Before the 19th century most women did not have access to education and female scholars were considered oddities; hence, male authors dominated the arena of American literature. Circumstances have certainly changed: Women have come a long way since then and are making significant literary contributions as storytellers, poets and journalists across the U.S. and right here in Kentucky.
To help keep this literary equality movement in motion, the first Kentucky Women’s Book Festival will be held Sept. 22-23 at Spalding University. The event, which is free and open to the public (even to those without a set of ovaries), will highlight women writers with Kentucky connections. The festival seeks to motivate more women to put words on the page and read the works of female authors.
Sena Jeter Naslund 
Bell Hooks 
Sallie Bingham
It is the brainchild of Carridder M. Jones, director of the organization Women Who Write and a playwright who’s been produced by Actors Theatre of Louisville, the University of Louisville Theatre and the Kentucky Center’s MeX Theater. Inspired by similar events in other cities, Jones was determined to establish a Louisville version. "I wanted a festival that would not only showcase the strength of women writers from Kentucky, but also encourage others to write and share their gifts," says Jones.
A slew of local talent is scheduled for panel discussions, presentations and workshops on a diverse set of topics ranging from memoir writing to the joys and perils of freelancing. One workshop, entitled "Name Your Poison," brings together a panel of mystery writers to share their secrets for plotting fictional crimes.
Kentucky poet laureate and author of Ahab’s Wife, Sena Jeter Naslund, will open the festivities with a lecture on "Creating Strong Women." Another of the speakers will be feminist scholar bell hooks (she uses lower-case letters as a way to emphasize that the content of her work is more important than her name). Hooks has published over 30 books. Her first major work, Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism, is cited as a major influence on modern feminist thought. Also on the bill is a special ticketed luncheon event ($25 per person) with novelist and playwright Sallie Bingham. The festival is sponsored by Women Who Write, Spalding University’s brief-residency writing program and the Women’s Center at the University of Louisville. For more information visit www.kwbf.info or call 592-7822.
