ABSTRACT
In this chapter I continue my exploration of Woolf ’s aesthetic of the diary. Comparing Woolf ’s diary to the diaries of her contemporaries Vera Brittain and Katherine Mansfield, I consider the sense of community created between the reader and writer of a diary. Once again, Rita Felski’s theory of the political aesthetics of women’s writing guides my discussion of the roles diaries fill in the lives of readers. Specifically, I draw upon Felski’s concept of the feminist counter-public sphere. The feminist counter-public sphere resolves the conflict of politics and aesthetics by defining a space where writers can further their political goals without sacrificing aesthetic value. Applying Felski’s theory specifically to the diary, I define a speaking position unique to private writing that privileges the diary as a source of authentic experience. Readers are able to connect with varying levels of success to each diarist, and Woolf ’s diary, as we will see, is the most successful. The feminist counter-public sphere works as effective tool through which to define an aesthetic of the diary.
