In Bodyminds Reimagined Sami Schalk traces how black women's speculative fiction complicates the understanding of bodyminds-the intertwinement of the mental and the physical-in the context of race, gender, and (dis)ability. Bridging black feminist theory with disability studies, Schalk demonstrates that this genre's political potential lies in the authors' creation of bodyminds that transcend reality's limitations. She reads (dis)ability in neo-slave narratives by Octavia Butler (Kindred) and Phyllis Alesia Perry (Stigmata) not only as representing the literal injuries suffered under slavery, but also as a metaphor for the legacy of racial violence. The fantasy worlds in works by N. K. Jemisin, Shawntelle Madison, and Nalo Hopkinson-where werewolves have obsessive-compulsive-disorder and blind demons can see magic-destabilize social categories and definitions of the human, calling into question the very nature of identity. In these texts, as well as in Butler's Parable series, able-mindedness and able-bodiedness are socially constructed and upheld through racial and gendered norms. Outlining (dis)ability's centrality to speculative fiction, Schalk shows how these works open new social possibilities while changing conceptualizations of identity and oppression through nonrealist contexts.

About the Author
Sami Schalk is Associate Professor of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Reviews
"It is now time to bring focus and attention to the works of Black women speculative writers and their subjects. Bodyminds Reimagined becomes the discovery that celebrates these writers and subjects, while challenging the status quo within speculative fiction and (dis)ability studies, and moves them from marginalized objects to realist representations." -- Grace Gipson * Black Perspectives *
"Sami Schalk's highly anticipated Bodyminds Reimagined is the most significant contribution to literary and cultural disability studies in years. Appeals to scholars in critical race studies, queer studies, and social justice activism." -- Anna L. Hinton * ASAP/Journal *
"Sami Schalk's book is an important bridge between Black women's science fiction and disability theorizing. Her work requires a reconceptualization of the boundaries of disability studies and African American literature as well." -- Moya Bailey * Feminist Formations *
"Bodyminds Reimagined boldly demonstrates the capacity of black speculation and experimentation to generate world-building visions that are inclusive and sustainable for multiply marginalized black subjects." -- Petal Samuel * Public Books *
"Bodyminds Reimagined is a compelling critical study . . . simultaneously accessible and complex, exhaustively sourced and fresh in its analysis. . . . Students, scholars, and fans of speculative fiction will be well served to familiarize themselves with this book." -- Angela Rovak * Women's Studies *
"Sami Schalk, through Bodyminds Reimagined, takes a revolutionary step in defining the black disabled person's experience in literature and media by promoting examples of black disabled people in speculative fiction created by women of color; and by re-defining manifestations of intersectionality among disabled people of color." -- Timotheus "T.J." Gordon, Jr. * Ethnic Studies Review *
"Bodyminds Reimagined is an important work on theorizing speculative fiction and the ways in which it can change perceptions, actions, and minds. A model for future intersectional scholarship, this book is well written and accessible." -- Joshua Earle * Catalyst *
"Wide-reaching. . . . Sami Schalk's version of intersectionality emphasizes multidimensional entanglements that resist visual charting and static notions of identity. This version of intersectionality serves as a launchpad for new social formations." -- Gabriella Friedman * American Quarterly *
"Bodyminds Reimagined encouraged me to check my own privilege, to think differently about identity, and to reimagine my small niche in the world. The book is that good in its confrontation of the status quo, in its analysis of marginalized peoples in estranged worlds. . . . When I refer to Schalk's Bodyminds Reimagined as groundbreaking, I do not mean this lightly. . . . All libraries should stock this book on their shelves." -- Isiah Lavender III * Science Fiction Studies *
"Bodyminds Reimagined will appeal both to scholars and general readers. Schalk's framework is simplified in a way that makes it digestible for those who may be unfamiliar with crip theory or intersectionality. With a slim frame, and at only four chapters, the book is inviting rather than intimidating. Schalk's ability to sound both personable and professional is particularly enjoyable." -- Anelise Farris * Extrapolation *



Book Information
ISBN 9780822370888
Author Sami Schalk
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Duke University Press
Publisher Duke University Press
Weight(grams) 295g