TY - JOUR
TI - Queer Transformation and Intersectional Identities: Analysing Race and Sexuality in Randall Kenan’s A Visitation of Spirits
AU - Binczycka-Gacek, Elżbieta
TI - Queer Transformation and Intersectional Identities: Analysing Race and Sexuality in Randall Kenan’s A Visitation of Spirits
AB - This article offers an in-depth examination of Randall Kenan’s A Visitation of Spirits, contextualizing its narrative within the frameworks of Queer theory and African American cultural studies. Set against the backdrop of a rural North Carolina community, the novel focuses on the experiences of Horace Cross, a young African American grappling with his homosexuality amidst the constraints of a Christian Fundamentalist society. The analysis explores how the novel navigates themes of race, sexuality, and identity, particularly through Horace’s quest for self-transformation. This study underscores the novel’s intricate exploration of these themes, positing queer transformation as a pivotal element that provides insight into the complexities of identity and community within the African American context. Additionally, the article examines the novel’s integration of popular culture references, revealing their role in bridging the discussions of racial and sexual identity. The aim is to shed light on Kenan’s narrative as a significant contribution to the discourse on intersectionality in literature, highlighting its impact in the broader fields of Black and queer studies.
VL - 2024
IS - Numer 1 (59)
PY - 2024
SN - 1895-975X
C1 - 2084-3860
SP - 130
EP - 144
DO - 10.4467/20843860PK.24.008.20074
UR - https://ejournals.eu/czasopismo/przeglad-kulturoznawczy/artykul/queer-transformation-and-intersectional-identities-analysing-race-and-sexuality-in-randall-kenans-a-visitation-of-spirits
KW - Randall Kenan
KW - A Visitation of Spirits
KW - queer
KW - identity
KW - transformation
KW - race
KW - African American literature
KW - popular culture
KW - black studies