Just Calm Down: Female Anger in Contemporary Literature

Female anger has traditionally been given short shrift in literature. Angry women have been typically portrayed as full of malice and cruel intentions if not as outright insane. In this readers series, we’ll explore a trend in contemporary literature that legitimizes female anger, in particular anger around motherhood.

Novels include:
Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
All Fours by Miranda July.

Instructor: Susan Petrone is the author of novels The Musical Mozinkskis (2024), The Heebie-Jeebie Girl (2020), The Super Ladies (2018), Throw Like a Woman (2015), and A Body at Rest (2009), which won a bronze medal for regional fiction from the Independent Publishers Book Awards (IPPY). The Super Ladies was a General Fiction finalist in Foreward Reviews' 2018 Book of the Year Awards. She is a recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award. Susan's short fiction has been published by Glimmer Train, Muse, Conclave, Cleveland Review, and Whiskey Island. Her short story, "Monster Jones Wants to Creep You Out" (Conclave, 2010) was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her non-fiction has appeared in CoolCleveland, Belt magazine, and ESPN.com. She is also one of the co-founders and former board president of Literary Cleveland (litcleveland.org).

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Details: Just Calm Down: Female Anger in Contemporary Literature with Susan Petrone takes place the fourth Thursday each month: June 26, July 24, and August 28 from 6:30-8:30pm remotely online via Zoom

Prerequisite: None

Genre: Reading/Discussion/Fiction

Level: All Levels

Format: Reader Series Class

Location: This class takes place remotely online via Zoom

Size: Limited to 25 participants.

Scholarships: Two scholarship spots are available for this class for writers in Northeast Ohio. Apply by April 28.

Cancellations & Refunds: Cancel at least 48 hours in advance of the first class meeting to receive a full refund. Email info@litcleveland.org.

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