To chick lit or not to chick lit, that is the question

Bookburger notes that the Battle of Chick Lit is ON, with two nicely competing collections:

This Is Not Chick Lit and (wait for it)

This Is Chick Lit

Yowsa! Rumble time!

If I have to pick one, I'd have to line up behind Not - because it includes a story by Aimee Bender, who has graced the Paperhaus. Podcast is coming right up.

However, I'm not convinced that gender-based collections work for me. I see why women play on separate basketball teams than men, but when it comes to writing, I'm less concerned with the genitals of the writer than their work. (This will undoubetdly get me into trouble in gradschool.)

If you're curious, like I was, who lines up on the NotChick and Chick teams, the author list is after the jump.

THIS IS NOT CHICK LIT
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Aimee Bender
Judy Budnitz
Jennifer S. Davis
Jennifer Egan
Carolyn Ferrell
Mary Gordon
Cristina Henríquez
Samantha Hunt
Binnie Kirshenbaum
Dika Lam
Caitlin Macy
Francine Prose
Holiday Reinhorn
Roxana Robinson
Curtis Sittenfeld
Lynne Tillman
Martha Witt

THIS IS CHICK LIT
Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Deanna Carlyle
Jennifer Coburn
Johanna Edwards
Karin Gillespie
Raelynn Hillhouse
Andrea Schicke Hirsch
Julie Kenner
Harley Jane Kozak
Stephanie Lehmann
Caren Lissner
Cara Lockwood
Ariella Papa
Kayla Perrin
Rachel Pine
Gena Schowalter
Karen Siplin
Heather Swain

Comments

[Megan]

Though both strong lists, I'm gonna have to go with the Not collection because it has both Francine Prose and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

[Dan Wickett]

that would be the Adichie that USA Today refers to as one of the relatively unknown writers? Made that person's future columns slightly suspect in my mind.

As I know and like both editors and their own writing - I'll have to beg off a call myself.

[Lauren Baratz-Logsted]

Thanks for the mention of This Is Chick-Lit. I can certainly understand the attraction of Francine Prose - I love her work too! - but I do hope you'll at least give our collection a look.