Inventing Herself

Inventing Herself is an account of women, from the 18th century to the present, who lived life on a grand scale. Elaine Showalter uncovers the lives of feminist intellectuals, focusing on figures ranging from Mary Wollstoncraft to Camille Paglia, her sources as diverse as A Vindication of the Rights of Women and Scream 2. She also scrutinizes the fragmenting feminism of the nineties - neo-conservative backlash, Paglia whiplash, Wolfian eyelash - and addresses the dreams and aspirations of women who do not see themselves as part of the feminist movement. In conclusion, she shows how the intellectual standard for modern feminists has been compromised by the spectre of celebrity.