Joanna Russ
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Joanna Russ (February 22, 1937 – April 29, 2011) was an American writer, academic and
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
. She is the author of a number of works of
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
,
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
and
feminist literary criticism Feminist literary criticism is literary criticism informed by feminist theory, or more broadly, by the politics of feminism. It uses the principles and ideology of feminism to critique the language of literature. This school of thought seeks to an ...
such as ''
How to Suppress Women's Writing ''How to Suppress Women's Writing'' is a book by Joanna Russ, published in 1983. Written in the style of a sarcastic and irreverent guidebook, it explains how women are prevented from producing written works, not given credit when such works are pr ...
'', as well as a contemporary novel, ''On Strike Against God'', and one children's book, ''Kittatinny''. She is best known for ''
The Female Man ''The Female Man'' is a feminist science fiction novel by American writer Joanna Russ. It was originally written in 1970 and first published in 1975 by Bantam Books. Russ was an ardent feminist and challenged sexist views during the 1970s with ...
'', a novel combining
utopian fiction Utopian and dystopian fiction are genres of speculative fiction that explore social and political structures. Utopian fiction portrays a setting that agrees with the author's ethos, having various attributes of another reality intended to appeal to ...
and satire, and the story "
When It Changed "When It Changed" is a science fiction short story by American writer Joanna Russ. It was first published in the anthology ''Again, Dangerous Visions''. Synopsis Janet Evason lives on Whileaway, an all-female human colony planet whose inhabitants ...
".


Background

Joanna Russ was born in
The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, New York City, to Evarett I. and Bertha (née Zinner) Russ, both teachers. Her family was Jewish. She began creating works of fiction at a very early age. Over the following years she filled countless notebooks with stories, poems, comics and illustrations, often hand-binding the material with thread. As a senior at William Howard Taft High School, Russ was selected as one of the top ten
Westinghouse Science Talent Search Westinghouse may refer to: Businesses Current companies *Westinghouse Electric Corporation, the company that manages the Westinghouse brand, with licensees: **Westinghouse Electric Company, providing nuclear power-related services **Westinghou ...
winners. She graduated from
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
, where she studied with
Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (russian: link=no, Владимир Владимирович Набоков ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian-American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Bo ...
, in 1957, and received her MFA from the Yale Drama School in 1960. She was briefly married to Albert Amateau. Russ taught at
Queensborough Community College Queensborough Community College (QCC) is a community college in Bayside, Queens, New York. One of seven community colleges within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, Queensborough enrolls more than 12,000 students and more than 7 ...
from 1966-1967, at Cornell from 1967-1972,
SUNY Binghamton The State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton University or SUNY Binghamton) is a public research university with campuses in Binghamton, Vestal, and Johnson City, New York. It is one of the four university centers in the State ...
, from 1972-1975, and at the
University of Colorado, Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado syst ...
, from 1975-1977. In 1977 she started teaching at the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...
. She became a full professor in 1984 and retired in 1991. Russ was awarded a
National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
fellowship in 1974-1975.


