Playing Smart
New York Women Writers and Modern Magazine Culture
By Catherine Keyser | Publisher: Rutgers University Press
About the book
Smart women, sophisticated ladies, savvy writers . . . Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Parker, Anita Loos, Lois Long, Jessie Fauset, Dawn Powell, Mary McCarthy, and others imagined New York as a place where they could claim professional status, define urban independence, and shrug off confining feminine roles. It might be said that during the 1920s and 1930s these literary artists painted the town red on the pages of magazines like Vanity Fair and the New Yorker. Playing Smart, Catherine Keyser's homage to their literary genius, is a captivating celebration of their causes and careers.
Through humor writing, this \"smart set\" expressed both sides of the story-promoting their urbanity and wit while using irony and caricature to challenge feminine stereotypes. Their fiction raised questions about what it meant to be a woman in the public eye, how gender roles would change because men and women were working together, and how the growth of the magazine industry would affect women's relationships to their bodies and minds. Keyser provides a refreshing and informative chronicle, saluting the value of being \"smart\" as incisive and innovative humor showed off the wit and talent of women writers and satirized the fantasy world created by magazines.
Editions of Playing Smart
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780813547862
- PDF
- ISBN 9780813551111
Read an Excerpt
Smart women, sophisticated ladies, savvy writers . . . Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Parker, Anita Loos, Lois Long, Jessie Fauset, Dawn Powell, Mary McCarthy, and others imagined New York as a place where they could claim professional status, define urban independence, and shrug off confining feminine roles. It might be said that during the 1920s and 1930s these literary artists painted the town red on the pages of magazines like Vanity Fair and the New Yorker. Playing Smart, Catherine Keyser's homage to their literary genius, is a captivating celebration of their causes and careers.
Through humor writing, this \"smart set\" expressed both sides of the story-promoting their urbanity and wit while using irony and caricature to challenge feminine stereotypes. Their fiction raised questions about what it meant to be a woman in the public eye, how gender roles would change because men and women were working together, and how the growth of the magazine industry would affect women's relationships to their bodies and minds. Keyser provides a refreshing and informative chronicle, saluting the value of being \"smart\" as incisive and innovative humor showed off the wit and talent of women writers and satirized the fantasy world created by magazines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Playing Smart about?
Smart women, sophisticated ladies, savvy writers . . . Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Parker, Anita Loos, Lois Long, Jessie Fauset, Dawn Powell, Mary McCarthy, and others imagined New York as a place where they could claim professional status, define urban independence, and shrug off confining feminine roles. It might be said that during the 1920s and 1930s these literary artists painted the town red on the pages of magazines like Vanity Fair and the New Yorker. Playing Smart, Catherine Keyser's homage to their literary genius, is a captivating celebration of their causes and careers.
Through humor writing, this \"smart set\" expressed both sides of the story-promoting their urbanity and wit while using irony and caricature to challenge feminine stereotypes. Their fiction raised questions about what it meant to be a woman in the public eye, how gender roles would change because men and women were working together, and how the growth of the magazine industry would affect women's relationships to their bodies and minds. Keyser provides a refreshing and informative chronicle, saluting the value of being \"smart\" as incisive and innovative humor showed off the wit and talent of women writers and satirized the fantasy world created by magazines.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Playing Smart?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Literature: history and criticism
Where can I read a sample of Playing Smart?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780813547862
Is Playing Smart part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series The American Literatures Initiative
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Playing Smart?
Catherine Keyser
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Playing Smart is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780813547862) and pdf(ISBN 9780813551111)
Where can I buy Playing Smart online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Playing Smart from below
Where can I buy Playing Smart?