On Mon, 21 Apr 1997, lissa bloomer wrote:
> Mike Levy wrote of M. Barr:
>
> >She's a fine critic, though I wish she were a better prose stylist.
> >
>
> hmm. well, she's a bit hard to follow, but after her 3rd essay, i found i
> began to think like her writing. (eek?) i'm thinking that she may write
> less linear than writers of the past. helene cixous suggests that many
> women writers write cyclically and loopy --- curvy, if you will, which
> mirrors our body consciousness. i like this idea! (though it suggests some
> major problems, i know.)
>
> can you suggest another fem sci fi critic that works as a better prose stylist?
>
> -lissa bloomer
>
You may be right about this, Lissa. I've seen similar things said about a
number of female fiction writers as well, particularly Eleanor Arnason. How
does this connect with Le Guin's whole carrier bag theory of fiction by the way?
Female science fiction critics who are better prose stylists than Barr?
Well, Le Guin and Joanna Russ for starters? Aside from them
the first person who comes to mind is Joan Gordon, who is a superb stylist
as well as a brilliant critic. Also Veronica Hollinger, Martha Bartter,
Liz Cummings, Natalie Rosinsky, Francis Bartkowski. Please note, I'm not
saying these people are necessarily better critics than Barr, just better
prose stylists (IMO).
Mike
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