Science fiction and other writing

Russ came to be noticed in the science fiction world in the late 1960s, in particular for her award-nominated novel ''Picnic on Paradise.'' At the time, SF was a field dominated by male authors, writing for a predominantly male audience, but women were starting to enter the field in larger numbers. Russ was one of the most outspoken female authors to challenge male dominance of the field, and is generally regarded as one of the leading
feminist science fiction Feminist science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction (abbreviated "SF") focused on theories that include feminist themes including but not limited to gender inequality, sexuality, race, economics, reproduction, and environment. Feminist ...
scholars and writers. She was also one of the first major science fiction writers to take
slash fiction Slash fiction (also known as "m/m slash") is a genre of fan fiction that focuses on romantic or sexual relationships between fictional characters of the same sex.Bacon-Smith, Camille. "Spock Among the Women." New York Times Sunday Book Review, ...
and its cultural and literary implications seriously. Over the course of her life, she published over fifty short stories. Russ was associated with the
American New Wave The New Hollywood, also known as American New Wave or Hollywood Renaissance, was a movement in American film history from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, when a new generation of young filmmakers came to prominence. They influenced the types o ...
of science fiction. Along with her work as a writer of prose fiction, Russ was also a playwright, essayist, and author of nonfiction works, generally literary criticism and feminist theory, including the essay collection ''Magic Mommas, Trembling Sisters, Puritans & Perverts''; ''
How to Suppress Women's Writing ''How to Suppress Women's Writing'' is a book by Joanna Russ, published in 1983. Written in the style of a sarcastic and irreverent guidebook, it explains how women are prevented from producing written works, not given credit when such works are pr ...
''; and the book-length study of modern feminism, '' What Are We Fighting For?''. Her essays and articles have been published in ''
Women's Studies Quarterly ''Women's Studies Quarterly'', often referred to as ''WSQ'', is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal of women's studies that was established in 1972 and published by The Feminist Press. The Feminist Press was founded by Florence Howe in 1970. ...
'', '' Signs'', ''Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies'', ''
Science Fiction Studies ''Science Fiction Studies'' (''SFS'') is an academic journal founded in 1973 by R. D. Mullen. The journal is published three times per year at DePauw University. As the name implies, the journal publishes articles and book reviews on science fic ...
'', and ''
College English ''College English'' is an official publication of the American National Council of Teachers of English and is aimed at college-level teachers and scholars of English. The peer-reviewed journal publishes articles on a range of topics related to the ...
''. Russ was a self-described
socialist feminist Socialist feminism rose in the 1960s and 1970s as an offshoot of the feminist movement and New Left that focuses upon the interconnectivity of the patriarchy and capitalism. However, the ways in which women's private, domestic, and public roles ...
, expressing particular admiration for the work and theories of
Clara Fraser Clara Fraser (March 12, 1923 – February 24, 1998) was a socialist feminist political organizer, who co-founded and led the Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women. Biography Early life and activism Clara Fraser was born in 1923 to Jewis ...
and her
Freedom Socialist Party The Freedom Socialist Party is a left-wing socialist political party with a revolutionary feminist philosophy based in the United States. It views the struggles of women and minorities as part of the struggle of the working class. It emerged fro ...
. Both fiction and nonfiction, for Russ, were modes of engaging theory with the real world; in particular, ''
The Female Man ''The Female Man'' is a feminist science fiction novel by American writer Joanna Russ. It was originally written in 1970 and first published in 1975 by Bantam Books. Russ was an ardent feminist and challenged sexist views during the 1970s with ...
'' can be read as a theoretical or narrative text. The short story, "
When It Changed "When It Changed" is a science fiction short story by American writer Joanna Russ. It was first published in the anthology ''Again, Dangerous Visions''. Synopsis Janet Evason lives on Whileaway, an all-female human colony planet whose inhabitants ...
," which became a part of the novel, explores the constraints of gender and asks if gender is necessary in a society. Russ's writing is characterized by anger interspersed with humor and irony.
James Tiptree Jr Alice Bradley Sheldon (born Alice Hastings Bradley; August 24, 1915 – May 19, 1987) was an American science fiction and fantasy author better known as James Tiptree, Jr., a pen name she used from 1967 to her death. It was not publicly known ...
, in a letter to her, wrote, "Do you imagine that anyone with half a functional neuron can read your work and not have his fingers smoked by the bitter, multi-layered anger in it? It smells and smoulders like a volcano buried so long and deadly it is just beginning to wonder if it can explode." In a letter to Susan Koppelman, Russ asks of a young feminist critic "where is her anger?" and adds "I think from now on, I will not trust anyone who isn't angry." For nearly 15 years she was an influential (if intermittent) review columnist for ''
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher a ...
''. Though by then she was no longer an active member of
science fiction fandom Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although ...
, she was interviewed by phone during
Wiscon WisCon or Wiscon, a Wisconsin science fiction convention, is the oldest, and often called the world's leading, feminist science fiction convention and conference. It was first held in Madison, Wisconsin in February 1977, after a group of fans at ...
(the feminist
science fiction convention Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of the speculative fiction genre, science fiction. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expres ...
in
Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
) in 2006 by her friend and member of the same cohort,
Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ) (born April 1, 1942), is an American author and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays (on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society). His ...
. Her first SF story was "Nor Custom Stale" in F&SF (1959). Notable short works include Hugo winner and Nebula Award finalist "Souls" (1982), Nebula Award and Tiptree Award winner "
When It Changed "When It Changed" is a science fiction short story by American writer Joanna Russ. It was first published in the anthology ''Again, Dangerous Visions''. Synopsis Janet Evason lives on Whileaway, an all-female human colony planet whose inhabitants ...
" (1972), Nebula Award finalists "The Second Inquisition" (1970), "Poor Man, Beggar Man" (1971), "The Extraordinary Voyages of Amélie Bertrand" (1979), and "The Mystery of the Young Gentlemen" (1982). Her fiction has been nominated for nine Nebula and three Hugo Awards, and her genre-related scholarly work was recognized with a
Pilgrim Award The Pilgrim Award is presented by the Science Fiction Research Association for Lifetime Achievement in the field of science fiction scholarship. It was created in 1970 and was named after J. O. Bailey’s pioneering book '' Pilgrims Through Space ...
in 1988. Her story "The Autobiography of My Mother" was one of the 1977
O. Henry Prize The O. Henry Award is an annual American award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American short-story writer O. Henry. The ''PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories'' is an annual collection of the year's twenty bes ...
stories."In Memoriam: Joanna Russ (1937–2011)"
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, doing business as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, commonly known as SFWA ( or ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. While ...
. April 29, 2011.
She wrote several contributions to feminist thinking about
pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,
and sexuality including "Pornography by Women, for Women, with Love" (1985), "Pornography and the Doubleness of Sex for Women", and "Being Against Pornography", which can be found in her archival pieces located in the University of Oregon's Special Collections. These essays include very detailed descriptions of her views on pornography and how influential it was to feminist thought in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, in "Being Against Pornography", she calls pornography a feminist issue. Her issues with pornography range from feminist issues, to women's sexuality in general and how porn prevents women from freely expressing their sexual selves, like men can. Russ believed that
anti-pornography Reasons for opposition to pornography include religious objections and feminist concerns (for specific sectors of feminism), as well as alleged harmful effects, such as pornography addiction. Pornography addiction is not a condition recognized ...
activists Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
were not addressing how women experienced pornography created by men, a topic that she addressed in "Being Against Pornography".


