Sensational Flesh by Amber Jamilla Musser is an astonishingly well-written and researched academic text presenting a provoking set of ideas through masterful juxtaposition. Musser’s approach to argument is historiographical in a particularly exciting way. Before the second chapter is over Musser has danced through citations of many great theorists, Foucault, Fanon, Spivak, Butler, and many more, but not only to respond to them.
Musser carefully unearths each author’s writing about masochism alongside its historical social context. This allows Musser to make a historical argument to set the stage: that the power dynamics within masochism have always been conceived in reaction to societal power dynamics whether they attempt to mirror or upend them. Therefore Musser sees identities marginalized through those societal power dynamics as embedded within our conception and experience of masochism by definition.
Musser goes on to advocate for flesh and sensation as valuable media through which masochism can be described and theorized. Musser encourages authors to embrace rather than fear their subjectivity. This book feels like the kind of work all academics dream of completing but few have the time, talent, and focus to do. Clearly the work of a formidable mind, Sensational Flesh turned out to be exactly the book I’d hoped it would be upon picking it up, plus much more. Not only does Musser bring together the work of many talented theorists and highlight the entire cannon of academic work about kink and masochism, but Musser responds with creative and compelling assertions. While some people might find the density of citations a bit intimidating, the author’s language is clear and supportively guides the reader to each point.
I think most people at an early college reading level would be comfortable reading this book. Most importantly, it gave me some interesting new thoughts to ponder as a Black queer sadist myself. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
Submitted by anon
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