Review: Women of Our Time by Frederick S. Voss and Women Who Write by Stefan Bollmann

Today, in January Magazine’s art & culture section, contributing editor Cherie Thiessen reviews two books that celebrate the lives and art of women.

Thiessen finds a lot to like in Women of Our Time by Frederick S. Voss:

Women of Our Time ... gives us a sampling of notable women in the 20th century. In addition, we are privileged to see them through the eyes of great portrait photographers and can often chart how women’s roles have changed throughout the years by studying the women themselves: their clothes, their pose, their expressions and their surroundings. We can also get a sense of history from the style of the images themselves.

Thiessen is overall less impressed with Women Who Write by Stefan Bollmann:

I had expected this book would appeal more to me, but a slightly pedantic and petulant tone is set in the foreword, where well published academic, Francine Prose, explores the times when these women wrote, and their challenge in pursuing their love and passion. It’s perhaps a little more strident than we need. We know it’s been a rough ride for women writers, but hey -- we’re there now.

Thiessen’s review of both books is here.