James Tiptree, JR.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon by Julie Phillips Reviewed by Anastasia Masurat
Bitch Magazine
"In her biography of writer Alice B. Sheldon, Julie Phillips notes that 'like all interesting people, Alli had many sides or selves.' And throughout her life Sheldon had more than most: African explorer, high-society debutante, bohemian artist, chicken farmer, CIA agent, and research scientist. However, Sheldon's most notable self was the fictional one she created in 1967, at the age of 51: James Tiptree Jr., science-fiction writer. What started as a joke (Sheldon found the name in the grocery store on a jar of Tiptree jam) became more than just a pseudonym. Sheldon used scraps of her own background ? fishing trips, military service, crushes on doomed rich girls ? to create a persona that seemed unquestionably male. Her vague references to government work provided a cover that was so successful, fans often wondered if Tiptree might actually be Henry Kissinger." Read the entire Bitch Magazine review.