ZOOM: Golden Girls: Some Essential California Women Writers   

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

Many significant American women writers, some well-known and some less familiar, were raised in California or chose to make their home here as adults—or both. Some, like Joan Didion and Maxine Hong Kingston, make the landscape and culture of the Golden State central to their narratives, while others, like Ursula K. LeGuin and U.S. poet laureate Ada Limón tap their California roots in more subtle ways. In this literary discussion class, we will explore the lives and work of twelve women writers from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Participants will read selections prior to each class meeting, provided by the instructor as electronic handouts or links, then engage in lively dialogues about these women’s work and their connections to the state we call home.

1. Jaundice-Eyed Observers: Joan Didion – Eve Babitz

2. Crossing Genres: Ursula K. Le Guin – M.F.K. Fisher

3. Chinese Roots: Maxine Hong Kingston – Amy Tan

4. The Black Experience: Wanda Coleman – Octavia Butler

5. Latina Voices: Helena Maria Viramontes and Ada Limón 

6. Mid-Century Storytellers: Alice Adams – Carolyn See