You Should Know: Writing about Sexuality as a Woman

Abstract

This thesis is a culmination of both my research on the topic of female sexuality in writing and a sampling of my own creative work based on this research. I begin with an exploration of how the past has influenced the current landscape for women’s writing, especially related to female sexuality. While women today are afforded many opportunities in the field of writing, certain topics still remain taboo for these writers. Sexuality as a whole is one such topic – from a woman’s relationship with her body to her sexual desire to her experience with sexual abuse. While many modern movements are encouraging women to discuss their experiences with sexual abuse, many other aspects of female sexuality remain hidden behind shame. Realizing this has inspired me to write a series of letters to my younger sister on several aspects of femininity. My creative work consists of personal experiences with abuse, desire, and the female body. By writing about these experiences openly, without denying the details that make them distinctly feminine, I hope to further the discussion of female sexuality in more serious literature.