"But Why No Women Write, I Pray?": Sarah Jinner's defence of women's public voice in her almanacs

Oliveira, Susana

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/10974

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Authors

Oliveira, Susana

Abstract(s)

In seventeenth-century England, women writers had already been able to move outside the scope of the two genres of writing that had initially been approved for them: translation and devotional literature. It is noteworthy, however, to acknowledge women as authors of almanacs, considering that these writings involved a scientific background based upon a specific education on medicine and astrology usually inaccessible to women. Between 1658 and 1664, Sarah Jinner emerged as the first woman author of almanacs. Besides the anticipated prophecies and medical advice, this London astrologer also advocated women’s public voice in her works: “But why no women write, I pray?”. Jinner used these popular and widely read Early Modern English texts to publicize her defence of women. This paper aims at focusing on Jinner’s open challenge of the Aristotelian perspective on women and her defence of women’s public voice.

Keywords

Women Almanacs Seventeenth-century England Astrology Medical advice

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/10974

Citation

Oliveira, Susana. ""But Why No Women Write, I Pray?": Sarah Jinner's defence of women's public voice in her Almanacs". Sederi Yearbook. 23. 2013. 79-94