White male literary darlings

[shumway]

Jennifer Weiner and Jodi Picoult have been criticizing the New York Times for its focus on male writers such as Jonathan Franzen. What do we think?

I don't read the NY Times so can't comment specifically, but I do feel that fiction aimed at women such as romance, chick lit etc is often spoken of in a very derogatory fashion, and I don't like that.

At the same point there would be no issue if female authors did not pigeon hole their readers in to handbag and shoe loving empty headed dolts. It is an unfortunate trend that has reduced the ambition of women to nothing more than desire of consumer items.

And I say this as someone who has a love of the handbag, but it does not form a slice of my character.

Why would the NY Times ignore female writers like Hilary Mantell and A S Byatt? They are a long way from handbags and shoes!!