--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Virginia Woolf said that writers must be…" description: "\"Virginia Woolf said that writers must be androgynous. I'll go a step further. You must be bisexual.\" — Rita Mae Brown" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/rita-mae-brown-1111_androgynous_virginia-woolf-said-that-writers-must-be_2411971.png" --- # Virginia Woolf said that writers must be androgynous. I'll… ![“Virginia Woolf said that writers must be androgynous. I'll go a step further. You must be bisexual.” quote by Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/rita-mae-brown-1111_androgynous_virginia-woolf-said-that-writers-must-be_2411971.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/rita-mae-brown-1111_androgynous_virginia-woolf-said-that-writers-must-be_2411971.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/rita-mae-brown-1111_androgynous_virginia-woolf-said-that-writers-must-be_2411971.png) > “Virginia Woolf said that writers must be androgynous. I'll go a step further. You must be bisexual.” [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers should embrace both masculine and feminine qualities, and also accept fluid sexual identities to enrich perspective. **In simple terms:** Writers need both genders and fluid sexuality for depth. Key Takeaway Cultivate androgyny and openness. Themes gender sexuality creativity Mood thought‑provoking challenging Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - personal essays - literary criticism - identity politics Key Concepts fluid identity androgyny self‑acceptance Questions to Reflect On - How does sexual fluidity influence artistic voice? - Can one be androgynous without a specific sexual label? A Different Perspective Not all writers feel comfortable with bisexual identity; cultural contexts vary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Androgynous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/androgynous/) [Androgynous Ll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/androgynous-ll-6075867/) [Bisexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bisexual/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Step Bisexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step-bisexual-6075868/) [Virginia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virginia/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virginia-woolf/) [Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woolf/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writers Androgynous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-androgynous-2999331/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [when it comes to their essential faculty as writers, all writers are androgynous beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/when-it-comes-to-their-essential-faculty-as-writers-all-writers-are/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [Plot involves fragmentary reality, and it might involve composite reality. Fragmentary reality is the view of the individual. Composite reality is the community or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/plot-involves-fragmentary-reality-and-it-might-involve-composite/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [I don't think there is a 'gay lifestyle.' I think that's superficial crap, all that talk about gay culture. A couple of restaurants on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/i-don-t-think-there-is-a-gay-lifestyle-i-think-that-s-superficial/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [Like my hero Virginia Woolf, I do lack confidence. I always find that the novel I'm finishing, even if it's turned out fairly well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/like-my-hero-virginia-woolf-i-do-lack-confidence-i-always-find-that/) [Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/) > [“When the shriveled skin of the ordinary is stuffed out with meaning, it satisfies the senses amazingly. - Virginia Woolf”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-kynock/when-the-shriveled-skin-of-the-ordinary-is-stuffed-out-with-meaning-2/) [Mitchell Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-kynock/) > [“The other day I came across a book which illustrates in a rather droll way the extent to which Northern European women have taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid-undset/the-other-day-i-came-across-a-book-which-illustrates-in-a-rather/) [Sigrid Undset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid-undset/) > [I've always loved my own little office spaces no matter what they were like. It's the Virginia Woolf, room of one's own concept, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/i-ve-always-loved-my-own-little-office-spaces-no-matter-what-they/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [I fell in love with Virginia Woolf in college. I especially admire how well she writes about daily life, how she captures so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/i-fell-in-love-with-virginia-woolf-in-college-i-especially-admire-how/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [I'd studied English literature at university, but I was also far more enamored with Virginia Woolf, Katherine Mansfield, and James Joyce. That was my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-d-studied-english-literature-at-university-but-i-was-also-far-more/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [“I put the odds on a psychic deathmatch between Attila the Hun and Virginia Woolf at fifty-fifty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-bechdel/i-put-the-odds-on-a-psychic-deathmatch-between-attila-the-hun-and/) [Alison Bechdel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-bechdel/) > [“Isn’t it odd how much more one sees in a photograph than in real life? —VIRGINIA WOOLF”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dykstra/isn-t-it-odd-how-much-more-one-sees-in-a-photograph-than-in-real-life/) [Natalie Dykstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dykstra/) > [Virginia Woolf's literature really transformed my own ideas about how to formally represent the passage of time and how time affects us. Specifically, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lowery/virginia-woolf-s-literature-really-transformed-my-own-ideas-about-how/) [David Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lowery/) > [Each had his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by heart; and his friends could only read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/each-had-his-past-shut-in-him-like-the-leaves-of-a-book-known-to-him/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [“The beauty of the world…has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder. —Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/the-beauty-of-the-world-has-two-edges-one-of-laughter-one-of-anguish/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [Virginia Woolf was one example. She was called the "Lover of 100 Gangsters."