Library Journal Review

Few college professors can match Felman's flair in the classroom. A professor at Brandeis whose books include Cravings: A Sensual Memoir, she teaches such classes as "Blacks and Jews," "Reading and Writing Autobiography," and "Introduction to Women's Studies" but is also a performance artist with her own one-woman show. Felman effectively brings this expertise to her classroom, which is usually filled to capacity. Through her own "performance," she actively engages her students in the learning process and creates an atmosphere in which intimacy between students and a strong teacher-student bond develop. Students leaving a "normal" college class may talk about what was just learned, but according to one student, those leaving Felman's sessions are more apt to talk about how they feel. In this collection of essays, Felman reveals how she helps her students understand the "big picture" and how she teaches them to transform themselves while discarding the distorted views they may have about others. And although she discusses the present state of academia in great detail, she also discusses social structure, covering topics such as feminism, gender and racial biases, and sexual orientation. A good addition to most libraries. Terry Christner, Hutchinson P.L., KS (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.