One of the most common questions I get when people learn I’m childfree is, “Who’s going to take care of you when you’re older?” The presumption is that by having children, one is guaranteed to have an end-of-life caregiver. The problem is, it rarely works out that way. So not only is having kids for […]
“Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without Affection.” Of course Jane Austen was going to be on this list of Top 10 Real-Life Spinsters. Though she herself was not well known during her lifetime, today she is an inspiration to women, particularly happily single and childfree women, everywhere. For any new […]
Helen Keller’s fame is such that every school child knows her name and has learned about her life. Helen Keller’s Story As an infant, Keller contracted measles. Though this wasn’t uncommon during the time, the disease left her both blind and deaf. The loss of two primary senses while still a baby meant that as […]
Should you stay childfree? One of the major purposes of The American Spinster blog is to encourage women to start thinking more critically about why they want to have that ‘traditional‘ life of marriage and children. Far too many people in the US have children because they’ve been raised to believe it’s a natural milestone. […]
For women who live alone (especially those who work from home or don’t care much for cooking), meal times can be neglected or non-existent. If eating solo starts to feel lonesome, or if eating itself has turned into something of a necessary evil, this post is for you. So how can you enjoy eating alone? […]
Whether you love to cook or you’ve never even used your stove top, cooking for one can be a challenge. This guide will show you can you can enjoy cooking for one no matter what your dining preferences are. If you really enjoy preparing a good meal, you may be annoyed by how difficult it […]
So you know you’re going to stay childfree… but how to tell your parents? Just as it’s assumed that women will have babies, it’s also assumed that parents will become grandparents. How many times in TV, movies, and day-to-day life have you heard the parent of an adult say, “I want grandbabies”? But as you […]
#6: Greta Garbo Greta Garbo and Lillian Gish (both film stars from 1920s) were contenders for this spot on the list, but while Gish is still better known for her stardom rather than her spinsterhood, Garbo has become most remembered for her desire for solitude. While Garbo insists that she herself never said “I want […]
7. Emily Dickinson One of history’s most famous reclusive writers. Dickinson, from the outside, may have been the image of a madwoman in the attic. However, her extreme social phobia didn’t prevent her from being an incredibly prolific (albeit, posthumous) poet. Dickinson wrote about 1800 poems, but published less than a dozen during her life. […]
8. Anne Brontë Writer, Social Critic, Lifelong Spinster Of the three sisters (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne), only Anne Brontë makes this list. While Charlotte’s Jane Eyre rightly receives praise for its surprisingly strong-willed and independent female protagonist, Charlotte – like Jane – was happily married. The other two sisters remained unmarried until their early deaths, […]
