Considers Gilman's place in American literary and social history by examining her relationships to other prominent intellectuals of her era. By placing Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the company of her contemporaries, this collection seeks to correct misunderstandings of the feminist writer and lecturer as an isolated radical. Gilman believed and preached that no life is ever led in isolation; indeed, the cornerstone of her philosophy was the idea that ""humanity is a relation."" Gilman's highly public and combative stances as a critic and social activist brought her into contact and conflict wit