Sharp

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The ten brilliant women who are the focus of Sharp came from different backgrounds and had vastly divergent political and artistic opinions But they all made a significant contribution to the cultural and intellectual history of America and ultimately changed the course of the twentieth century, in spite of the men who often undervalued or dismissed their workThese ten women Dorothy Parker, Rebecca West, Hannah Arendt, Mary McCarthy, Susan Sontag, Pauline Kael, Joan Didion, Nora Ephron, Renata Adler, and Janet Malcolm are united by what Dean calls sharpness, the ability to cut to the quick with precision of thought and wit Sharp is a vibrant depiction of the intellectual beau monde of twentieth century New York, where gossip filled parties at night gave out to literary slugging matches in the pages of the Partisan Review or the New York Review of Books It is also a passionate portrayal of how these women asserted themselves through their writing in a climate where women were treated with extreme condescension by the male dominated cultural establishmentMixing biography, literary criticism, and cultural history, Sharp is a celebration of this group of extraordinary women, an engaging introduction to their works, and a testament to how anyone who feels powerless can claim the mantle of writer, and, perhaps, change the world. New Read Sharp [ by ] Michelle Dean [ Kindle ePUB or eBook ] – kino-fada.fr Mary McCarthy saw Susan Sontag at a party, where else, and said to her I hear you re the new me This account of the careers of Dorothy Parker, Hannah Arendt, Mary McCarthy, Susan Sontag, Pauline Kael, Joan Didion, Nora Ephron, Renata Adler and Janet Malcolm with walk on parts for Rebecca West and Zora Neale Hurston was kinda interesting and I must also confess kinda just a little bit boring too.I have read biographies of three of them already and am a big fan of Janet Malcolm already but th Mary McCarthy saw Susan Sontag at a party, where else, and said to...What a disappointment This is a book about women who built careers on criticism, yet does very little to really, truly delve into the minefield of what it means to be a person whose very existence is critical Living While Female while turning the mirror around on the societies that deemed them critical in the first place The writing is light and easy to absorb, and the women discussed are interesting figures, which makes it all theimpressive that I was in no way excited about this What a disappointment This is a book about women who built careers on criticism, yet does very li...Gobbled this book up in a few sittings Loved readingabout women I already admired, and learning a lot about a few I didn t know much about A beautifully written and well researched book.Sharp is an exceptionally well written exploration of some of the most influential women writers of the last century Almost every chapter explores a different woman s writing, giving details of their childhood and adolescent years as well as the intimate details of their writing careers Dean differentiates this book from other collections of short biographies through two methods 1 She considers the writers impacts on ...Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.A recent trend in nonfiction revolves around anthologies of great women Across ages and genres, notable women of the past are being highlighted in collections of their lives and works When I saw the cover for SHARP, I... From BBC Radio 4 Book of the week As part of the Algonquin Round Table, Dorothy Parker established her reputation as one of the most brilliant wits in New York and came to epitomize the liberated woman of the 1920s.Mary McCarthyAs both a novelist and a critic McCarthy was noted for bitingly satiric commentaries on marriage, sexual expression and the role of women in contemporary urban America.Susan SontagSusan Sontag was a brilliant essayist inquisitive, analytical, fearlessly outspoken Her From BBC Radio 4 Book of the week As part of the Algonquin Round Table, Dorothy Parker established her reputation as one of the most brilliant wits in New York and came to epitomize the liberated woman of the 1920s.Mary McCarthyAs both a novelist and a critic McCarthy was noted for bitingly satiric commentaries on marriage, sexual expression and the role of women in contemporary urban America.Susan SontagSusa...2.5 People have trouble with women who aren t nice, who have the courage to sometimes be wrong in public In compiling 10 mini biographies of twentieth century women writers and cultural critics who weren t afraid to be unpopular, Dean herself a literary critic celebrates their feminist achievements and insists even now we still needwomen like this Her subjects include Rebecca W...Enormously enjoyable and informative group biography of women who never shrank from voicing their opinions at a time when women were rarely encouraged to do so From Hannah Arendt to Dorothy Parker, Rebecca West to Susan Sontag, the book covers a l...1 star audio version with the caveat that I read only about 3 4 of the book I found these essays on smart and opinionated sharp women writers to be dry and unimaginative The writer s own voice was completely missing I didn t know why she cared or wasn t convince that she did care about these women, and I found myself not caring, either I will also say that she offers an almost offensively inadequate explanation for the homogeneity of her chosen sample of women writers In ape 1 star audio version with the caveat that I read only about 3 4 of the book I found these es...An outstanding, must read book lovers of Didion, Sontag, Dorothy Parker or all the other brilliant women explored here this is for you A gift to the discussion of 20th century arts and letters And a lovesong to smart women.

Sharp
  • English
  • 14 October 2018
  • Kindle Edition
  • 384 pages
  • Michelle Dean
  • Sharp