Carnal Inscriptions

This book explores manifestations of physical disability in Spanish American narrative fiction and performance, from José Martí's late nineteenth century crónicas, to Mario Bellatín's twenty-first century novels, from the performances of Guillermo Gómez-Peña and Coco Fusco to the testimonio and filmic depictions of Gabriela Brimmer.

"A breakthrough book in literary disability theory. In addition to bringing our attention to an array of fascinating texts, Antebi offers broadly usable paradigms, particularly because her focus is so often on contemporary forms that daily catch the eye: freak shows, talk shows, performance art pieces, testimonio. Carnal Inscriptions is a politically astute and ethically grounded work of criticism by one of the most original, sophisticated and exciting new voices in disability studies in the humanities." - Susan Schweik, University of California, Berkeley, Author of The Ugly Laws

"Antebi's Carnal Inscriptions: Spanish American Narratives of Corporeal Difference and Disability is the first English-language study to deal with the representation of physical difference, real and imagined, in contemporary Spanish American fiction.This book is a major contribution to cultural studies and the function of disability discourses in Spanish American writing.Antebi is sensitive to the history and fantasy of physical difference, including that of race, in the diverse cultures of Latin and South America in ways that any scholar interested in disability studies, literary studies, or Spanish American culture will find engaging and enlightening." - Sander L. Gilman, Emory University, Author of Fat: A Cultural History of Obesity

SUSAN ANTEBI is assistant professor of Hispanic Studies at the University of California, Riverside, USA.