Beginning to Imagine the World Differently

Abstract

The collected volume Butler Matters testifies to Judith Butler’s extraordinary importance for feminist and queer studies and for gender research. The eleven contributions examine Butler’s (early) work—including Gender Trouble, Bodies that Matter, Excitable Speech, and The Psychic Life of Power—and prove its expansive influence across scholarly disciplines. The volume also portrays the controversial reception of Butler’s work as well as the political ramifications of her thinking. A two-part interview with Judith Butler, in which she approaches questions on a broad spectrum including important themes concerning her recent work, is particularly inspiring.