Women Writers Intro

Hello Ladies!

            My name is Alisa Fox and I am a junior Public Relations major with a minor in Music. My hometown is Glenmont, which is a suburb outside the city of Albany. I originally started off as a Music Education major here at SUNY Fredonia, but realized this was not the right path for me in life. The notion of devoting my college life to practicing piano for countless hours in a stuffy practice room was not an ideal situation for me. I am a natural people person and want a profession where I can interact with my colleagues on a daily basis and possibly make a difference in the world or better it for future generations. I am considering adding Women’s Studies minor as well during my remaining time here at SUNY Fredonia. When I was looking up courses last semester, “Women Writers” caught my eye immediately. Yes, it fulfilled a Western Civilization CCC, but it also involved reading works only by women! I am really excited to be reading great literature for a change, instead of structured, dry textbooks.

            This section contained many inspiring quotes, but Gloria Anzaldua’s description of the poet and muse relationship really stood out to me. She stated that a women writer must “find the muse within you.” According to her, the female “muse” sustains the writer, and the creator and inspirer must be envisioned as one to be complete. I always thought of a “muse” as a separate person, not a part of the writer waiting to be discovered. For examples many artists and musicians gain their inspiration from a person, who they may call their “muse.” Reading her thought process introduced me to a new, female interpretation of the word “muse,” which I will now consider as I read through the anthology.