EANNIE PROULX may have been nominated for the women only Orange prize, but I'm glad to see she has no time for the kind of women's fiction that deliberately obliterates men from its concerns.
Writing in the Observer, she says: "I am often asked (always by a woman): `Why don't you write about women?' I do write about women, but also about men, and there, apparently, is the rub.
The questioners, she feels, seem to be saying: "Why don't you write exclusively about women, their sensitivity and decency and nurturing capabilities, their unjust treatment by men and relegation to inferior status by the political, cultural and aesthetic power structures?"
However, adopting this approach, she argues, results not in the opening of women's imaginations, but in "a constriction of interest, self built corrals of appropriate subject matter". She blames some of this on the write what you know philosophy beloved of creative writing teachers - "a constipated, navel picking approach to the world that does not encourage growth of the imagination, nor interest in dialects and languages, nor appreciation of the idiosyncrasies and behaviour of others, nor refreshing the eye with travel, nor the useful exercise of putting oneself in another's skin."
Anyway, she continues, there are no pure "women's subjects", and those usually named "are intimately and inseparably entwined with the lives of men, and to remove men from the equation is a distortion and reduction of the human condition."
As for the "much vaunted co operative nature of women" and the theme of "the tender mother daughter relationship" - these strike her as "wishful propaganda".
While acknowledging that the differences, both physical and psychological, between men and women are certainly there, she argues that these "seem paltry in comparison to the similarities shared by both sexes, the adult humanness of both men and women and the shared emotional spectrum."
Given that shared experience, she concludes, "what writer, man or woman, can afford to neglect half the population?" I agree, while gloomily recognising, as Ms Proulx does, that there are an awful lot of writers out there making ill earned reputations by pursuing such wilful and blinkered neglect.
THE other day in the Irish Film Centre I talked to a group of American students about contemporary Irish literature. The students, all young women, had just watched the movie of Roddy Doyle's The Snapper, and their reaction, both during the screening and afterwards, was very enthusiastic. Some of them had read the book, too, and they were just as enthused about that.
However, I was intrigued by their questions, which mostly concerned the drinking and smoking lifestyle of the pregnant Sharon. They were plainly worried about the way this was portrayed - not something, even in these health conscious times, that would immediately occur to an Irish audience. Something to do with political correctness, I suppose, though I was pleased when one of the students joined me for a furtive fag a few minutes later.
JOAN KEHOE of the Nas na Riogh bookshop in Naas gently takes me to task for "rarely mentioning" literary events outside Dublin. I wouldn't like to think she is right, but if I'm guilty I'll immediately make amends by pointing out that this very evening at 5.30pm Pulitzer winning Limerick born author Frank McCourt will be reading in Butt Mullins's restaurant in Naas.
Joan is one of the prime movers behind the event, at which supper and wine will be provided for a mere £10.95, and as Frank McCourt is both a fine writer and an interesting and entertaining man, you should make a point of attending if you're in the area.
COURTESY of Poetry Ireland's latest newsletter, I bring you news of some literary competitions. In fact, there are so many of these currently taking place that I have room here only to mention a few.
For instance, South Tipperary Writers' Weekend are offering £500 in prizes in a competition embracing poetry, short stories and one act plays. The closing date is August 29th next, and if you're interested you should contact the South Tipperary Arts Centre at Nelson Street, Clonmel.
The Clough Open Poetry Competition is offering prizes for poems that don't exceed forty lines. The closing date is July 20th, each entry costs £1, and you can write to Clough Writers in Clough, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, or phone 056-51784.
The Fallen Leaves Short Story Competition, judged by Colum McCann and Mary Morrissy and organised by Cork Campus Radio and Cork University Press, closes on August 15th, and you should contact Cork Campus Radio, Level 3, Aras na Mac Leinn, UCC, for information.
As I say, there are lots more such competitions. I'll keep you informed in coming weeks.