Synopses & Reviews
The New Woman-an independent, nontraditional, usually career-minded woman for whom marriage and family were secondary-became a popular heroine in womenand#8217;s magazine fiction from the time of World War I through the 1920s. During this period, American culture entertained a new, feminist vision of gender roles that helped pave the way for modern images of women in public activity. The stories in this collection are drawn from the biggest periodicals of the day-Ladiesand#8217; Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Womanand#8217;s Home Companion, and McCalland#8217;s-as well as the African-American magazine The Crisis. Each story is rooted in some dimension of contemporary feminism and explores a topic of continuing importance, such as solidarity among women, the lives of women of color and working-class women, sexual harassment, lesbian love, family and marital bonds, and womenand#8217;s relation to paid employment.
About the Author
Maureen Honey is Professor of English and Women?s Studies at the University of Nebraska. She is the author of Creating Rosie the Riveter: Class, Gender, and Propaganda During World War II and Shadowed Dreams: Women?s Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance.