Sharp: The Women Who Made an Art of Having an Opinion

Sharp examines the lives and work of ten influential female writers and critics of the twentieth century, including Dorothy Parker, Rebecca West, Hannah Arendt, Mary McCarthy, Susan Sontag, and Joan Didion. The book traces how these women carved out spaces for themselves in the male-dominated intellectual circles of their time. Each chapter focuses on one writer while drawing connections between their relationships, shared experiences, and conflicts with one another. Through extensive research and original analysis, Dean reconstructs their professional trajectories and personal struggles against the backdrop of significant cultural and political shifts. Through individual portraits and interwoven narratives, the book documents how these writers developed their distinctive voices and confronted the gendered expectations of their era. The work relies on letters, essays, criticism and other primary sources to construct a group biography of women who shaped American intellectual life. The book raises questions about the price of success for women in the public sphere and explores the complex intersection of gender, power, and literary achievement in the twentieth century. Dean's work reveals patterns in how female intellectuals navigate professional recognition while maintaining their independence and critical edge.

Readers found this collective biography illuminating but uneven in its treatment of the 10 featured writers. Many appreciated Dean's focus on lesser-known aspects of these women's lives and their intellectual connections to each other. Likes: - Clear writing style and thorough research - Inclusion of writers' correspondence and personal relationships - Strong portraits of Dorothy Parker and Mary McCarthy Dislikes: - Superficial coverage of some subjects, particularly Susan Sontag - Lack of clear thesis connecting the writers - Jumps between subjects without smooth transitions - Some found the tone academic and dry Several readers noted they discovered new authors through the book but wanted more analysis of their actual writing. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 3.9/5 (115 ratings) NY Times readers gave positive reviews, with one calling it "a fascinating look at how these women carved out space in male-dominated intellectual circles." Common suggestion: Better suited for readers already familiar with the featured writers.

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The World of Dorothy Parker by Arthur Kinney The cultural impact and literary life of Dorothy Parker unfolds through letters, criticism, and her work at The New Yorker.

Fierce Attachments by Vivian Gornick The memoir tracks the intellectual awakening of a female writer in mid-century New York alongside her relationships with other literary women.

The Other Jewish Question by Lisa Silverman The examination of Jewish women writers and intellectuals in interwar Vienna reveals their influence on modernist culture and feminist thought.

Literary Life: A Second Memoir by Larry McMurtry The book chronicles the American literary scene of the 1960s and 1970s through encounters with female writers and critics who shaped the era.

🔹 Despite being acclaimed writers and critics, many of the women profiled in the book (including Dorothy Parker, Rebecca West, and Mary McCarthy) faced significant financial struggles throughout their careers and had to supplement their income with commercial writing and journalistic work. 🔹 Michelle Dean spent over five years researching and writing "Sharp," conducting extensive archival research at more than fifteen institutions across multiple countries. 🔹 Several of the women featured in the book had complex relationships with one another - Hannah Arendt and Mary McCarthy were close friends, while Dorothy Parker and Lillian Hellman had a notorious falling out that lasted decades. 🔹 The book's subjects often faced harsh criticism specifically because they were women expressing strong opinions - Susan Sontag was once described by Norman Mailer as "a publicity-mad woman who yearns to be regarded as a genius." 🔹 Author Michelle Dean shares a connection with her subjects - like many of them, she started her career as a lawyer before transitioning to writing and cultural criticism.