Editing Joanna Russ (section)

==Science fiction and other writing==
Russ came to be noticed in the science fiction world in the late 1960s,<ref name="scificulture">{{harvp|Bacon-Smith|2000|p=95}}</ref> in particular for her award-nominated novel ''[[Picnic on Paradise]]''.<ref name=sfadb/> At the time, SF was a field dominated by male authors, writing for a predominantly male audience, but women were starting to enter the field in larger numbers.<ref name="scificulture" /> Russ was one of the most outspoken female authors to challenge male dominance of the field, and is generally regarded as one of the leading [[feminist science fiction]] scholars and writers.<ref name="scificulture" /> She was also one of the first major science fiction writers to take [[slash fiction]] and its cultural and literary implications seriously.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Journal of Popular Romance Studies |volume=1 |url=http://jprstudies.org/2011/03/interview-joanna-russ/ |author1=Francis, Conseula  |author2=Piepmeier, Alison |title=Interview: Joanna Russ |issue=2 |date=March 31, 2011 |access-date=March 15, 2013 }}</ref> She published over fifty short stories. Russ was associated with the [[New Wave science fiction|American New Wave]] of science fiction.<ref name="scholes-rabkin">{{cite book | first1=Robert | last1=Scholes| author-link1= Robert Scholes| first2 = Eric S.| last2 = Rabkin|title=Science Fiction: History, Science, Vision| chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/sciencefictionhi00scho | chapter-url-access=registration | publisher=Oxford University Press| location=London|date=1977|page=[https://archive.org/details/sciencefictionhi00scho/page/93 93] | chapter = A Brief Literary History of Science Fiction | isbn=978-0-19-502174-5}}</ref>

Along with her work as a writer of prose fiction, Russ was also a playwright, essayist, and author of nonfiction works, generally literary criticism and feminist theory, including the essay collection ''Magic Mommas, Trembling Sisters, Puritans & Perverts''; ''[[How to Suppress Women's Writing]]''; and the book-length study of modern feminism, ''[[What Are We Fighting For?]]''. Her essays and articles have been published in ''[[Women's Studies Quarterly]]'', ''[[Signs (journal)|Signs]]'', ''Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies'', ''[[Science Fiction Studies]]'', and ''[[College English]]''. Russ was a self-described [[socialist feminism|socialist feminist]], expressing particular admiration for the work and theories of [[Clara Fraser]] and her [[Freedom Socialist Party]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redletterpress.org/Joanna_Russ_introduction.pdf |title=Revolution, She Wrote: Introduction |access-date=March 15, 2013 }}</ref> Both fiction and nonfiction, for Russ, were modes of engaging theory with the real world; in particular, ''[[The Female Man]]'' can be read as a theoretical or narrative text. The short story "[[When It Changed]]", which became a part of the novel, explores the constraints of gender and asks if gender is necessary in a society.

Russ's writing is characterized by anger interspersed with humor and irony. [[Alice Sheldon|James Tiptree Jr]], in a letter to her, wrote, "Do you imagine that anyone with half a functional neuron can read your work and not have his fingers smoked by the bitter, multi-layered anger in it? It smells and smoulders like a volcano buried so long and deadly it is just beginning to wonder if it can explode."<ref name="nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu"/> In a letter to Susan Koppelman, Russ asks of a young feminist critic "where is her anger?" and adds "I think from now on, I will not trust anyone who isn't angry."{{sfnp|Russ|1995|p=175}}

For nearly 15 years she was an influential (if intermittent) review columnist for ''[[The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction]]''.<ref name="James, Edward 2009"/> Though by then she was no longer an active member of [[science fiction fandom]], she was interviewed by phone during [[Wiscon]] (the feminist [[science fiction convention]] in [[Madison, Wisconsin]]) in 2006 by her friend and member of the same [[New_Wave_(science_fiction)|cohort]], [[Samuel R. Delany]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.broaduniverse.org/broadsheet-archive/the-legendary-joanna-russ-interviewed-by-samuel-r-delany-february-2007-bs-t-0702jrsrd |title=The Legendary Joanna Russ Interviewed by Samuel R. Delany |work=Broadsheet |publisher=Broaduniverse.org |date=February 2007 |access-date=March 15, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324075414/http://www.broaduniverse.org/broadsheet-archive/the-legendary-joanna-russ-interviewed-by-samuel-r-delany-february-2007-bs-t-0702jrsrd |archive-date=March 24, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Her first SF story was "Nor Custom Stale" in F&SF (1959). Notable short works include Hugo winner and Nebula Award finalist "[[Souls (story)|Souls]]" (1982), Nebula Award and Tiptree Award winner "[[When It Changed]]" (1972), Nebula Award finalists "The Second Inquisition" (1970), "Poor Man, Beggar Man" (1971), "The Extraordinary Voyages of Amélie Bertrand" (1979), and "The Mystery of the Young Gentlemen" (1982).<ref name=locus>{{cite web |publisher=[[Locus Publications]] |url=http://www.locusmag.com/News/2011/04/joanna-russ-1937-2011/ |title=Joanna Russ (1937–2011) |work=Locus Online News |date=April 29, 2011 |access-date=March 15, 2013 }}</ref> Her fiction has been nominated for nine Nebula and three Hugo Awards, and her genre-related scholarly work was recognized with a [[Pilgrim Award]] in 1988.<ref name=sfadb/> Her story "The Autobiography of My Mother" was one of the 1977 [[O. Henry Award|O. Henry Prize]] stories.<ref name="sfwa">[http://www.sfwa.org/2011/04/in-memoriam-joanna-russ-1937-2011 "In Memoriam: Joanna Russ (1937–2011)"]. [[Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America]]. April 29, 2011.</ref>

She wrote several contributions to feminist thinking about [[pornography]] and sexuality, including "Pornography by Women, for Women, with Love" (1985),<ref>{{Cite web|title = Pornography by Women, For Women, With Love – Fanlore|url = http://fanlore.org/wiki/Pornography_by_Women,_For_Women,_With_Love|publisher= [[Fanlore]] |access-date = December 8, 2015}}</ref> "Pornography and the Doubleness of Sex for Women",<ref>{{Cite web|title = Pornography and the doubleness of sex for women by Joanna Russ|url = http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC32folder/JoannaRussDoubSex.html|website = www.ejumpcut.org|access-date = December 8, 2015}}</ref> and "Being Against Pornography",<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|url = http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv52000/op=fstyle.aspx?t=k&q=russ|title = Being Against Pornography|last = Russ|first = Joanna|date = n.d.|journal = University of Oregon Special Collections|issue = Box 13, Folder 6}}</ref> which can be found in her archival pieces located in the [[University of Oregon Special Collections & University Archives|University of Oregon's Special Collections]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Archives West: Joanna Russ papers, 1968–1989|url = http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv52000/op=fstyle.aspx?t=k&q=russ|website = archiveswest.orbiscascade.org|access-date = December 8, 2015}}</ref> These essays include very detailed descriptions of her views on pornography and how influential it was to feminist thought in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, in "Being Against Pornography", she calls pornography a feminist issue. Her issues with pornography range from feminist critiques to women's sexuality in general, maintaining that porn prevents women from freely expressing their sexual selves like men can.<ref name=":0" /> Russ believed that [[anti-pornography]] [[ACTivists|activists]] were not addressing how women experienced pornography created by men, a topic that she addressed in "Being Against Pornography".<ref name=":0" />