About the Gilman Society

The Charlotte Perkins Gilman Society was founded in 1990 by Elaine R. Hedges and Shelley Fisher Fishkin. The purpose of the Society is “to encourage interest in Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the issues that she explored.” The Society, which is officially affiliated with the American Literature Association and the Society for the Study of American Women Writers, fosters the formal presentation of ideas about Gilman and her work as well as the informal exchange of information among Society members. The membership adopted bylaws governing the Society at the annual business meeting of the Gilman Society at the American Literature Association Conference in San Diego, California, in May 1998.

Membership is open to anyone who supports the purpose of the Charlotte Perkins Gilman Society: The Society distributes a newsletter each spring, which features short articles, a list of recent publications, calls for papers, reviews, notes, and news. It also sponsors sessions at various conferences, most notably at the annual American Literature Association Conference and aims to host an international conference on Charlotte Perkins Gilman every four to five years.