I've just submitted my paper proposal for the American Folklore Society Annual Meeting in October. Cross your fingers for me! I loved writing this paper, and hope I get the chance to present it. Here's the short abstract:
Waiting for Myself to Follow: Narrative Reconstructions of the Body
A person’s sense of self and way of being is constructed through a lifetime of sensory input and corporeal encounters with the physical world. The body is so accustomed to itself that action is automatic. But what happens to a person’s sense of self when the body changes, as in the case of significant weight loss? “I keep turning around, and waiting for the rest of myself to follow,” says one woman, after having lost 180 pounds. Storytelling and personal narratives are pivotal in reconstructing body schema and relearning the self after such a significant physical change.
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1 comment:
This is really interesting. Awesome title. Reminds me of some of the first days after Valentina was born when I went out of the house without her. I vaguely felt as if something was missing... (of course I knew it was her)... but it was like there was a part of me that I always carried around and somehow I just forgot to bring it that day... a vague feeling like maybe I left my purse somewhere.
xoxo cousin Deb
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