A Narrative Compass: Stories That Guide Women S Lives (U of Illinois Press, 2009) Is Edited

A Narrative Compass: Stories That Guide Women’s Lives (U of Illinois Press, 2009) is edited by Betsy Hearne and Roberta SeelingerTrites. ISBN: 978-0-252-07611-4 $25 (paperback)

Each of us has a narrative compass, a story that has guided our lifework. In this extraordinary collection, women scholars from a variety of disciplines identify and examine the stories that have inspired them, haunted them, and shaped their research, from Little House on the Prairie to Little Women, from the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to Nancy Drew, Mary Jane, and even the Chinese memoir Jottings from the Transcendant's Abode at Mt. Youtai.Telling the "story of her story" leads each of the essayists to insights about her own approach to studying narratives and to a deeper, often surprising, understanding of the power of imagination.

Contributors are Deyonne Bryant, Minjie Chen, Cindy L. Christiansen, Beverly Lyon Clark, Karen Coats, Wendy Doniger, Bonnie Glass-Coffin, Betsy Hearne, Joanna Hearne, Ann Hendricks, Rania Huntington, Christine A. Jenkins, Kimberly J. Lau, Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, Maria Tatar, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, Roberta SeelingerTrites, Claudia Quintero Ulloa, and Ofelia Zepeda.

"Beautifully written, exquisite in conception, and full of substance."--Shirley Brice Heath, author of Ways with Words: Language, Life, and Work in Communities and Classrooms
"Never before have I read such insightful and unique accounts about the power of books in determining the paths that we take in our lives. These extraordinary stories are counter-narratives to the dominant male discourse of academia, revealing how academia has benefited from stories that it has sought to exclude."--Jack Zipes, author of Why Fairy Tales Stick: The Evolution and Relevance of a Genre
"This compelling and memorable collection is impressive in the range of works discussed, the diversity of voices and disciplinary perspectives, the depth of autobiograhical exploration and reflection, and the lucidity and thoughtfulness of the essays."--Jan Zlotnik Schmidt, editor of Women/Writing/Teaching

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