Author Gay Talese stirredthe ireof the Internet on Saturday when he reportedly said at a Boston writing conference that he couldn’t name a single woman writer who inspired him and influenced his work as a journalist.
(There’s been plenty of parsing his exact words, plus a clarification; Talese did eventually tell a Boston Globe reporter several women novelists he read as a child and women journalists he now admires.)
Readers and writers all over the globe, including Neil Gaiman, responded en masse.
If you can't think of any good female writers, maybe you just don't like books? Some suggestions: #GayTalese pic.twitter.com/wlKzIHYFfs
— Alie Ward (@alieward) April 2, 2016
We wanted to add a few more: women journalists, historic and current, all tremendously accomplished. It’s a long list, and there’s a lot more where it came from.
- Jill Abramson
- Christiane Amanpour
- Katherine Boo
- Kim Barker
- Gail Collins
- Mona Eltahawy
- Sheri Fink
- Charlayne Hunter-Gault
- Brooke Gladstone
- Michelle Goldberg
- Gwen Ifill
- Molly Ivins
- Margo Jefferson
- Naomi Klein
- Elizabeth Kolbert
- Brooke Kroeger
- Jill Leovy
- Jill Lepore
- Louisa Lim
- Larissa MacFarquhar
- Rachel Maddow
- Jane Mayer
- Mary McGrory
- Michele Norris
- M.R. O’Connor
- Susan Orlean
- Melissa Harris Perry
- Lynn Povich
- Joy-Ann Reid
- Dale Russakoff
- Ellen Schultz
- Asne Seierstad
- Susan Stamberg
- Gloria Steinem
- Katrina vanden Heuvel
- Sarah Vowell
- Marjorie Williams
- Frances Wright
- Sheryl WuDunn
Add your favorites in the comments below!
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Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We’d love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!
COMMENTS
Women writer
Submitted by Theresa (not verified) on April 8, 2016 – 7:36pm
Women writer
Submitted by Theresa (not verified) on April 8, 2016 – 7:36pm
Women authors
Submitted by Dianna Jarnet (not verified) on April 9, 2016 – 8:32am
women journalist
Submitted by nebout france (not verified) on April 9, 2016 – 2:17pm
thanks
Submitted by Gwen Glazer on April 11, 2016 – 2:28pm
Women journalists we admire
Submitted by Jack El-Hai (not verified) on April 10, 2016 – 1:03am
Gay Talese
Submitted by Bill Dedman (not verified)on April 10, 2016 – 12:34pm
updated!
Submitted by Gwen Glazer on April 11, 2016 – 2:22pm
Women Writers
Submitted by Lynne S. Mazza (not verified) on April 19, 2016 – 5:12pm
Women Writers
Submitted by Lynne S. Mazza (not verified) on April 19, 2016 – 5:12pm
another journalist to add
Submitted by Katharine (not verified) on August 7, 2017 – 7:30pm
more journalists
Submitted by Megan (not verified) on August 9, 2017 – 11:43am