Brooklynbased kate bolick born 1972 is the author of new york times bestseller spinster. Bolick takes us deep into her own story as a single woman, and explores the lives of her awakeners. Like many engrossing books, spinster is first and foremost a product of the authors longterm obsession. As a 40something confirmed spinster, im a member of your target audience. The title spinster has been embraced by feminists like sheila jeffreys, whose book the spinster and her enemies 1985 defines spinsters simply as women who have chosen to reject sexual relationships with men.
I was going to marry the guy that i dated from the age of 17 to the age of 25. Whom to marry, and when will it happen these two questions define every womans existence. Using her own experiences as a starting point, journalist and cultural critic kate bolick invites us into her carefully. Making a life of ones own kindle edition published april 21st 2015 by broadway books reprint edition, kindle edition, 354 pages. Using her own experiences as a starting point, journalist and cultural critic kate bolick invites us into her carefully considered. Making a life of ones own by kate bolick goodreads. In conversation with scott stossel, bolick discussed her new book.
Perhaps the most recognizable of bolicks awakeners is edith wharton, who won the pulitzer prize for her 1920 novel the age of innocence. Janet malcolm, author of the journalist and the murderer spinster is a triumph, a provocative and moving exploration of what it means for a woman to chart her own course. This provocative pronouncement is how kate bolick opens her combination memoir spinster, which is in large part an attempt to imagine the outcomes if women were to refuse to define themselves in terms of those two questions in short, to imagine a different narrative for the shape of their lives. In spinster, a book that sprang from her popular 2011 atlantic essay, bolick is taking back the sword, polishing it and rebranding it as shorthand for the pleasures of being unattached. A single woman considers her life, the lives of the bold single ladies who have gone before her, and the long arc of slowly changing attitudes towards women provided by publisher. Each of bolick s awakeners marry at some point in their lives, yet bolick maintains that they are spinsters.
She is also a contributing editor for the atlantic, and host of touchstones at the mount, an annual literary interview series at edith whartons country estate in the berkshires. Kate bolick, author of spinster writer kate bolick says that, growing up, she just assumed shed get married some day but it hasnt happened. Joanna rakoff, author of my salinger year and a fortunate age today, women throughout the world have embarked on an unprecedented experiment in solo living, and no one has chronicled the experience with the candor, insight, and intelligence of kate bolick. Spinster author kate bolick found inspiration to live. So begins spinster, a revelatory and slyly erudite look at the pleasures and possibilities. Willy somma in 2011, kate bolick touched off a heated debate with her confessional atlantic article all the single ladies. I was looking forward to reading spinster long before i had a copy in my hands. Why having an affair was the best mistake i ever made. Using her own experiences as a starting point, journalist and cultural critic kate bolick invites us into her carefully considered, passionately lived life, weaving together the past and. So begins spinster, a revelatory and slyly erudite look at the pleasures and possibilities of remaining single. Spinster book calgary public library bibliocommons. Making a life of ones own by kate bolick at indigo.
Bolick takes us deep into her own story as a single woman, and explores the lives of her. With a record number of american women now unmarried more than 50 percent kate bolick offers a fresh look at going solo in spinster. When kate bolick first came across the essayist maeve brennan, she was happily living with her boyfriend in boston. All the single ladies arent so privileged the nation. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Writing with a bold vision and in incandescent prose, bolick gives us a. She decided not to marry at age twentyone, but ended up married in 1884.
Bolick writes that it wasnt until researching this book that she truly fell in love with the word spinster. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In the first 100 pages of spinster, kate bolick writes, ive always known that a book will find you when you need to be found and she couldnt be more right. Spinster is a triumph, a provocative and moving exploration of what it means for a woman to chart her own course. Writing with a bold vision and in incandescent prose, bolick gives us a users guide to going soloand a gorgeous. Spinster book king county library system bibliocommons. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading spinster. Spinster introduces a cast of pioneering women from the last century whose. When bolick finally acts on her spinster wish and breaks up with her boyfriend at age 28, she tells. Spinster is part memoir, part social history, part adventure story, all riveting. Spinster author kate bolick found inspiration to live life on her.
Making a life of ones own, where bolick uses her personal experiences to explore why she, and more than 100 million. And with that begins kate bolick s highly informative, compelling, and entertaining defense against the dominating cultural viewpoint against single women a. Ultimately, what do you think makes someone a spinster. Using her own experiences as a starting point, journalist and cultural critic kate bolick. In spinster, her new book on the single life, kate bolick, possessed of all three, instead describes unmarried existence as one of long conversations, hard work, electric trysts, awkward dates and. Author interview kate bolick, author of spinster bookpage. What do you imagine men, or married women, learning from your book. Spinster author kate bolick found inspiration to live life on her own terms from 5 famous female authors. Spinster book chicago public library bibliocommons. Malcolm gladwell, author of david and goliath kate bolick s spinster will take your breath away. Kate bolicks book, spinster, is a coming of age memoir about a white, privileged young woman born in 1972 who has yet to lead a particularly remarkable or interesting life distinct from the times she lives in, seeking permission to be creative. And with that begins kate bolicks highly informative, compelling, and entertaining defense against the dominating cultural viewpoint against single women a. Malcolm gladwell, author of david and goliath kate bolicks spinster will take your breath away.
Stemming from bolicks fantastic atlantic cover story, all the single ladies,spinster expands on that initial work, in a beautiful piece of cultural history that should prove inspiring and thoughtprovoking for women of all ages. What if a girl grew up like a boy, with marriage an abstract, someday thought, a thing to think about when she became an adult, a thing she could do, or not do, depending. A bold, original, moving book that will inspire fanatical devotion and ignite debate. Overall, there is a disconnect between title and content. Bolicks book weaves together strands of her own life with those of five women she calls her awakeners, but its an uneasy match. How kate bolick got off the conveyor belt and embraced.
Yet bolick saw herself in maeve, a woman who lived alone for most of her life without settling into a relationship or a. How kate bolick got off the conveyor belt and embraced spinsterism. In her 2015 book, spinster, making a life of ones own, kate bolick has written, to me, the spinster is selfreliant and inscrutable. In spinster, kate bolick explores making a life of her own. I cant recall the last time a first book came with such lavish advance praise as kate bolicks spinster and from such big names, too. Making a life of ones own is one part autobiography and one part history lesson. Spinster, kate bolick shop online for books in new zealand. In spinster, her new book on the single life, kate bolick, possessed of all three, instead describes unmarried existence as one of long conversations, hard. The questions above are taken from the full reading guide produced by crown publishers. Why having an affair was the best mistake kate bolick ever. Writing with a bold vision and in incandescent prose, bolick gives us a users guide to going solo and a gorgeous. Kate bolick enjoys living single and so did the five writers whose stories she tells. One hundred and twentythree years later, kate bolicks new book, spinster. Kate bolick posed this question in her 2011 cover story for.
Spinster ebook the seattle public library bibliocommons. Making a life of ones own crown 2015, kate bolicks adult memoir should be read by all women, but in particular, by young adult women. By the end of her book, bolick has yet another devoted boyfriend but still sounds a little. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders.
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