Woman’s Wit: Popular Culture’s Animadversions on Women and Expressions of Female Intelligence in Magazine Literature, 1730-1805

A collection of prose and verse presenting some of the seldom-heard voices of women in 18th-century British periodicals (along with a few drawn from American periodicals). Selections are organized into four the education of young women, models for their education and conduct, and young ladies’ cultural and domestic identities; female parliaments and societies; poetical correspondents; and choice poems. Some pricelessly quaint works are included in this “The Art of Coquetry. By Mrs. Charlotte Lenox,” “A Female Oddity,” and “The Husband,” a kind of poetic 18th- century personals ad in verse form. Additionally, it contains some early writings on the injustices of life from a female “On Marriage as Prostitution” and “Woman’s Hard Fate. By a Lady.” Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)