What’s in a Name: Women in Literature
By Jackie Alvarez-Hernandez, written October 2022
When we think about women in literature, famous names come to mind. The Brontë Sisters. Mary Shelley. Toni Morrison. Emily Dickinson. Zora Neale Huston.
We know them by their names today, but these women (and many more) had their own struggles when it came to publishing their work. Sometimes, the only way to get their work published and taken seriously was to take on a new name—a pen name that leaned more masculine or androgynous, of course.
Stephen Smith, in his book An Inkwell of Pen Names (2006), was able to find a lot of these pseudonyms and the history behind them. For instance, the Brontë Sisters—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë—became the Bell Brothers when they first published their work. Charlotte became “Currer Bell,” Emily became “Ellis Bell,” and Anne was “Acton Bell.” Their first stories—Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Agnes Grey, respectively—were originally published under these male pseudonyms.
According to Charlotte, in the introduction she wrote for Wuthering Heights, they did it because they did not want to face prejudice for having written pieces that were not “female-like.” They did not want their words used as weapons against them by critics of the time. They also did not want to receive praise for the mere fact that they were women writing, as it would not be “true praise.”
(What’s funny is that the only reason the ruse was discovered was because, at that time, the critics assumed all the novels written by the sisters were by Charlotte or Currer Bell. That is, they thought the other two “brothers” didn’t exist. When a publisher wished to publish a work of Anne’s or Acton’s in the United States under Charlotte’s pen name, the two chose to head to the publisher’s office in person to clear the matter. In her account of the meeting, Charlotte claims she laughed at his expression when he realized who she was.)
Another famous writer who used a masculine pen name, Louisa May Alcott, did so whenever she wrote stories revolving around darker and more serious themes, under the name of A.M. Bernard, though sometimes she also wrote them anonymously.
Meanwhile, Louisa saved her real name for her children’s and young adult books. Since the discovery of this occurred after her lifetime, we can only assume her reason for doing so: to ensure no one would associate her, a family-friendly writer, with works that were considered sensational for society back then—something unfit for women.
The works under the A.M. Bernard pen name include a short story titled “Pauline’s Passion and Punishment,” which is a psychological thriller that explores the roles of men and women in society, and Behind a Mask, or A Woman’s Power, a tale about a governess who isn’t what she claims to be. It also includes short stories such as “Countess Vororoff” and “Dr. Dorn’s Revenge” that were published in Lady’s Magazine, edited by Henry Carter, who also went by a pen name—Frank Leslie—at the time.
This trend of women writers having to take on a new name—even a unisex one—to have their work judged without bias is something that continues even to the current day.
Nora Roberts, famed for her romance novels, began writing the In Death series in 1995 under the pen name J.D. Robb. As stated on the author’s website, Roberts was not only “ready for a writing challenge” but also eager to reach a new audience with her futuristic crime series. With a new genre, she felt a need to switch the name out. Eventually, she revealed the truth and to this day continues to write the series under the pen name.
The VIDA Count, which is an annual report that complies data from publications, journals, and press outlets regarding the diversity of the work they publish and review, revealed that in 2019, only three out of 15 of the largest publications had published at least 50% or more of women and nonbinary writers (which were Tin House, The New York Times Book Review, and Poetry Magazine.). Meanwhile, publications such as Harper’s Magazine, The Nation, and The Atlantic remained low, not reaching beyond 40%.
The VIDA Count also showed only 18 of the 24 literary magazines they reviewed had published at least 50% or more of writing by women and nonbinary authors.
So, what does this all mean, then?
It means a lot of what past women writers worried about during their time—bias, prejudice, and unwarranted criticism—are something women writers still worry about today. It means that even now, we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to getting words written by a woman seen by the world.
But every day, more women come forward, unafraid to write what they want, in the form they want, with the name they want. And that’s what makes Yellow Arrow Publishing’s mission even more important. Because with every publication we make, another woman gets to tell her story, without worrying about being silenced.
So hopefully, as time goes on, and more women get published, the less we’ll need to worry over the influence of a name.
Jaqueline Alvarez-Hernandez (or just Jackie) (she/her) was born and raised in Frederick, Maryland, and just graduated from Loyola University Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in writing. A fan of stories whether on the page or on the movie screen, she hopes to start a career in book publishing that will allow her to explore any and all types of writing. She loves to read and write short stories in both fantasy and horror genres. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and playing video games with her fiance. You can find her on Facebook @jackie.alvarezhernandez.77 or on Instagram @honestlytrue16.
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