Women Are Relevant Writers; Or, Why Ernest Hemingway Is Not the Definition of 20th Century American Fiction

Please read Elaine Showalter's case for female writers and their relevance to "Great American Novel" (in quotes), something that many columnists have forgotten with the death of John Updike. (Although, let's face it, she also wrote it to promote her new book A Jury of Her Peers: American Writers from Anne Bradstreet to Annie Proulx).

Often excluded from the canon or judged by only their most recent works, women continue to dominate the American literary world (despite the critics' tendency to forget them).

Also, her list of the top eight female writers to watch has given me a new reading list. So hoorah!

Again, thanks to The Guardian for this contribution.