gender-and-authorship

The revelation that Lillian, not Frank, was the primary intellectual force and author behind many of the Gilbreths' published works.

Written by the Tronix Library

4 chapters across 2 books

The Making of Incarnation (2023)Tom McCarthy

1. That her family spent their summer holidays in Nantucket. Her husband Frank taught their children to sail by marking out a boat-shape on the ground, etching gunwale, bow and stern into dry earth, laying pieces of rope for main- and jib-sheets, moveable poles for boom and tiller, and drilled them in the art of jibing, tacking, heeling and running before the wind until they’d attained an advanced level of seamanship without ever having set foot in an actual boat. The local drugstore, where they’d go for ice cream, was called Coffins.

The chapter traces Lillian Moller Gilbreth's pioneering work in motion study and ergonomics, revealing her as the primary intellectual force behind the Gilbreth family's scientific legacy and contrasting her broader conceptual insights with Frank's narrow focus on efficiency. It follows Dean's archival investigation into Lillian's work, uncovering a progression from practical motion analysis to abstract notions of perfect movement, while encountering institutional resistance and mysterious gaps, notably surrounding the enigmatic Box 808. The narrative culminates in the protagonist's experience of memory loss and alienation, symbolizing a rupture between knowledge, embodied history, and personal disconnection.

James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon (2006)Julie Phillips

Part 24 (≈48%)

This chapter examines Alice Sheldon's use of the male pseudonym James Tiptree Jr. as a means to gain creative freedom, authority, and explore complex moral and psychological themes, particularly through her breakthrough story "The Last Flight of Dr. Ain." It also explores how the pseudonym functioned as a multifaceted alter ego that shaped her literary career, personal identity, and interactions within the science fiction community during a politically turbulent era, including her engagement with fan culture and challenges in media scriptwriting.

Part 28 (≈56%)

This chapter examines James Tiptree Jr.'s 1971 stories, emphasizing their exploration of human evolution, sexuality, and identity through alien perspectives and early cyberpunk motifs, while highlighting the tension between Alice Sheldon's female identity and her male pseudonym. It also details Tiptree's crafted masculine persona, the literary friendships she cultivated, especially with Ursula K. Le Guin, and the recognition of her exceptional talent beyond gendered assumptions. The chapter situates Tiptree's work within the science fiction tradition, underscoring the complex interplay of embodiment, desire, authorship, and vulnerability.

Part 34 (≈71%)

The chapter explores the complex interplay between James Tiptree Jr.'s concealed identity and Alice Sheldon's personal struggles, including her depression and fear of disappointing others amid growing recognition in the science fiction community. It situates these experiences within the broader feminist debates of the 1970s SF scene, highlighting contrasting feminist literary approaches exemplified by Ursula Le Guin's subtle critique and Joanna Russ's more confrontational stance, revealing tensions around gender, authorship, and feminist visibility.

Opening the stacks