Publishing Women's Life Stories in France, 1647-1720 - From Voice to Print

Elizabeth Goldsmith here examines how French women in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries first came to publish their private life stories; in doing so, she explores what the writers have to say about why they decide to write about themselves, what they choose to write, how they get their stories circulated and printed, and what they do to defend themselves against the threat to personal reputation and credibility that was implied by such public self-exposure. Goldsmith scrutinizes the autobiographical writing of six women, considering the different forms that the life writing of these women took: autobiographies; letter correspondences (which in four of the six cases have never before been published); trial transcripts; testimonials published as part of other authors' works; and written self-portraits that were circulated among friends. Drawing on the work of Michel de Certeau on voice and communities of readers in the 17th century, as well as the work of Roger Chartier and other historians of the book and print culture, Goldsmith retraces the complicated networks of human interaction that underlie these early autobiographies and their publication history.

List of contents

Contents: Introduction; Discovering New Worlds: Marie de l' Incarnation and the Process of Autobiography; Public Sanctity and Private Writing: The Autobiography of Jeanne des Anges; Silent Communications: The Life and Letters of Jeanne Guyon; Scripting Errant Lives: The Memoirs of Hortense and Marie Mancini; Overheard Conversations: Madame de Villedieu's Autobiographical Fictions; Conclusion; Index.

About the author

Elizabeth C. Goldsmith

Summary

The author examines the presentation and reception of early modern women's voices as they followed an uncharted pasage into print. In each instance, the writer's decision to launch her story initiates a complex series of responses from different readers.

Product details

• Authors: Elizabeth C. Goldsmith, Goldsmith Elizabeth C.
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.05.2001
• EAN: 9780754603702
• ISBN: 978-0-7546-0370-2
• No. of pages: 184
• Weight: 362 g
• Series: Women and Gender in the Early Modern World
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; French, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Women's Studies, LITERARY CRITICISM / European / French, LITERARY CRITICISM / Women Authors, LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / General, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, 17th century, c 1600 to c 1699, Gender studies: women, Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800, Gender studies: women and girls, Literary studies: c 1600 to c 1800, C 1600 To C 1700, C 1700 To C 1800