Women Writers, Male Historians

To showcase the writing of women, the Folger Shakespeare Library has dedicated an exhibition to female scribes who were active between 1500 through 1700.

Called "Shakespeare's Sisters", the new exhibit is meant to educate us all about the brilliant prose produced by the fair sex, back in the day when life was short and hard. We have to be educated via special exhibit because no one studies this body of work in the normal course of the average education.

You've heard of Shakespeare. Have you ever heard of Susanna Centlivre? She was a star in her day. Why isn't she as well-read as old Willie?

Who decides which authors are worth keeping in current memory and which are to be relegated to the dusty past?

Men.

After Ms. Centlivre's plays were performed, and she passed on to her heavenly reward, who would have decided whether or not to put one of her dramas back on the stage? Who would have included her in a course of study?

There's a bias towards men in writing, but it's men who established the education system and confined access to higher learning, for centuries, to men. With a prejudice against the accomplishments of women, they had no incentive to include the great female authors in the studies of literature or history, and so, the ladies became more and more obscure until we're left here thinking that women didn't do much in the literary world back in the day, before the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen broke through.

So teach the children about Shakespeare, but budget a little time for his quill-pals who were just as skilled and just as talented.....only female, rather than one of the guys.