--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Each feminist work has tended to be…" description: "\"Each feminist work has tended to be received as if it emerged from nowhere; as if each one of us had lived, thought, and worked without any historical ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/adrienne-rich-803_diversity_each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-rece_1530621.jpg" --- # Each feminist work has tended to be received as if it… ![“Each feminist work has tended to be received as if it emerged from nowhere; as if each one of us had lived, thought, and worked without any historical past or contextual present. This is one of the ways in which women's work and thinking has been made to seem sporadic, errant, orphaned of any…” quote by Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/adrienne-rich-803_diversity_each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-rece_1530621.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/adrienne-rich-803_diversity_each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-rece_1530621.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/adrienne-rich-803_diversity_each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-rece_1530621.jpg) > “Each feminist work has tended to be received as if it emerged from nowhere; as if each one of us had lived, thought, and worked without any historical past or contextual present. This is one of the ways in which women's work and thinking has been made to seem sporadic, errant, orphaned of any tradition of its own.” [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feminist works are often presented as isolated, ignoring their historical and cultural roots, which masks continuity and tradition. **In simple terms:** Women’s work is shown as disconnected from history. Key Takeaway Recognize and teach the lineage of women’s contributions. Themes feminism history literature identity continuity Mood reflective critical academic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic curricula - women’s studies - public talks - media analysis Key Concepts cultural context historical lineage authorial voice Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging tradition change our view of women’s work? - What histories are we missing? A Different Perspective It can oversimplify complex histories into a single narrative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversity/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Feminist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist/) [Feminist Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist-work-1491659/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Contextual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-contextual-5677386/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) [Sporadic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sporadic/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Ways Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ways-women-793935/) [Women Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-work/) ## Related quotes > [“To be a feminist at work is or should be about how we challenge ordinary and everyday sexism, including academic sexism. This is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-ahmed/to-be-a-feminist-at-work-is-or-should-be-about-how-we-challenge/) [Sara Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-ahmed/) > [For a lot of women who don't go to college, or for a lot of women who aren't in New York or D.C. or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/for-a-lot-of-women-who-don-t-go-to-college-or-for-a-lot-of-women-who/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [I think the first trick to writing a feminist work is to write plenty of women. That way you get to write characters, instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-think-the-first-trick-to-writing-a-feminist-work-is-to-write-plenty/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [The work is what it is and hopefully it's seen as feminist work, or feminist-advised work, but I'm not going to go around espousing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/the-work-is-what-it-is-and-hopefully-it-s-seen-as-feminist-work-or/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [If the men in North do not mend their ways, then women will set them right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirron-kher/if-the-men-in-north-do-not-mend-their-ways-then-women-will-set-them/) [Kirron Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirron-kher/) > [One can't help but marvel at the variety of ways that women had devised to make us look like flaming idiots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/one-can-t-help-but-marvel-at-the-variety-of-ways-that-women-had/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [There are tons of ways women can get into the sport easly. I think it is not as intimidating as many people think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-farina/there-are-tons-of-ways-women-can-get-into-the-sport-easly-i-think-it/) [Robin Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-farina/) > [There are all kinds of ways in which women, together, change the world. And I don't mean that in a cheesy way. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-traister/there-are-all-kinds-of-ways-in-which-women-together-change-the-world/) [Rebecca Traister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-traister/) > [There are 70 ways to please a women 1 is shopping the rest is 69 !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/there-are-70-ways-to-please-a-women-1-is-shopping-the-rest-is-69/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [“All the ways in which women become mothers of some sort. Is motherhood inescapably entwined in female life, a story every woman ends up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherise-wolas/all-the-ways-in-which-women-become-mothers-of-some-sort-is-motherhood/) [Cherise Wolas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherise-wolas/) > [There are ways that women absorb situations, and I think women are different kinds of listeners. They're different in terms of how they parse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/there-are-ways-that-women-absorb-situations-and-i-think-women-are/) [Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/) > [So in 1924, Eleanor Roosevelt really gets a sense of what the limits of the battle and the contours of the battle are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blanche-wiesen-cook/so-in-1924-eleanor-roosevelt-really-gets-a-sense-of-what-the-limits/) [Blanche Wiesen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blanche-wiesen-cook/) > [“She tried to live like an ordinary woman, but some women cannot live an ordinary life. She tried to walk in the common ways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/she-tried-to-live-like-an-ordinary-woman-but-some-women-cannot-live/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [There are lots of different ways for women to be a mom in this culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-walsh/there-are-lots-of-different-ways-for-women-to-be-a-mom-in-this-culture/) [Kate Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-walsh/) > [It was one of those problematic occasions with long silences, sporadic coughs, and people saying isolated things like, "Well, isn't this nice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-was-one-of-those-problematic-occasions-with-long-silences-sporadic/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by Adrienne Rich > [Only to have a grief equal to all these tears!