Judging a book by its cover - the micro activism of fat poetry covers
At a Glance
Section titled âAt a Glanceâ| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2022-01-21 |
| Journal | Fat Studies |
| Authors | Claudia Cortese |
| Institutions | Montclair State University |
Abstract
Section titled âAbstractâThough there has been some critical writing on fat poetics, this is the first article that examines the visual rhetoric of book covers by fat-identifying poets. Positing that covers are a distinct way to intervene against anti-fatness, the article uses Charlotte Cooperâs theory of micro-fat activism and combines esthetic analysis of the coversâ art and design with theoretical, social analysis of the coversâ meanings. This article analyzes Samantha Zighelboimâs cover of The Fat Sonnets through a diet culture, disciplinary lens rooted in eating disorder research, while Sigmund Freudâs theory of The Uncanny helps elucidate the coverâs visual terror. Judith Butlerâs theory of gender performativity and Sabrina Stringsâ research on the racist, Protestant origins of fatphobia are used to analyze Diamond Fordeâs cover of Mother Body through an intersectional perspective. Fordeâs cover celebrates the fat, Black, female body; reclaims Cooperâs âheadless fattyâ; and re-writes the Edenic myth. Combined, these covers critique diet culture and present a fat-positive solution to anti-fatness.
Tech Support
Section titled âTech SupportâOriginal Source
Section titled âOriginal SourceâReferences
Section titled âReferencesâ- 2014 - Body Respect: What Convention Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, and Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight
- 1990 - Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity
- 2016 - Fat Activism: A Radical Social Movement
- 2021 - Mother Body