Sundays at 4 p.m., starting March 7
Streaming on YouTube and Facebook Live!
A Series of Short Fiction Read by Ann Haddad
In celebration of Women’s History Month, join us for a series of readings of 19th century short stories written by American women authors. Compiled and read by Museum Historian Ann Haddad, these stories reveal the harsh realities of women’s lives in a male-dominated world, both inside the home and in society at large.
These “women who dared” defied convention by invading the traditionally masculine domain of literature – and they were successful, albeit treated with disdain. In 1855, Nathanial Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, “America is now wholly given over to a damned mob of scribbling women, and I should have no chance of success while the public is occupied with their trash.”
Despite the popularity of their work, which was published in literary annuals, gift books, and women’s magazines like Godey’s Lady’s Book, they were largely ignored by literary critics until the end of the 20th century. We are delighted to share their remarkable stories and conclude the series with a panel discussion and Q&A with literary and feminist scholar Elaine Showalter, Professor Emeritus, Princeton University.
Tune in at the Museum’s Facebook and YouTube pages!
Streaming Live, Sundays at 4 p.m.
March 7: “The Angel Over the Right Shoulder” (1852) by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
March 14: “The Little Mendicants” (1846) by Catharine Maria Sedgwick
March 21: “The Two Offers” (1852) by Frances Harper
March 28: “My Contraband” (1863) by Louisa May Alcott
April 4: “The Storm” (1898) and “The Story of an Hour” (1894) by Kate Chopin
April 11: “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Discussion and Q&A with Elaine Showalter
Thursday, April 8, 6 p.m.
Register at www.merchantshouse.org/calendar.