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/only-to-have-a-grief-equal-to-all-these-tears/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [“Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you...it means that you do not treat your body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/responsibility-to-yourself-means-refusing-to-let-others-do-your/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [The beauty of darkness is how it lets you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-beauty-of-darkness-is-how-it-lets-you-see/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [What I search for continuously in my art is adequate language, language I hope can stand beyond any particular occasion. What I'm finding is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/what-i-search-for-continuously-in-my-art-is-adequate-language/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [“Well, she's long about her coming, who must be more merciless to herself than history. Her mind full to the wind, I see her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/well-she-s-long-about-her-coming-who-must-be-more-merciless-to/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [I think my work comes out of both an intense desire for connection and what it means to feel isolated. There's always going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/i-think-my-work-comes-out-of-both-an-intense-desire-for-connection/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Popular culture entered my life as Shirley Temple, who was exactly my age and wrotea letter in the newspapers telling how her mother fixed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/popular-culture-entered-my-life-as-shirley-temple-who-was-exactly-my/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [... in a history of spiritual rupture, a social compact built on fantasy and collective secrets, poetry becomes more necessary than ever: it keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/in-a-history-of-spiritual-rupture-a-social-compact-built-on-fantasy/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [It's as if, in the mother's eyes, her smile, her stroking touch, the child first reads the message:'You are there!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/it-s-as-if-in-the-mother-s-eyes-her-smile-her-stroking-touch-the/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [The women's movement appeared at a very crucial moment in my life. There was a whole political movement asking such questions and others I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-women-s-movement-appeared-at-a-very-crucial-moment-in-my-life/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [The word revolution itself has become not only a dead relic of Leftism, but a key to the deadendedness of male politics: the revolution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-word-revolution-itself-has-become-not-only-a-dead-relic-of/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [The decision to feed the world is the real decision. No revolution has chosen it. For that choice requires that women shall be free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-decision-to-feed-the-world-is-the-real-decision-no-revolution-has/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [The necessity of poetry has to be stated over and over, but only to those who have reason to fear its power, or those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-necessity-of-poetry-has-to-be-stated-over-and-over-but-only-to/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [I think many poets, including myself, write both for the voice and for the page. I certainly write for the person alone in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/i-think-many-poets-including-myself-write-both-for-the-voice-and-for/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [If I cling to circumstances I could feel not responsible. Only she who says she did not choose, is the loser in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/if-i-cling-to-circumstances-i-could-feel-not-responsible-only-she-who/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) [Explore all 364 Adrienne Rich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) ## More Diversity quotes > [The teacher is one who makes two ideas grow where only one grew before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-teacher-is-one-who-makes-two-ideas-grow-where-only-one-grew-before/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [I think the issues around diversity of all kinds are really a huge problem in the startup world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lyons/i-think-the-issues-around-diversity-of-all-kinds-are-really-a-huge/) [Daniel Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lyons/) > [I hope that we always have diversity, that we have equality and representation every step of the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsai-martin/i-hope-that-we-always-have-diversity-that-we-have-equality-and/) [Marsai Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsai-martin/) > [Being an inclusive place means being inclusive for all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/being-an-inclusive-place-means-being-inclusive-for-all-people/) [Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/) > [In such a diversity it was impossible I should be disposed to melancholy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-boone/in-such-a-diversity-it-was-impossible-i-should-be-disposed-to/) [Daniel Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-boone/) > [If you chose a particular religion, you were siding with the government religion of whatever region you were in. That's never been true in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/if-you-chose-a-particular-religion-you-were-siding-with-the/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [The growth of race relations management, diversity training and 'promoting good relations' has come at a cost. We are more sensitized to racism, yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munira-mirza/the-growth-of-race-relations-management-diversity-training-and/) [Munira Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munira-mirza/) > [Have therefore zeal to better thyself and then mayst thou have zeal to thy neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/have-therefore-zeal-to-better-thyself-and-then-mayst-thou-have-zeal/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Pilgrim of the heart, oneness in our vein - love is the revolution, Human is the name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/pilgrim-of-the-heart-oneness-in-our-vein-love-is-the-revolution-human/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [While our bipartisan establishment worships diversity, Trump saw Middle America recoiling from the demographic change brought about by Third World invasions. And he promised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/while-our-bipartisan-establishment-worships-diversity-trump-saw/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [“Why I am Passionate and Dedicated 1000% to producing and bringing my books Loving Summer, Bitter Frost, and other book series to the Screen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailin-gow/why-i-am-passionate-and-dedicated-1000-to-producing-and-bringing-my/) [Kailin Gow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailin-gow/) > [There's this idea that inclusivity and seeking diversity is this agenda. And the truth is, it is. It's an agenda, but it's about addition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ackie/there-s-this-idea-that-inclusivity-and-seeking-diversity-is-this/) [Naomi Ackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ackie/) > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Australia has embraced migrants from all different races, making us one of the most multiracial nations on earth. Most have assimilated and are proud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/australia-has-embraced-migrants-from-all-different-races-making-us/) [Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/) [Browse all 2,733 Diversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Each feminist work has tended to be received as if it emerged from nowhere; as if each one of us had lived, thought, and worked without any historical past or contextual present. This is one of the ways in which women's work and thinking has been made to seem sporadic, errant, orphaned of any tradition of its own.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adrienne Rich" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-received-as-if-it-emerged-from/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Diversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-received-as-if-it-emerged-from/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/adrienne-rich-803_diversity_each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-rece_1530621.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/adrienne-rich-803_diversity_each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-rece_1530621.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/adrienne-rich-803_diversity_each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-rece_1530621.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Each feminist work has tended to be received as if it emerged from nowhere; as if each one of us had lived…” — Adrienne Rich", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adrienne Rich", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Each feminist work has tended to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-received-as-if-it-emerged-from/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-received-as-if-it-emerged-from/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```