This morning VIDA released their 2012 count of the treatment of women in literature over the last year and the results vary widly. Amy King, on behalf of VIDA was curious to see if the numbers reflected the already regressive treatment of women thus far in 2013. King wants to hold those accountable, but not at the risk to women writers.

“While it would be incredibly easy to begin by lambasting
national publications like Harpers, The Paris Review, The New Republic, New
York Review Of Books, Times Literary Supplement, The New Republic and The
Nation for their gross (& indecent) neglect of female writers’ work, I fear
the attention we’ve already given them has either motivated their editors to
disdain the mirrors we’ve held up to further neglect or encouraged them to
actively turn those mirrors into funhouse parodies at costs to women writers as
yet untallied. Reason hasn’t worked. The devolution among their ranks screams
itself increasingly red in the VIDA comparative charts. At this point, the publications with the “most men” simply do not win.”

Here are some of the the most fume worthy numbers and some that are working toward a more equal landscape.

Fume Worthy: 

Harpers:

Book Reviewers: 28 Male, 3 Female

Authors Reviewed: 54 Male, 11 Female

Bylines: 76 Male, 17 Female

Overall: 158 Male, 31 Female

The Paris Review:

Interviews: 6 Male, 1 Female

Fiction: 10 Male, 5 Female

Poetry: 48 Male, 11 Female

Essays: 6 Male, 1 Female

Overall: 70 Male, 18 Female

The New York Review of Books:

Book Reviewers: 215 Male, 40 Female

Authors Reviewed: 316 Male, 89 Male

Bylines: 121 Male, 36 Female

Overall: 652 Male, 165 Female

Working Towards Gender Parity:

Boston Review:

Book Reviewers: 11 Male, 8 Female

Authors Reviewed: 15 Male, 14 Female

Bylines: 101 Male, 70 Female

Overall: 135 Male, 99 Female

Poetry:

Overall: 207 Male, 166 Female

The Threepenny Review:

Overall: 54 Male, 31 Female

Vida Count 2012: Mic Check, Redux (VIDA)

The Count 2012 (VIDA)