Reputation and legacy

Her work is widely taught in courses on science fiction and feminism throughout the English speaking world. Russ is the subject of
Farah Mendlesohn Farah Jane Mendlesohn (born 27 July 1968) is a British academic historian, writer on speculative fiction, and active member of science fiction fandom. Mendlesohn is best-known for their 2008 book '' Rhetorics of Fantasy'', which classifies fant ...
's book ''On Joanna Russ'' and Jeanne Cortiel's ''Demand My Writing: Joanna Russ, Feminism, Science Fiction''. Russ and her work are prominently featured in Sarah LeFanu's'' In the Chinks of the World Machine: Feminism and Science Fiction'' (1988). She was named to the
Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame The Museum of Pop Culture or MoPOP is a nonprofit museum in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Since then MoPOP has organized ...
in 2013. Gwyneth Jones wrote a 2019 book about Joanna Russ that was part of the University of Illinois Press series called Modern Masters of Science Fiction. In a 2004 essay about the connections between Russ's work and D. W. Griffith's film ''
Intolerance Intolerance may refer to: * Hypersensitivity Hypersensitivity (also called hypersensitivity reaction or intolerance) refers to undesirable reactions produced by the normal immune system, including allergies and autoimmunity. They are usual ...
'',
Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ) (born April 1, 1942), is an American author and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays (on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society). His ...
describes her as being "one of the finest - and most necessary - writers of American fiction" since she published her first professional short story in 1959. Her papers are part of the University of Oregon's Special Collections and University Archives.


