There is an interesting essay in the New York Times by Meg Wolitzer today regarding an apparent disparity between men and women authors of literary fiction.
Ms. Wolitzer discusses how female literary authors are often relegated to the "Women's Fiction" section which is a category often associated with "chick lit" and romance novels. She also discusses how the dust covers often differ between books written by men and those written by women.
So, why the difference? Marketing? If so, that's idiotic. What marketer would alienate an entire audience of potential readers?
In the 21st century, is there still a perceived "difference" between the sexes? Given to political environment of recent years, I would answer that with a resounding, yes! Racism is still alive and thriving, and homophobia is at the forefront of equality debates. It's not hard to make the jump to see that the "battle of the sexes" is still raging.
There is hope with the younger generations. We do see racism and homophobia and other inequalities disappearing almost exponentially with each successive generation. I have to believe that with each passing year we come to live in a "more just world".
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