5 Non-Fiction Authors Of Books About Notable Women

5 Non-Fiction Authors Writing About Remarkable Women

Vivien Goldman Reads From Revenge of the She-Punks

10 Women Who Changed History

1. Claudette Colvin: Teenage civil rights activist
2. Jane Addams: Nobel Peace Prize winner & suffragette
3. Rosalind Franklin: Made ground-breaking discoveries about DNA
4. Sojourner Truth: Abolitionist and women's rights activist
5. Indira Gandhi: First female prime minister of India
6. Margaret Sanger: Fought for women's right to birth control
7. Marsha P. Johnson: Trans woman and LGBT rights activist
8. Junko Tabei: First woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest
9. Susan Travers: WWII General who served in Italy, Germany, & France
10. Betty Friedan: Social activist and author of The Feminine Mystique

The Trailer For Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché

In Depth

Throughout history, there have always been women with fascinating stories to tell, from pioneering filmmakers to groundbreaking sports journalists. The writers who pen these tales bring depth, knowledge, and appreciation for their subjects to the page, making for compelling reads. Here, in no particular order, are biographers bringing the unique experiences of these women to life.

Starting off the list at #1 is Vivien Goldman, a writer, educator, broadcaster, and musician. She is the author of Revenge of the She-Punks: A Feminist Music History from Poly Styrene to Pussy Riot. The book blends interviews and history to tell the stories of singer songwriter Patti Smith, performer Grace Jones, musician Tamar-kali, and more. Rolling Stone hails it as revelatory and an exhilarating conversation.

Goldman's other published works include Serious Things a Go Happen: Three Decades of Jamaican Dancehall Signs, and The Book of Exodus: The Making and Meaning of Bob Marley & the Wailers' Album of the Century. She is an adjunct professor at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recording Music, Tisch. Her vintage journalism can be found at Rock's Backpages.

Goldman's other published works include Serious Things a Go Happen: Three Decades of Jamaican Dancehall Signs, and The Book of Exodus: The Making and Meaning of Bob Marley & the Wailers' Album of the Century.

Entering the list at #2 is Julie K. Rubini, author of Virginia Hamilton: America's Storyteller, named to Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books. Additional works include, Missing Millie Benson: The Secret Case of the Nancy Drew Ghostwriter and Journalist, and Eye to Eye: Sports Journalist Christine Brennan. Each of these narratives are included within the Biographies for Young Readers series published by Ohio University Press.

Rubini and her husband established Claire's Day, a children's book festival in honor of their late daughter. It features music, hands on activities, and a celebration of readers. She volunteers with Read for Literacy's Creating Young Readers program,is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the recipient of The University of Toledo Outstanding Alumnus Award.

In the #3 spot is Joanna Kafarowski, whose book, The Polar Adventures of a Rich American Dame: A Life of Louise Arner Boyd, tells the story of a socialite who reinvented herself as the leading female polar explorer of the twentieth century. The author is a member of the Society of Woman Geographers and the International Arctic Social Sciences Association.

The author is a member of the Society of Woman Geographers and the International Arctic Social Sciences Association.

Prior to her writing career, Kafarowski was a university lecturer in natural resource management and geography specializing in gender and indigenous issues in the Arctic. She's the editor of Gender, Culture, and Northern Fisheries. She holds a PhD in natural resources and environmental studies, and a professional specialization certificate in heritage conservation planning.

At #4 is Alison McMahan, an award winning screenwriter and author. Her book, Alice Guy Blache, Lost Visionary of the Cinema, is a critical analysis of the surviving films of the world's first woman filmmaker. The work was adapted as a play by La Recua Teatro in Toledo, Spain and into the documentary, Be Natural, by Pamela Green.

McMahan also pens fiction, including the mystery novel, The Saffron Crocus, and the short story, King Hanuman, which appears in the Fatally Haunted anthology. She holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in drama from Catholic University, and a master of fine arts in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine, Stonecoast Program.

McMahan also pens fiction, including the mystery novel, The Saffron Crocus, and the short story, King Hanuman, which appears in the Fatally Haunted anthology.

Finishing up the list at #5 is Kelcey Parker Ervick, author of The Bitter Life of Bozena Nemcova, a hybrid work of biography, memoir, and art about a Czech fairy tale writer. Other works include Liliane's Balcony, a novella set at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, and the story collection, For Sale By Owner.

She has received grants from the Indiana Arts Commission and been a featured writer at the Lions in Winter Literary Festival. Her stories, essays, and comics have appeared in The Believer, Colorado Review, Passages North, Booth, and The Common. She has a PhD from the University of Cincinnati and teaches creative writing at Indiana University South Bend.