Author Description

The inspiration for this volume was the most recent book written by American writer, naturalist, and environmental activist Terry Tempest Williams and entitled When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice. We are very honored that Terry Tempest Williams herself agreed to be interviewed for this volume. Her interview comes first and sets the tone for the articles that follow, as she explores in detail issues related to voice that were discussed in When Women Were Birds. Contained within this volume are articles that deal with the psychological issues that arise when women attempt to express themselves, the obstacles faced, the obstacles overcome (or not), the creativity that may released. Included are both clinical articles, as well as personal and more academic papers. In When Women Were Birds, Terry Tempest Williams asks, "What needs to be counted on to have a voice? Courage. Anger. Love. Something to say; someone to listen." The sixteen contributors to this volume recognize and demonstrate, directly or indirectly, the truth of Terry Tempest Williams' observation. They come from different places and from different backgrounds. They are writers, poets, teachers, analysts, educators, and theorists. Their writing styles vary accordingly, yet their works share similar themes, from the deeply personal to the cultural and historical, from the literary to the mythological and spiritual. Terry Tempest Williams' statement also implies a necessary bond between speaker and listener, or as in this case, author and reader, and it is our hope that this Women's Voices issue of Spring will encourage such a mutually inspired relationship.