In Her Own Words

In Her Own Words, is an edited compilation of autobiographical narratives by fifteen outstanding artist/authors. Since these writers are visual artists of historical interest, the specific, excerpted texts have been selected for their insights into the ways in which writing and making art intersect. The texts are limited to three main genres: the retrospective "autobiography," the journal/diary entry, and the letter. The excerpted texts are presented in a concise format, accessible to all interested readers both in and out of the classroom. The audience for this book would range from students in gender and art history courses at all levels, to professional educators, and to the public. Furthermore the book is clearly interdisciplinary, and readers interested in gender studies, autobiography, and art history would be attracted to the title. This book is subdivided into three chronological "parts," spanning the nineteenth century to the later twentieth century. The chapters are organized, chronologically, beginning with Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, active in the late eighteenth century, and continuing through contemporary artists such as Louise Bourgeois and Faith Ringgold. Every chapter begins with an introduction, summarizing the historical significance of the artist/author. Basic biographical facts are presented, in a concise readable format. The subject matter and stylistic idiom of the author's visual art and surviving written texts are defined. In these chapter introductions, key theoretical issues raised by scholars of autobiography are also summarized. Within each chapter, every separate entry is introduced and contextualized. The main ideas of the selected text and its position within the overall primary source are clarified to guide the reader. In the case of letters, each letter is identified by date and by intended recipient. The main purpose of the letter and when it was written is specified.