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-leone/virginia-woolf-was-one-example-she-was-called-the-lover-of-100/) [Sergio Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-leone/) ## More by Rita Mae Brown > [“Friendship distills the sweetness of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/friendship-distills-the-sweetness-of-life/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/about-all-you-can-do-in-life-is-be-who-you-are-some-people-will-love/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [He tried to drown his troubles but they knew how to swim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/he-tried-to-drown-his-troubles-but-they-knew-how-to-swim/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [“The most revolutionary thing you can do is to be yourself, to speak your truth, to open your arms to life including the pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/the-most-revolutionary-thing-you-can-do-is-to-be-yourself-to-speak/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [Content without style is propaganda or adolescence. Style without content is decadence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/content-without-style-is-propaganda-or-adolescence-style-without/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [Whenever I doubt the existence of God or the Goddess, I look at horses. Only God could have made a horse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/whenever-i-doubt-the-existence-of-god-or-the-goddess-i-look-at-horses/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [Language is decanted and shared. If only one person is left alive speaking a language - the case with some American Indian languages -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/language-is-decanted-and-shared-if-only-one-person-is-left-alive/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [“what would happen if she'd open her eyes and see only dark and feel satin from the coffin? That'd scare her enough to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes-and-see-only-dark-and-feel/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [“You know, it’s hell to work with a cat. They really are smarter than we are. Have you ever gotten anyone to feed you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/you-know-it-s-hell-to-work-with-a-cat-they-really-are-smarter-than-we/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [I don't want to die. I think death is a greatly overrated experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/i-don-t-want-to-die-i-think-death-is-a-greatly-overrated-experience/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [Leroy bet me I couldn't find a pot of gold at the end, and I told him that was a stupid bet because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/leroy-bet-me-i-couldn-t-find-a-pot-of-gold-at-the-end-and-i-told-him/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [An army of lovers shall not fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/an-army-of-lovers-shall-not-fail/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [Cats and dogs believe politicians are like cemetery caregivers; they are on top of everyone, but nobody listens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/cats-and-dogs-believe-politicians-are-like-cemetery-caregivers-they/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [Femininity and masculinity are social constructs. Female and male are biological. We don't have to learn to be men or women but we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/femininity-and-masculinity-are-social-constructs-female-and-male-are/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/one-of-the-keys-to-happiness-is-a-bad-memory/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) [Explore all 290 Rita Mae Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) ## More Androgynous quotes > [I've got the long hair and kind of androgynous look. It's love-hate; it's sexy, but not sexy. So it's either you get it or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/i-ve-got-the-long-hair-and-kind-of-androgynous-look-it-s-love-hate-it/) [Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/) > [There is hardly an American male of my generation who has not at one time or another tried to master the victory cry of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-hardly-an-american-male-of-my-generation-who-has-not-at-one/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“. . . the less androgynous the person, the likelier he or she was to be incapable of action if the appropriate action was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-heilbrun/the-less-androgynous-the-person-the-likelier-he-or-she-was-to-be/) [Carolyn Heilbrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-heilbrun/) > [I won't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-evangelista/i-won-t-get-out-of-bed-for-less-than-10-000-a-day/) [Linda Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-evangelista/) > [I was more feminine. I was a girly-girl until I moved to New York. Then I got really into the androgynous look of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-sevigny/i-was-more-feminine-i-was-a-girly-girl-until-i-moved-to-new-york-then/) [Chloe Sevigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-sevigny/) > [Those that think my clothes are androgynous also still believe that women should look like Barbie dolls. That's precisely the problem, the deep-rooted assumptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-demeulemeester/those-that-think-my-clothes-are-androgynous-also-still-believe-that/) [Ann Demeulemeester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-demeulemeester/) > [Ardent, intelligent, sweet, sensitive, cultivated, erudite. These are the adjectives of praise in an androgynous world. Those who consider them epithets of shame or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-heilbrun/ardent-intelligent-sweet-sensitive-cultivated-erudite-these-are-the/) [Carolyn Heilbrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-heilbrun/) > [I think there's a level at which you think that there's a reason that you're being singled out, that you're being chosen. As a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-reeves/i-think-there-s-a-level-at-which-you-think-that-there-s-a-reason-that/) [Matt Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-reeves/) > [Monsieur Saint Laurent was pathologically shy, and he made the Saint Laurent woman in his own image. Like her, I am shy. And to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/monsieur-saint-laurent-was-pathologically-shy-and-he-made-the-saint/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. Never, btw, ask that androgynous paper clip anything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/never-be-afraid-to-try-something-new-remember-amateurs-built-the-ark/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [Through the 13th century, paintings of Angels exhibit a predominantly masculine appearance. Over the next 300 years, their images become more delicate, gentle, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-connolly/through-the-13th-century-paintings-of-angels-exhibit-a-predominantly/) [David Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-connolly/) > [Let's call a spade a spade: when people look at me, they say, 'Oh, she's the androgynous one.' I'll tell you what type of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-moennig/let-s-call-a-spade-a-spade-when-people-look-at-me-they-say-oh-she-s/) [Katherine Moennig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-moennig/) > [I was in a band with a boy who was quite androgynous and a bit bisexual, and we used to play up to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/i-was-in-a-band-with-a-boy-who-was-quite-androgynous-and-a-bit/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [If I'm androgynous, I'd say I lean toward macho-androgynous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-travolta/if-i-m-androgynous-i-d-say-i-lean-toward-macho-androgynous/) [John Travolta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-travolta/) > [I believe the future will reflect different body types, ethnicities, cultures and sexual orientations. I've been working with a lot of young artists who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelly-furtado/i-believe-the-future-will-reflect-different-body-types-ethnicities/) [Nelly Furtado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelly-furtado/) [Browse all 71 Androgynous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/androgynous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Virginia Woolf said that writers must be androgynous. I'll go a step further. 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