The Routledge Companion to Literature and Disability

Reviews / Votes

Titles in the "Routledge Companions" series introduce scholarly perspectives on particular subjects. The present volume surveys scholarship written at the intersection of literary studies, disability studies, and related fields. In her introduction, Hall (English, Univ. of York, UK) proposes that "literary and theoretical writing about disability provides ... a means of examining the narratives [that] shape and [give] meaning" to life. Hall presents the essays in five parts. Prioritizing areas "traditionally under-researched in disability studies," part 1 includes essays that break new ground or reconfigure existing critical modes. For example, Siobhan Senier argues that disability among indigenous peoples "cannot be thought apart from tribal sovereignty and land claims." In another essay, Cameron Awkward-Rich conducts a close reading of the terms disability and transgender, bringing into focus the "uneven" relationship between them and their associated disciplines. The rest of the 30 essays are arranged by genre (novels and short stories, poetry, drama, life writing). Standouts include Rebecca Sanchez's "Deafness and Modernism" and Samuel Yates's "Disability and the American Stage Musical" (these titles evince the companion's wide-sweeping scope). Whether used as a textbook, secondary resource, or general reading, this vital companion offers myriad entry points into a dynamic, evolving field of study.

J. D. Harding, Saint Leo University, USA. Choice: Highly Recommended.

"This anthology offers an introduction to the developing canon of disability literature (we are introduced to many works in the genres of fiction, poetry, drama, life writing, and graphic narratives) and a diversity of literary criticism (scholars in this collection employ critical disability studies, trans studies, gothic studies, modernism, feminism, afro-modernism, gender, race, nationality, class, ethnicity-the critical approaches are varied and demonstrate, in my opinion, how intersectional and interdisciplinary conversations of disability literature can be). Scholars reading this anthology are given an excellent overview of current conversations in the field and invitations to join in research and discussion... The Routledge Companion to Literature and Disability is an engaging companion to excellent works in disability literature, and I hope it sparks many new conversations and insights."

Liz Whiteacre, The University of Indianapolis, USA, Wordgathering