlyDrakehelpedthis
bookevolvefromitssketchiest,messiestform withcopiouscomments,
exactingediting,and unfailingenthusiasm. Iam gratefulas wellto the
members of my dissertation group-Kate Brown, Sarah Cole, Teresa
Fulker,JaneGarrity,KristinaHauk,AlisaKlinger,LeilaMay,andIrene
Tucker-forhelpfulquestionsandcriticisms, andfor making thewrit
ing process so much fun. Iespecially would like to thankJane, for al
waysmakingmelaugh,andforbeingawonderfullysupportivereader,
andIrene,whosehardquestions,astonishingintellect,andloyalfriend
ship mean more to me than I can say. My deepest thanks also go to
Jacqueline Shea Murphy, for reading this manuscript from its earliest
drafts to its fmal form with unwavering faith and formidable intelli
gence;forknowingwhatI'mtryingtodobetterthanIdo;andforhelp
ing meseehow to do it,bothinBerkeleyand thenfrom across the Pa
CifIC via countless emails and phonecalls. AnneGoldman's astuteand
incisive readings ofchapters ofthis bookhave made the entireproject
a stronger one, at the same time that her acerbic wit, generosity, and
friendship havebeensourcesofsustenanceand pleasure. Ialso would
ix
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