2026/07/06 by Louise Johnson · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Literature and Culture Studies #Spatial and Cultural Studies #Theatre and Performance Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/14647001261461774
openalex publication_date 2026/07/06 · openalex created_date 2026/07/07 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/08
This article argues that burlesque, a performing art which typically weds elements of cabaret, music and dance, alongside the disrobing of the performer on stage, can be read as a material embodiment of Hélène Cixous's l’écriture féminine , namely ‘women's writing’. It begins by understanding l’écriture féminine as a form of knowledge which defies phallogocentric forms of understanding by instead locating the female body as a generative, disruptive and liberated force. With particular focus upon the American burlesque performer Carrie Finnell (1899–1963), it argues that the burlesque performer, through their exploration of body, costuming and gender identity, enacts l’écriture féminine in practice. In doing so, this article offers new readings about the performed body as text both on and off the stage.