Women's History Month

In March, we celebrate the contributions that women have made to our collective history and to contemporary society. There are many professions that once shut women out, including arts and literature. Many women who wrote stories or created art were encouraged to use pseudonyms, so no one would know they were created by women. Examples include the Bronte sisters (Anne, Emily, and Charlotte), who used the pen names Acton, Ellis, and Currer Bell to write "Agnes Grey,"  "Wuthering Heights," and "Jane Eyre,"; Mary Ann Evans, who wrote classics like "Silas Marner" as George Eliot; and Ann Petry, the first Black woman author to sell more than a million copies of a book ("Marie of the Cabin Club") who used the pseudonym Arnold Petri. Even author J.K. Rowling, famous for the "Harry Potter" series, chose to use initials rather than her given name, Joanne, because she didn't think boys would want to read her books otherwise. She doesn't even have a middle name - she chose the 'K' to honor her grandmother, Kathleen.

Consider reading a book by a woman author this month, or checking out some women artists.

https://www.nypl.org/blog/2022/03/01/31-books-march-womens-history-month

https://www.womenwhodraw.com/