Gilman (1860-1935) was a prominent American humanist, novelist, writer of short stories, poetry and non-fiction, and a lecturer for social reform. She was a utopian feminist and served as a role model for future generations of feminists because of her unorthodox concepts and lifestyle. Her best-remembered work is the semi-autobiographical story The Yellow Wallpaper which she wrote after a severe bout of postpartum psychosis. In this book first published in 1898, which is subtitled A Study of the Economic Relation Between Men and Women as a Factor in Social Evolution, she discusses the role of women in the home, arguing for changes in the practices of child-raising and housekeeping to alleviate pressures from women and potentially allow them to expand their work to the public sphere. It was this work that propelled Gilman into the international spotlight and in 1903 she addressed the International Congress of Women in Berlin and the following year toured much of Europe lecturing on women's issues, social reform and other subjects..