Literary Disability Studies in America:An Interview with Professor Michael Bérubé

迈克尔·贝吕贝是美国宾夕法尼亚州立大学人文学院杰出教授,当代著名残疾理论以及残疾文学奠基者和主要研究学者。曾任美国现代语言协会(MLA)主席、美国《残疾研究》和《残疾文学》等期刊主编,主要研究领域为残疾研究、美国文学研究以及文化研究,已发表学术专著十部、学术论文百余篇。本文作者在宾夕法尼亚州立大学人文学院英语系联合培养博士学习期间(2017.10—2018.10),主修《残疾研究》课程,并对迈克尔·贝吕贝教授进行了面对面的学术采访。访谈内容主要涉及残疾研究、美国残疾文学研究、残疾群体身份以及"交叉性"术语等重要问题,分别从残疾的定义、残疾研究内容、残疾文学研究意义以及发展趋势几个方面进行了讨论,并对残疾文学研究未来的发展做出预测。

Michael Bérubé(born in 1961) is an Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Literature at Pennsylvania State University,where he teaches American literature,disability studies,and cultural studies.He is the author of ten books on cultural studies,disability rights,liberal and conservative politics,and debates in higher education.The best known books are Life as Jamie Knows It:An Exceptional Child Grows Up(2016);The Secret Life of Stories:From Don Quixote to Harry Potter,How Understanding Intellectual Disability Transforms the Way We Read(2016);The Humanities,Higher Education,and Academic Freedom:Three Necessary Arguments(2015);Rhetorical Occasions:Essays on Humans and the Humanities(2006);Life as We Know It:A Father,A Family,and an Exceptional Child(1996).The author of this paper interviewed Professor Michael Bérubé on August 28,2018.In this interview,Professor Bérubé commented on the issues of disability,disability studies,literary disability studies in America,identities of disabled groups and intersectionality.He not only discussed the definition of the terms and disability studies,but also explored the relationship between disability studies and literary studies.He predicted the brilliant future of literary disability studies in the context of globalization and welcomed Chinese scholars in this meaningful research about disability,justice and humanity.