Critical writings

The late 1960s and 1970s marked the beginnings of feminist SF scholarship—a field of inquiry that was all but created single-handedly by Russ, who contributed many essays on feminism and science fiction that appeared in journals such as ''
College English ''College English'' is an official publication of the American National Council of Teachers of English and is aimed at college-level teachers and scholars of English. The peer-reviewed journal publishes articles on a range of topics related to the ...
'' and ''
Science Fiction Studies ''Science Fiction Studies'' (''SFS'') is an academic journal founded in 1973 by R. D. Mullen. The journal is published three times per year at DePauw University. As the name implies, the journal publishes articles and book reviews on science fic ...
''.Yaszek, Lisa. "A History of One's Own: Joanna Russ and the Creation of a Feminist SF Tradition". In . She also contributed 25 reviews to the ''
Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher a ...
'', covering more than 100 books of all genres.James, Edward. "Russ on Writing Science Fiction and Reviewing It". In . In their article "Learning the 'Prophet Business': The Merril-Russ Intersection," Newell and Tallentire described Russ as an "intelligent, tough-minded reviewer who routinely tempered harsh criticism with just the sort of faint praise she handed out to
Judith Merril Judith Josephine Grossman (January 21, 1923 – September 12, 1997), who took the pen-name Judith Merril around 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist, and one of the first women to be wid ...
", who in turn was among the foremost editors and critics in American science fiction in the late 1960s. Russ was also described as a fearless, incisive, and radical person, whose writing was often characterized as acerbic and angry. Russ was acclaimed as one of science fiction's most revolutionary and accomplished writers. Helen Merrick went so far as to claim that Russ was an inescapable figure in science fiction history.
James Tiptree, Jr. Alice Bradley Sheldon (born Alice Hastings Bradley; August 24, 1915 – May 19, 1987) was an American science fiction and fantasy author better known as James Tiptree, Jr., a pen name she used from 1967 to her death. It was not publicly known ...
once commented on how Russ could be an "absolute delight" one minute, but then she "rushes out and bites my ankles with one sentence". For example, Russ criticized
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
's 1969 ''
The Left Hand of Darkness ''The Left Hand of Darkness'' is a science fiction novel by U.S. writer Ursula K. Le Guin. Published in 1969, it became immensely popular, and established Le Guin's status as a major author of science fiction. The novel is set in the fictiona ...
'', which won both the 1969
Nebula A nebula ('cloud' or 'fog' in Latin; pl. nebulae, nebulæ or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regio ...
and 1970
Hugo Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on ...
awards for best science fiction novel, arguing that gender discriminations that permeated science fiction by men showed up just as frequently in science fiction by women. According to Russ, Le Guin's novel represented these stereotypes. However, Russ was well aware of the pressures of writing for a living since she was also an author herself. Russ also felt that science fiction gives something to its readers that cannot be easily acquired anywhere else. She maintained that science should be accurate, and seriousness is a virtue. She insisted on the unique qualities of her chosen genre, maintaining that science fiction shared certain qualities with art and its flexibility compared to other forms writing. Russ was also interested in demonstrating the unique potentials of women science fiction writers. As her career moved into its second decade in the 1980s, she started to worry about reviewing standards. She once said, "The reviewer's hardest task is to define standards." Russ's reviewing style was characterized by logic. She was attacked by readers because of her harsh reviews of Stephen R. Donaldson's ''
Lord Foul's Bane ''Lord Foul's Bane'' is a 1977 fantasy novel by American writer Stephen R. Donaldson, the first book of the first trilogy of ''The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant'' series. It is followed by '' The Illearth War''. __TOC__ Plot summary Thomas C ...
'' (1977) and
Joy Chant Joy Chant (born 13 January 1945) is a British fantasy writer. She is best known for the three House of Kendreth novels, published 1970 to 1983. Her legal name is Eileen Joyce Rutter. Biography Eileen Joyce (nickname, "Joy") Chant was born in Lo ...
's ''
The Grey Mane of Morning ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
'' (1977). She organized attacks into these seven categories, taken directly from the cited article: *Don't shove your politics into your reviews. Just review the books. "I will," Russ said, "when authors keep politics out of their books." *You don't prove what you say; you just assert it. "There is no way to "prove" anything in aesthetic or moral matters." *Then your opinion is purely subjective. "I might be subjective, but not arbitrary. It is based on a critic's whole education." *Everyone's entitled to his icown opinion. "Writing is a craft too, and it can be judged. And some opinions are worth a good deal more than others." *I knew it. You're a snob. "Science fiction is a small world that often doesn't look outside of its own bounds." *You're vitriolic too. "The only way to relieve oneself of the pain that has to be endured by reading every line is to express one's opinions vividly, precisely, and compactly." *Never mind all that stuff. Just tell me what I'd enjoy reading. "Bless you, what makes you think I know?" However, she felt guilty about dire and frank criticism. She apologized for her harsh words on Lloyd Biggle's '' The Light That Never Was'' (1972) by saying, "It's narsty to beat up on authors who are probably starving to death on turnip soup (''
ghoti ''Ghoti'' is a creative respelling of the word ''fish'', used to illustrate irregularities in English spelling and pronunciation. Explanation The word is intended to be pronounced in the same way (), using these sounds: * ''gh'', pronounced as ...
'' soup) but critics ought to be honest."


Personal life

Around the time of the publication of ''The Female Man'' in 1975, Russ came out as a lesbian. However, Russ remained protective of her personal life, and as late as a December 1981 interview with Charles Platt, she was still evasive on the subject for the first third of the interview.


