The Review

Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: Mosaic

Media Credit: Ricky Berl

"I'm talking about women who are not sexy and sensational, but who are toughing it out," Maureen Corrigan says.

Although this may sound like a pitch for the newest reality television show to hit the primetime lineup or an upcoming adventure movie, Corrigan is far from being a big-time television producer or film director. Instead, she is a nationally renowned book critic, extensive literary expert and avid feminist.

The down-and-dirty women she speaks of were the topic of her recent lecture at the university titled "Ain't No Mountain High Enough: Women's Extreme Adventure Stories," held Thursday in Trabant University Center.

The topic of Corrigan's lecture was the "female extreme adventure tale," a genre of literature Corrigan developed herself. Her research in the genre first appeared in her 2005 memoir, "Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books."

"Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading" is an account of how a "lifetime of heavy-duty reading enriched my life," Corrigan says.

She explains the "female extreme adventure tale" is similar to the "classic male adventure tales of men battling the elements" seen in well-known novels like Sebastian Junger's "The Perfect Storm" or Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild." However, the "female extreme adventure tale" concentrates on women in pre-feminist, 19th century literature rather than the stereotypical bearded and burly alpha-male caught in the grips of nature.

Describing male adventure tales as "one shot exertions of testosterone," Corrigan says she wanted to finally give some credit to female protagonists in literature who are subjected to long-term and extreme emotional, psychological and life-threatening situations. These situations were brought on by the grueling everyday tasks faced by women during the 19th century, such as caretaking and marriage.

"The extreme situations women in the 19th century were placed in often left them alone, suffering in silence, with a threatened loss of self and sanity," Corrigan says.

She is also a prominent book critic on National Public Radio's Peabody Award-winning program "Fresh Air," where she has worked for 19 years.

Her zealous support for the recognition and awareness of female heroism in literature is clearly broadcasted through Corrigan's commentary on the air. She laughs and says she often receives complaints from listeners that are "tired of her feminist ranting." Despite this, the show still draws in nearly 5 million listeners each week.

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