I interviewed Professor Sami Schalk, a Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She researches gender, race, and disability, as well as the intersections between the three. Her bio reads:
“Dr. Sami Schalk is an associate professor in the Department of Gender & Women’s Studies at UW-Madison. Her research focuses on disability, race, and gender in contemporary American literature and culture, especially African American and women’s texts. Dr. Schalk’s first book, Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction, was published by Duke University Press in 2018. Dr. Schalk’s work has also appeared in a variety of journals such as Journal of Literary and Cultural Disability Studies, Journal of Modern Literature, Journal of Popular Culture, Girlhood Studies, and African American Review. Dr. Schalk teaches courses on disability studies, black feminism, intersectionality, and literature such as “Gender & Social Justice Literature,” “Gender, Disability & Sexuality,” and “Adaptations of Black Women’s Literature.” (bio and photo from University of Wisconsin-Madison Directory)
Could you talk about how you personally got involved in the fields of Gender & Women’s Studies, race, and disability? What interests you about these topics and/or their intersectionalities?
I was a Gender Studies major—well, it was called Women's Studies at my college–as an undergrad. I didn't know it could be a major until I took an intro class as a freshman, and it just lit up so many parts of my brain! I had already been involved in feminist communities. I attended a writing camp for girls led by feminist women, and so I had a lot of feminists in my life. But I didn't know there was this depth of study around it. That class got me excited about making it a major. I was already an English major, so I decided to double major, which eventually led me into Black feminism and Disability Studies.
Inside the Women's Studies program, I took a class on Black feminism, which really excited me. It gave me language for things I had already been thinking or feeling about the world but didn't know others were discussing. Then, I took a class called Women and Disability because it fit my schedule. I didn’t expect much from it, but it counted toward my major, so I enrolled. That class blew my mind. At that point, I was already out as queer and had taken Women’s Studies, Black feminism, and queer theory classes, so I felt like I knew a lot about marginalization, oppression, power, and privilege. But, I had never thought critically about disability until that class.
Before taking those classes, I could already identify how queer folks and people of color were treated, having grown up Catholic in a small town in Kentucky. But no one had ever talked to me about disability and ableism in a political way. I was 19 when I took that class, and it changed my perspective. If I was going to do activist work and tell men, white folks, and straight people to assess their privilege and become allies, I felt I needed to invest in Disability Studies and learn as much as I could.
In the process, I realized that I too was disabled, though I didn’t think of myself that way at the time. I wasn’t getting accommodations in school, and mental health was so stigmatized in my family that I wasn’t on medication. I knew my brain didn’t work quite like other people's, but I felt like I couldn’t call myself disabled without a formal diagnosis or accommodations. Still, I had an affinity for what was being discussed. It took me several years to fully understand that about myself.
So, yes, my journey really all started in college. I had a lot of mentors who supported my learning and growth in the field. And here I am, almost 20 years later, still doing this work!
What were your motivations for writing “Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction”?
For me, this came from a place of studying both English and Women's Studies as an undergraduate. In those classes, we were reading a range of Black literature, from older works like slave narratives to more contemporary texts. I noticed that disability was represented in these texts, but whenever we read scholarship on them, disability wasn't discussed. At the same time, in my Disability Studies courses, most of the readings were by white authors, and there wasn't much engagement with Black texts. I realized that these two fields—Black literature and Disability Studies—should be in conversation with each other, but they weren’t. Occasionally, there’d be an article about Toni Morrison, but there wasn't a broader connection.
That’s what drove me to bring these fields together. It became the focus of my dissertation, which later turned into my book. I added more research to make it more robust, but the foundation was laid during my PhD work. My dive into speculative fiction, though, happened somewhat by accident. Initially, I wanted to do a broader project on Black women’s literature, with chapters on Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, and slave narratives. But my mentor pointed out that it was too broad for one project and suggested I focus on the science fiction aspect because not many others were exploring that.
So I went back to the drawing board, read a lot more science fiction and fantasy, and realized there was something really compelling about the genre. My dissertation was titled Breaking the Rules, which worked for that project, even if it’s not the best book title. The idea behind it was that speculative fiction allows writers to break rules—both in terms of what we expect in reality and in how race, gender, and disability are represented. That’s what excited me about the genre.
