"In the year 1400, prudent political leadership was in short supply in France. King Charles VI (1368-1422) was battling a psychosis that periodically caused him to forget his own identity. France was in the middle of the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) with England. The Western Schism (1378-1417) was in full-swing, and European principalities were divided in their alliances with competing papal courts.
In the midst of this political and ecclesiastical instability, Christine de Pizan found herself widowed, in debt, and with three children to support. She first became a scribe in order to make money, but increasingly she began writing her own works. Called by many France’s first woman of letters, she is certainly the first woman known to have made a living by her pen. This was no small accomplishment. In an era when it was rare for women to support themselves or to comment on public life, Christine was unprecedented in her ability to do both.
Christine did not just write; she wrote well. Her father had been the official prognosticator in the court of Charles V (1338-1380), and by his direction, prior to her marriage, Christine had received an education that rivaled what a male scholar at the time might have received. Having access to the court library, Christine was enormously well-read. As a consequence, Othea’s council to the Trojan hero in Epistre d’Othea draws upon classical, patristic, biblical, and poetic sources."
~ Marianna Stell
"Christine de Pizan, Professional Writer and Voice"
https://blogs.loc.gov/bibliomania/2023/08/30/christine-de-pizan/
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