Sunday, April 13, 2008

Women: Stick to Your Knitting

While Tim Lott cries into his milk about perceived female hegemony in our literary culture, this week a male magazine staffer declines an offer of a short story of mine by addressing me as 'Mrs Baines.'

Mr Baines was unavailable to comment on behalf of his wife since he doesn't exist any more than she does, but Ms Baines was feeling pretty put out by the thought of some toffee-nosed male Oxford grad (who no doubt believes himself done down by the women in publishing) deciding, like one of the Telegraph commenters, that she ought to go back to her knitting like a good married woman. (See, two can play at that stereotyping game.)

3 comments:

Vanessa Gebbie said...

Ha!

Dear Ms Baines

At least you got a reply, for which you must genuflect and be thankful.

I have subbed several times to a highly respected publication peopled by the intelligentsia, and have not found them intelligent enough to send rejections, in either email or paper or pigeon post format.

yours, tail wagging feebly,

Vanessa
xx

Elizabeth Baines said...

Dear Ms Gebbie,

Ah yes! Even worse I guess than having them think they know you when they don't, is needing them to think they know you before they'll even read you...

Yours blood-spittingly,

E x

Anonymous said...

Good lord, is Timmy Lott still bitching up a storm? Why doesn't someone spank him and send him to bed.

Beau in Seattle