Written By Herself: Literary Production by African American Women, 1746-1892

Written By Herself examines African American women's literary works produced between 1746-1892, focusing on both well-known and obscure texts across multiple genres. Foster analyzes letters, poems, narratives, and other written materials to document the emergence of Black women's voices in American literature. The book traces how these writers navigated complex social, political and cultural barriers to publication and readership during slavery and its aftermath. Foster includes detailed historical context about printing, distribution, and reception of texts by African American women during this period. The study features close readings of works by writers like Phillis Wheatley, Harriet Jacobs, and Frances Harper while also highlighting lesser-known authors whose contributions have been overlooked. Foster reconstructs the networks and communities that supported these writers' efforts to reach audiences. This scholarly work reveals how early African American women writers helped establish Black literary traditions and challenged dominant narratives about race, gender and authorship in American culture. Their strategic choices about genre, style and publication methods demonstrate sophisticated engagement with the literary marketplace of their time.

Readers appreciate Foster's detailed research and the way she examines African American women's writing beyond slave narratives. Multiple readers noted the book's focus on literary genres like spiritual autobiographies and domestic novels fills gaps in existing scholarship. Likes: - Inclusion of lesser-known authors and texts - Clear analysis of how these writers worked within and challenged literary conventions - Strong historical context for each writer - Thorough documentation and bibliography Dislikes: - Dense academic writing style makes it less accessible for general readers - Some sections feel repetitive - Limited visual materials and primary source excerpts Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (14 ratings) Amazon: Not enough reviews for rating One academic reviewer on JSTOR praised Foster's "meticulous attention to the material conditions of literary production." A Goodreads reviewer noted it was "invaluable for research but dry for casual reading."

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To Tell a Free Story: The First Century of Afro-American Autobiography, 1760-1865 by William L. Andrews Traces the development of African American autobiographical writing from its origins in the slave narrative through the Civil War.

🖋️ While Frances Smith Foster was researching this book, she discovered several previously unknown 19th-century African American women writers, helping to expand the known literary canon. 📚 The book examines works beyond traditional autobiography and fiction, including spiritual narratives, domestic manuals, and newspaper essays that African American women produced during this period. ✍️ The earliest writer covered in the book, Lucy Terry Prince, composed what is considered the oldest known work of literature by an African American – a poem called "Bars Fight" about a 1746 Indian attack. 📖 Foster's research revealed that many early African American women writers were actively involved in the publishing process, negotiating with publishers and marketing their own works rather than being passive participants. 🎓 The book challenges the common assumption that 19th-century African American women's writing was limited to slave narratives, showing instead a rich variety of genres and themes.