Notable American Women Writers: A Retrospective of Girls Who Became Famous Literalists of the Imagination

• In Event: Roundtable Session 29
  In Roundtable Session: Biographical Accounts of Notable Women: Early Social, Cultural, and Environmental Factors

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to re-examine the early conditions that are associated with the adult success of notable twentieth century American women writers by an historical analysis of multiple childhood learning contexts including psychological, social, school, and family contexts. The study re-examines these factors in the context of literacy development, cognitive functioning, and the pedagogical orientation of literacy acquisition of 38 authors. The sample was derived from earlier work on notable women by Sicherman & Green (1980) who compiled biographies of 442 notable American women in over 50 fields of accomplishment.
The methodology is based on that used by Walberg, Tsai, Weinstein, Gabriel, Rasher, Rosecrans, Rovai, Ide, Trujillo & Vukosavich (1981) and Wallace & Walberg (1987) who studied the childhoods of eminent essayists and others of history. Based on Walberg’s productivity model (1984), the investigator re-examined the previously rated multiple traits and contexts representing cognitive, affective, familial, and educational aspects of the sample. The results of chi-square tests of significance focus on the degree of persistence of the traits and contexts and suggest that while intelligence is a component in the success of notable women, environmental contexts exert a substantial influence.
Future writers had broader interests and were concentrated, prodigious readers who read more books than other notable women. Prospective writers were girls who were fluid, drew analogies, and exhibited early skill as writers. Writers who won accolades for childhood publications were Pearl Buck, Edna Ferber, and Sylvia Plath. Girls who became famous writers were more apt to question assumptions and conventions than were others. Educators and parents can benefit from knowledge of the contexts and conditions within which excellent writing is fostered in female children.

Author

• Trudy Wallace