A Feminist Public Sphere? Virginia Woolf's Revisions of the Eighteenth Century

Uses Virginia Woolf's career as a case study for exploring the possibilities of having a feminist voice affect the public sphere. Focusing on Woolf's work as both a journalist and fiction writer, argues that Woolf sought to participate in public debate and be recognized as a respected mainstream cultural authority without giving up her feminism or her independence of mind. Suggests that central to Woolf's approach was her desire to prove that a woman and a feminist could make a living, claim mainstream cultural authority, and reshape public discourse. (Original abstract - amended)