We are ourselves, period. We cannot be otherwise. We are creatures of our time, our genes, our environments, and our educations. One doesn't have to be diminished to allow the other her greatness. It IS curious how women novelists are constantly pitted against each other, but I haven't run across any arguments on the Web latel where Saul Bellow fans are ready to stone Philip Roth's.
Women being pitted against each other seems to be one of society's favorite topics.
The movies are full of such rivalries, as is much literature. So I hate to see the trend continue here at the Spring, where we're all far too enlightened and uplifted by the discourse to fall into stereotyping. She's absolutely one of my favorite writers. I also love the Brontes. I also love John Updike, Solzhenitsyn, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, homas Mallory, Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, Joan Didion, Saul Bellow, etc.