QUEER CURRENTS : STOMACH BOOK (Music Artist) (ETKE T)

SEMINAR DESCRIPTION

This course will surface the ways in which LGBTQ+ people and communities have impacted the ways in which mainstream American culture has been shaped by cultural production derived from thinking that challenges heteronormativity in post-World War II America until the validation of same sex marriage in 2014 Through the lenses of queer theory, evolving queer history, Since the emergence of “homosexuality” and “transsexuality” as identities in the late 19th century, queer culture has been presumed to develop in the margins of American life, ancillary to and shaped by heterosexual norms. Yet, the vast majority of queer people in the last hundred years have lived (to at least some degree) in the closet, allowing them to exist in the mainstream while maintaining a distinctly non-normative identity. Thus, to quote bell hooks, allowing them "to bring the margin into the center." In 15 meetings over the course of the semester, through lectures, discussions, texts, slides, films and video, we will explore the ways in which transformative integration of queer designs for living have occurred. Highlighting pivotal events and shifts in American cultural, political, and creative history this course will provide food for thought about the ways in queerness is integral to American notions of progress and freedom.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

STOMACH BOOK (Music Artist) (ETKE T)

STOMACH BOOK is a musical project created by Vivian Weeks, a musician from South Bend, Indiana. Her indie alternative music explores her experiences with being transgender and processing her trauma. On her bandcamp she talks about how she started STOMACH BOOK in her college dorm room as a way to "explore the beauty in suffering" and help her cope with her mental health.

"just spillin my guts"

(STOMACH BOOK Bandcamp page)

Her unique and crunchy-feeling music style combined with unsettling (yet also somewhat cutesy) art is effective in driving home the harsh and intense feelings Weeks tries to convey. She released her debut album "STOMACH BOOK" on October 8, 2021, with it releasing her most popular song, "Animals".

"Animals" has the most listens out all of her work on spotify, with a staggering 1,805,819 listens. It sticks out to me personally, and many others, because of its clear story of a transgender person struggling against the world around them, a world they just realized does not want them. It's powerful and personal and harsh in the most soothing way.

It's a somewhat pessimistic view of the transgender experience, but one that feels incredibly real. I personally used to listen this song in the backrooms of my job, after dealing with transphobic customers. A very theraputic experience.

Other recommended songs are "DEVIL NOBODY" and "METANOIA".

Vivian Weeks's Linktree

STOMACH BOOK Bandcamp

STOMACH BOOK Youtube Channel