At 09:08 PM 01/09/2002 +0000, you wrote:
>>I'm just home from the St Hilda's Mystery
Conference in Oxford.
>>Andrew Taylor was talking about the difficulties
that he has in writing
>>major female characters in his books, and the
question came up whether
>>either male or female writers can create
convincing characters of the
>>opposite sex.
I'm biased toward male writers and characters. I don't think
there's much difference between the sexes. Yes, women have
these different hormones, but men seem to work up a
irrational heads of steam for their own reasons. Men have
this bit of iron in their nose that gives us a basic sense of
direction, but we still get lost.
The main difference is cultural. Being physically weaker and
having less authority (usually) woman may be prone to
resentment (occasionally) and are forced to exercise power by
proxy or in spheres left to them by men (usually).
As for an author who created accurate characters, male and
female, I liked The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx. Not
especially hard boiled, though it had its moments. And the
protagonist was a sad-sack, but aren't we all. I also like
Sparkle Hayter. Though her protagonists are female, she gets
the other half of this sad-sack world pretty accurately when
she gives it her attention. I wouldn't say she delves too
deeply into characterization, however. Still, a dash of
Sparkle goes a long way, I find.
Best Kerry
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