Women Between: Construction of Self in the Work of Sharon Butala, Aganetha Dyck, Mary Meigs and Mary Pratt

by Verna Reid

Overview

In Women Between, Verna Reid explores the evolving perceptions of “self” in the work of four Canadian women—visual artists Aganetha Dyck and Mary Pratt, and writers Sharon Butala and Mary Meigs. All four came into prominence in middle age, doing their most significant work in their mature years.

They, along with the author, are members of a transitional generation of women, occupying the space between the traditional world of their mothers and the postmodern world of their daughters. The multiple roles they have played are reflected in the strong autobiographical content present in their work.

Applying feminist and autobiographical theory, Reid considers the work of Butala, Dyck, Meigs, and Pratt in light of the influences that have shaped their senses of identity. As a contemporary of her subjects, Reid infuses her interviews with the four women with sensitivity and immediacy, lending a unique perspective to the exploration of their lives and work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781552382424
Publisher:	University of Calgary Press
Publication date:	09/04/2008
Pages:	380
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Verna Reid, an academic, teacher, and artist, was born in 1928. Like her subjects, she is part of the generation of “women between.” This book is based on the doctoral dissertation she completed at the age of seventy-five.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Reid writes and argues with such authority and intimacy that her readers will necessarily feel eager to join her and Butala, Dyck, Meigs, and Pratt at this communal table.

—Elizabeth Podnieks, University of Toronto