Health

In her later life she published little, largely because of
chronic pain Chronic pain is classified as pain that lasts longer than three to six months. In medicine, the distinction between Acute (medicine), acute and Chronic condition, chronic pain is sometimes determined by the amount of time since onset. Two commonly ...
and
chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS, is a complex, debilitating, long-term medical condition. The causes and mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood. Distinguishing core symptoms are ...
. On April 27, 2011, it was reported that Russ had been admitted to a
hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...
after suffering a series of strokes.
Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ) (born April 1, 1942), is an American author and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays (on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society). His ...
was quoted as saying that Russ was "slipping away" and had long had a "
do not resuscitate A do-not-resuscitate order (DNR), also known as Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR), Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR), no code or allow natural death, is a medical order, written or oral depending on country, indicating tha ...
" order on file. Silver, Steven H. (April 27, 2011)
"Joanna Russ in Hospice"
''
SF Site SF may refer to: Locations * San Francisco, California, United States * Sidi Fredj, Algeria * South Florida, an urban region in the United States * Suomi Finland, former vehicular country code for Finland In arts and entertainment Genre ...
''.
She died early in the morning on April 29, 2011.


Selected works

;Novels * '' Picnic on Paradise'' (1968) * '' And Chaos Died'' (1970) * ''
The Female Man ''The Female Man'' is a feminist science fiction novel by American writer Joanna Russ. It was originally written in 1970 and first published in 1975 by Bantam Books. Russ was an ardent feminist and challenged sexist views during the 1970s with ...
'' (1975) * '' We Who Are About To...'' (1977) * '' The Two of Them'' (1978) * ''On Strike Against God: A Lesbian Love Story'' (1980) (novella) ;Short fiction collections * ''
The Adventures of Alyx ''The Adventures of Alyx'' is a 1976 collection of feminist science fiction stories by American writer Joanna Russ, initially entitled ''Alyx'' by Gregg Press in hardback without a dustjacket. It was published in 1983 with the title ''The Adventure ...
'' (1976) (includes ''Picnic on Paradise'') * ''
The Zanzibar Cat ''The Zanzibar Cat'' is a science fiction collection of short stories by Joanna Russ, first published in 1983 by Arkham House. It was the author's first collection of short fiction and was published in an edition of 3,526 copies. The story "When I ...
'' (1983) * '' Extra(ordinary) People'' (1985) * ''
The Hidden Side of the Moon ''The Hidden Side of the Moon'' is a feminist science fiction collection of short stories by Joanna Russ, first published in 1987 by St. Martin's Press. The collection covers stories published from 1959 ("Nor Custom Stale," Russ' first publishe ...
'' (1987) ;Children's fiction * ''Kittatinny: A Tale of Magic'' (1978) ;Play * "Window Dressing" in ''The New Women's Theatre'' edited by Honor Moore. New York, Random House (1977) ;Nonfiction: essays and collections * ''Speculations on the Subjunctivity of Science Fiction'' (1973) * ''Somebody's Trying to Kill Me and I Think It's My Husband: The Modern Gothic'' (1973) * ''
How to Suppress Women's Writing ''How to Suppress Women's Writing'' is a book by Joanna Russ, published in 1983. Written in the style of a sarcastic and irreverent guidebook, it explains how women are prevented from producing written works, not given credit when such works are pr ...
'' (1983) * ''Magic Mommas, Trembling Sisters, Puritans and Perverts: Feminist Essays'' (1985) * '' To Write Like a Woman'' (1995) * ''What Are We Fighting For?: Sex, Race, Class, and the Future of Feminism'' (1997) * ''The Country You Have Never Seen: Essays and Reviews'' (2007)


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links

* BBC Radio 4 Programm
Cat Women of the Moon

Guide to the Joanna Russ papers at the University of Oregon


at NY Times
''Magic Mommas, Trembling Sisters, Puritans and Perverts: Feminist Essays''
by Joanna Russ (1985) ; Databases *
Joanna Russ
entry at
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and f ...

NovelGuide.com Biography
*
Joanna Russ
at
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
Authorities, with 23 catalog records {{DEFAULTSORT:Russ, Joanna 1937 births 2011 deaths 20th-century American novelists American essayists American feminist writers American science fiction writers American speculative fiction critics Women science fiction and fantasy writers American socialists American women novelists Cornell University alumni Cthulhu Mythos writers Feminist studies scholars Hugo Award-winning writers Jewish American writers Jewish feminists Jewish socialists LGBT Jews American lesbian writers Nebula Award winners Radical feminists Science fiction academics Science fiction critics Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees University of Washington faculty Writers from the Bronx Writers from Seattle Yale School of Drama alumni American LGBT novelists American women essayists Women horror writers 20th-century American women writers Novelists from Washington (state) Novelists from New York (state) American socialist feminists Weird fiction writers