Dictionary of British and American Women Writers 1660-1800

This dictionary, the first of its kind, describes the lives and contributions of almost 500 women writers, seen in the new light of recent scholarship and of a more liberated consciousness. Each entry is intended to entertain as well as to inform. Students and scholars will appreciate plentiful material for sociological study and the tracing of women's genres and themes. All readers will enjoy the rich texture of feminine life and imagination in a period when women first articulated their particular needs. Most important, this much-needed volume provides a strong foundation for further scholarship in the burgeoning field of women's studies.