164. Christine de Pizan — The Book of the City of Ladies with Kathleen B. Jones
Christine de Pizan
A widow who turned to her pen to support herself and her family, Christine de Pizan was described by Simone de Beauvoir in The Second Sex as the first “woman to take up her pen in defense of her sex.” Published in 1405, The Book of the City of Ladies is Christine’s history of Western civilization from the point of view—and in praise of—women, showcasing them as the intellectual and moral equals of men. Joining us is San Diego State University women’s study professor emeritus Kathleen B. Jones, whose recently published debut novel, Cities of Women, was inspired by the life and works of de Pizan.
Discussed:
The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
Cities of Women by Kathleen B. Jones
The Rest Is History podcast on The Hundred Years War
Queen Isabeau of Bavaria (married to Charles VI)
The Mutation of Fortune by Christine de Pizan
The Romance of the Rose by Jean de Meunes
Famous Women by Giovanni Boccaccio
The City of God by Augustine of Hippo
Lost Ladies of Lit Episode on Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
The Book of Peace by Christine de Pizan