In Studying Disability Arts and Culture: An Introduction, Petra Kuppers draws on her extensive experience as an artist, performer, activist and scholar to provide a comprehensive, accessible and practical guide to the main issues resonating in disability arts and culture today. The book is divided into two parts. Part One addresses the wider context of disability culture, considering topics such as language, embodiment, pride and the various discourses of disability. The chapters in Part Two each take on a different cultural phenomenon, ranging from the art and poetry of institutionalization, the freak show and disabled superheroes, through to cultural representations of autism.
Grounded within the book (and laid out for the reader from the earliest pages) is a commitment to accessibility and accommodation for varying needs and experiences, as well as a consideration of whether the reader has come to the book familiar with disability culture and activism, or as a novice. Indeed, one of the strengths of the book is that Kuppers makes no assumption that the reader will be familiar with things such as language choice, the impact of privilege within a classroom setting, or disability activism. However, the reader’s ignorance is never patronized; instead, we are implored to consider and relate the issues raised in the book to our own experiences and knowledge.
A variety of learning tools are explored, bringing in new and innovative methods of student engagement that would be of use to educators teaching outside of the immediate subjects explored in the book. The exercises included in each chapter allow for students to scrutinize their understandings and approaches to learning as well as critically examining their attitudes and assumptions towards disability. By inviting us to explore outside of traditional academic sources, by examining things such as websites and zines for example, Kuppers widens our understanding of what sort of work is worthy of academic scrutiny. This strikes me as especially important considering the historical (and indeed, contemporary) exclusion of disabled people from both academia and mainstream culture, and provides a rich understanding of the many ways they have created and expressed themselves through history in defiance of this marginalization.
Weaving throughout the book are far-reaching yet always relevant examples and case studies used to contextualize each subject examined. This is especially effective when ‘mainstream’ examples are viewed explicitly through a disability culture lens, such as when Kuppers explores the relationship between the posthumous poems of Sylvia Plath and the work of disabled poet Jim Ferris regarding experiences of institutionalization. These connections, Kuppers states, are in part, ‘a political act’ (86), foregrounding disabled voices and placing them alongside mainstream canon. The centring of disabled voices is particularly engaging, and in doing so Kuppers shows not only the diversity of the disability arts community, but how vital these voices can and should be in shaping the dialogue around disability representation.
Reading the book, I was struck by the sheer volume of case studies and resources included. Because of this it would work excellently alongside other texts as a guide within disability studies classes. This comprehensive coverage is one of the book’s finest achievements, and introducing an array of subjects that guides the reader towards other resources, whether they are books, films, websites, exhibitions or community groups, reinforces Kuppers’ assertion that ‘this [book] is a text of questions’ (56). Directing the reader to cases as seemingly disparate as South Africa’s Remix Dance Company, examples of media coverage of so-called ‘mercy killings’ or the 2003 comic-book movie Daredevil opens us to experiences, artists and subjects beyond even the scope of many disability studies courses, and implores the reader to critically examine their understanding of disability, disablement and impairment by relating the texts and resources to their own experiences and cultural consumption.
There is also a strong sense of reflexivity and openness throughout the book, with Kuppers inviting the reader to critically explore their reactions, thoughts and feelings towards the issues raised and case studies examined. She shares her own ‘free writing’ exercises as a way of showing the complex and sometimes contradictory emotions elicited by the subjects explored, highlighting how her perspective as a disabled person influences these responses. It is refreshing to have such honesty within an academic text, and is a strategy that will hopefully enable an honest, open dialogue to take place within classroom discussions.
Studying Disability Arts and Culture: An Introduction is an accessible, comprehensive and, most importantly, engaging book. By grounding the text in contemporary (and sometimes contentious) issues within disability studies, Kuppers ensures that it will be of great value, both as a study guide within disability studies classes and for anyone looking for a clear introduction to disability culture.
London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, UK
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© 2016 Cat Smith
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2015.1129126