I mention this because people often ask if I’ve always been a big sci-fi fan, and the answer is no. I wasn’t a sci-fi fan until I discovered authors like Octavia Butler. These Black women writers are doing something so unique and political with the genre, and that's what drew me in. I don’t read or watch just any science fiction—I'm specifically interested in the work that speaks to these intersections.
Can you please discuss your course “Gender & Social Justice Literature”?
I’ve been teaching this course for a couple of years, and we renamed it recently to Visionary and Speculative Fiction, though it's essentially the same class. The focus is now more on non-realist genres, which aligns with my current work and interests. The idea behind the course is that literature can play a role in social movements. While art alone isn’t enough to drive change, it can be part of a broader activism strategy, especially through storytelling.
Before pursuing my PhD, I completed an MFA in creative writing. I didn’t initially plan on becoming a professor; it just happened as I followed that path. Originally, I wanted to teach creative writing, and this class allows me to incorporate that passion. It’s a hybrid course, starting with theory, including discussions on how literature affects us. For instance, we explore studies showing that children who are read to often are better at identifying emotions, demonstrating how storytelling shapes how we understand each other. We also delve into literary theory, discussing how storytelling is embedded in everything, from how we talk about history to how legal cases are argued.
After covering the theory, we move into reading speculative fiction. In the current version of the course, we study texts like Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower, the edited collection Octavia's Brood, and The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang. These works, while non-realist, have a strong social justice focus, engaging with issues in creative ways. As we read, students complete small assignments. Early in the semester, they choose a specific social justice issue that they’re passionate about—something that affects them personally, such as sexual assault on college campuses or abortion access.
Students then write mini research papers where they explore recent news stories, activists, and academic articles related to their chosen issue. In class, we discuss the literature and also do creative writing exercises to practice storytelling. For their final assignment, students take what they’ve learned from their research and the fiction we’ve read and write their own creative stories about their social justice issue. There’s no research paper at the end—just creative work!
This is a fun class for me to teach because it’s always different. Each year, students choose different issues, and their stories are unique. It keeps me engaged and excited, and it offers students a chance to explore topics they care about from a creative perspective.
What are your goals for how you hope to see your research develop, specifically within the next few months?
I'm on sabbatical this year, which means I'm not teaching or doing service, just focusing on research. I recently finished the research phase of a new project and am now transcribing data, preparing for the analysis stage. This project is on pleasure activism, a new area for me, inspired by Adrienne Maree Brown's book Pleasure Activism. I'm specifically studying the creation of pleasure spaces for marginalized people, drawing from both Brown's work and my own community experiences. For example, I've helped create spaces like a queer and trans people of color tent at Pride, and I’ve hosted events. A trans man once told me one of my events was the first time he'd swam in public without his shirt, which made me reflect on the significance of these spaces.
I wanted to explore why these spaces are important, especially in the current political climate where attacks on DEI in higher education are increasing. For instance, in Wisconsin, anything created now has to be open to all students. We can no longer designate a space specifically for queer students or state that intention, even if such spaces weren’t heavily policed before. I wanted to highlight why these spaces matter and what people gain from them.
This project has been ongoing for about two years. In 2022, I interviewed 20 creators of these spaces across the US and Canada. Last summer, I attended various events, mostly in Chicago, and interviewed participants to understand why they come, what they get out of the experience, and what makes them feel safe. This summer, I secured funding to host three events: one for queer and trans people of color, one for queer and trans disabled people, and one for fat women. My research assistant and I interviewed attendees to learn about the creation and impact of these events.
Now, I'm processing the data, with plans to write both a mainstream book on creating and maintaining such spaces, and an academic book or articles on the more detailed aspects. These would address questions like: What does it mean to create safe spaces? What harm can occur in these spaces? What are disabled people doing in the wake of COVID to create spaces for each other? My research aims to understand how and why these spaces are made and their importance, especially for those who are often the only ones like themselves in mainstream spaces.
What advice do you have for those interested in fields similar to your areas of interest?
I would say, read a lot. There's plenty of good and summarized content on the internet, but reading full books is really valuable. So, read widely and take advantage of learning opportunities. There are free online courses you can take and learning isn't limited to just being in college. You can watch lectures online and gain a lot from them.
There are many ways to get involved, and it's important, even if you don’t want to be a professor. Not everyone will be, but taking a class, even if you're a business major, can broaden your perspective. For example, taking one Women's Studies class could impact how you approach your work in the business world. There's so much we can do to keep learning and growing.