--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My feeling about my own work is, I could…" description: "\"My feeling about my own work is, I could be writing 'The Aeneid' and they would still have to call it chick lit or mommy lit or menopausal old hag lit...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/jennifer-weiner-2358_about_my-feeling-about-my-own-work-is-i-could_2601697.png" --- # My feeling about my own work is, I could be writing 'The… ![“My feeling about my own work is, I could be writing 'The Aeneid' and they would still have to call it chick lit or mommy lit or menopausal old hag lit.” quote by Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/jennifer-weiner-2358_about_my-feeling-about-my-own-work-is-i-could_2601697.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/jennifer-weiner-2358_about_my-feeling-about-my-own-work-is-i-could_2601697.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/jennifer-weiner-2358_about_my-feeling-about-my-own-work-is-i-could_2601697.png) > “My feeling about my own work is, I could be writing 'The Aeneid' and they would still have to call it chick lit or mommy lit or menopausal old hag lit.” [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author feels her work is dismissed as low‑brow despite its literary ambition. **In simple terms:** Her work is unfairly labeled as cheap fiction. Key Takeaway Seek authentic validation beyond labels. Themes creative writing gender bias literary criticism Mood frustrated defiant Type critical reflective When to use this quote - publishing industry - book reviews - author interviews Key Concepts self‑esteem cultural perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you define literary value? - What impact do genre labels have on readership? A Different Perspective Labels can limit readers’ openness to depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Do I mind being called a chick-lit writer? Well, it's not the worst thing that could happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/do-i-mind-being-called-a-chick-lit-writer-well-it-s-not-the-worst/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [I don't think my first book was chick lit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-jewell/i-don-t-think-my-first-book-was-chick-lit/) [Lisa Jewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-jewell/) > [I say, 'I write romance, women's fiction, chick lit.' I think it all fits very comfortably under the same umbrella. Basically, I write books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/i-say-i-write-romance-women-s-fiction-chick-lit-i-think-it-all-fits/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [“She might've previously veered off track and landed straight into chick lit land, but how many chick lits had the main character recognize how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-rosmarin/she-might-ve-previously-veered-off-track-and-landed-straight-into/) [Abby Rosmarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-rosmarin/) > [It's like if a young woman writes it, then it's chick lit. We don't care if she's slaying vampires or working as a nanny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/it-s-like-if-a-young-woman-writes-it-then-it-s-chick-lit-we-don-t/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [If you write chick lit, and if you're a New Yorker, and if your book becomes the topic of pop-culture fascination, the paper might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/if-you-write-chick-lit-and-if-you-re-a-new-yorker-and-if-your-book/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [It's a wonderful feeling to work in a country where the government's first concern is for its people, for all its people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-linder/it-s-a-wonderful-feeling-to-work-in-a-country-where-the-government-s/) Ben Linder > [Usually, when you're talking about work with other writers it's because something seriously bad is going on with your work and you've absolutely thrown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/usually-when-you-re-talking-about-work-with-other-writers-it-s/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [“Life is a continuous feeling wherein something you work for it to be happy in terms of your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-lachica/life-is-a-continuous-feeling-wherein-something-you-work-for-it-to-be/) [Fernando Lachica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-lachica/) > [Do continue to believe that with your feeling and with your work you are taking part in the greatest; the more strongly you cultivate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/do-continue-to-believe-that-with-your-feeling-and-with-your-work-you/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [It's a funny feeling to work with people who you consider your colleagues and to realize that they actually are young enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-a-funny-feeling-to-work-with-people-who-you-consider-your/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I have a feeling I will work for a long, long time. I like it a lot... and I don't know. I just have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-scott-thomas/i-have-a-feeling-i-will-work-for-a-long-long-time-i-like-it-a-lot-and/) [Kristin Scott Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-scott-thomas/) > [But I must work on in full calmness and serenity... The world concerns me only in so far as I feel a certain debt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/but-i-must-work-on-in-full-calmness-and-serenity-the-world-concerns/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [This is the feeling that gives a man true courage-the feeling that he has a work to do at all costs; the sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/this-is-the-feeling-that-gives-a-man-true-courage-the-feeling-that-he/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [My feeling about work is it's much more about the experience of doing it than the end product. Sometimes things that are really great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/my-feeling-about-work-is-it-s-much-more-about-the-experience-of-doing/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) ## More by Jennifer Weiner > [Divorce isn't such a tragedy. A tragedy's staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your children the wrong things about love. Nobody ever died of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/divorce-isn-t-such-a-tragedy-a-tragedy-s-staying-in-an-unhappy/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [Right now women are using surrogates because they can't be pregnant. What worries me is the possibility that soon they'll use surrogates because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/right-now-women-are-using-surrogates-because-they-can-t-be-pregnant/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [I think I'm much more comfortable talking about other books than my own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/i-think-i-m-much-more-comfortable-talking-about-other-books-than-my/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [People will want you to behave a certain way, to make a certain choice because it reinforces the way they see the world...But you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/people-will-want-you-to-behave-a-certain-way-to-make-a-certain-choice/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [Women are far and away the bigger consumers of fiction than men, but men are still far and away the more reviewed, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/women-are-far-and-away-the-bigger-consumers-of-fiction-than-men-but/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [My sense is that beautiful women are living in a different world than I am, and that it's a world with benefits but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/my-sense-is-that-beautiful-women-are-living-in-a-different-world-than/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [If you get the you-are-a-genius label, it can limit you. Because I'm not so scrutinized, I have more freedom. And that let's me write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/if-you-get-the-you-are-a-genius-label-it-can-limit-you-because-i-m/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [I also believe that if you're really a writer, you'll write, and that nobody could stop you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/i-also-believe-that-if-you-re-really-a-writer-you-ll-write-and-that/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [As many times as I told her she was beautiful, I know that she never believed me. As many times as I said it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/as-many-times-as-i-told-her-she-was-beautiful-i-know-that-she-never/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) > [“How do you find happiness in a body like yours...like mine? 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As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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