 The majority of English and American literature programs offer courses on specific aspects of literature by women, and women's writing is generally considered an area of specialization in its own right.The broader discussion women's cultural contributions as a separate category has a long history, but the specific study of women's writing as a distinct category of scholarly interest is relatively recent.There are examples in the 18th century of catalogs of women writers, including George Ballard's "Memoirs of Several Ladies of Great Britain Who Have Been Celebrated for their Writing or Skill in the Learned Languages, Arts, and Sciences" (1752); John Duncombe's "Feminiad", a catalogue of women writers; and the "Biographium faemineum