About Women: Conversations Between a Writer and a Painter

American novelist Alther (Kinflicks) and French artist Gilot (Life with Picasso) converse on an array of topics including their vocations, cultural differences, fashion, and family histories. Gilot recalls a girlhood living in turmoil in France in between the World Wars; Alther grew up in a southern Appalachian factory town during the Cold War era. Family stories are woven into a larger conversation; comments on feminism and the different relationships between the sexes in France and North America lead to a discussion on women as vessels of oral history and Alther’s suffragette great-grandmother. The two find fertile ground for agreement when discussing the creative process, both noting the importance of the oral tradition. Alther suggests that the American South produces so many fiction writers because it is “the only part of the country where people can sit still long enough.” Lighter topics include the progression of women’s undergarments, the little black dress, and the formalities of wedding ceremonies. In this tribute to the length and quality of their friendship, the authors adeptly draw one another out, challenge each other, and build on each other’s ideas. The conversation is consistently funny, interesting, and thoughtful. [em](Nov.) [/em]