[ Originally published as an Op-Ed on VIDA Women in the Literary Arts: Report from the Field ]

There are so many very important articles on the victimization of women in society.  And this is not one of them. Nope. This is an altogether different take—this is about when the male writer feels threatened by the empowered female writer.  Is it because he does not understand her?  Is it because she does not fit his mold of the iconic “writer” model, complete with a tweed jacket and dark-rimmed glasses, and —of course—a penchant for craft beer?  It could be one of many reasons, including the simultaneous exoticizing and diminution of women who write.

Being a female and a writer has its interesting twists (I purposely am not saying “woman writer” or “female writer” because we rarely make the distinction “man writer” or “male writer”).  Women need to have their voices heard…