Writing and the Body
This Web page has information to help researchers find materials related to the topic of writing and the human body.
Books | Identify Articles | Journals | Web--Medical Sites | Web--Body Art (subdivided) | Web--General Writing Topics & More (subdivided) | Body Studies | Writing Marketplace | Manuscript Preparation & IdeasBooks
Use the library catalog Sage to identify books that will give information on the topic. (Look in the Regional Catalog Prospector for additional titles. CSU affiliates may request items from Prospector.) For this topic it will be interesting to look at older materials, because knowledge about the human body is ever-evolving. Be sure to look at subdivisions of interest (e.g. body piercing -- pictorial works). Subject headings (so do a SUBJECT search) for topics to do with writing the and human body are:
| Body Composition |
|
Body Piercing Extremities (Anatomy) Human Anatomy Human Anatomy Atlases Human Anatomy Early Works To 1800 Human Anatomy Handbooks Manuals Etc Human Anatomy Outlines Syllabi Etc Human Anatomy Popular Works Human Anatomy Terminology Human Anatomy Variation Human Mechanics Human Locomotion Human Physiology Kinesiology Medical Writing Medicine -- Dictionaries Mehndi (Body painting) [search Prospector] Tattooing Tattooing Social Aspects |
Example book titles:
- Montserrat, Dominic, ed. Changing Bodies, Changing Meanings: Studies on the Human Body in Antiquity. London: Routledge, 1998. PN56.B62 C48 1998 Morgan
- Olson, Gary A. ed. Rhetoric and Composition as Intellectual Work. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2002. PE1404 .R485 2002 Morgan also e-.
- Schilder, Paul. The Image and Appearance of the Human Body: Studies in the Constructive Energies of the Psyche. New York: Wiley [1964]. BF181 .S35 1964 Storage
A major player in this field is Susan Bordo (link is to books owned by CSU). See also Web page with biographical information and bibliography. Workplace biography with information on her writing.
Online Reference
Search the library catalog Sage by subject for "Medicine Dictionaires" (listed above) to identify books in the Library's collection. More recent titles will be in Reference, and therefore cannot be checked out.
Oxford English Dictionary (OED). CSU affiliates only.
Get definitions of terms and find out their use in written English historically. For example, for tibia: "
1726-41 MONRO Anat. (ed. 3) 282 The superior Extremity of the Tibia is large." [Monro, Alexander. The Anatomy of the Human Bones 1726 (1741).]
Medical Encyclopedia and Medical Dictionary. Medline Plus.
"The A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia includes over 4,000 articles about diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries. It also contains an extensive library of medical photographs and illustrations." Browse by first letter of the topic.
Medical Dictionary. The Free Dictionary.
"The main sources of TheFreeDictionary's Medical dictionary are The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary, Second Edition and Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Care Consumers, which provide authoritative descriptions of medical conditions, medications, anatomical terms, noted medical personalities and much more."
Online Books
Full Text English Literature on the Web. CSU Libraries
Look through the sites linked to here for scientic and other materials of interest.
Identify Articles in These Databases
Identify articles in indexes/databases. These databases can be found alphabetically on the "Research Databases" page. If you do not have a topic in hand, start by searching: "human body and (rhetoric or writing)" and see where things go. Results might be zero, but they might produce some interesting articles. Look at the subjects assigned to them and do new SUBJECT searches using the preferred databases term(s).
Humanities International Index.
Search, for example: BODY, Human, in literature, BODY, Human (Philosophy)
JSTOR.
No subject indexing, but the recommended starter search has many results, even when limited to articles only: (human body and (rhetoric or writing)).
Medline.
"Human body and (rhetoric or writing)" brings up some really relevant articles.
Project MUSE.
Good results with recommended default search. More on "rhetoric" side than the "body" side, but still of interest.
ScienceDirect.
Recommended default search not as productive--it brings up articles, but not necessarily on topic. However, if have medical-type topic already, a very good place to go, especially for historical topics because some of the medical science journals cover many years back. For example: The Lancet, 1823 to the present.
Journals
The journals listed below are the major "creative nonfiction" titles that CSU owns.
- Creative Nonfiction. PS 659 .C74 1993- Journal Room. Earlier years in Movable Shelves. Web site.
- Fourth Genre. 2003 (vol. 5 issue 1)- online to CSU affiliates. Web site.
- River Teeth. 2003 (vol. 5 issue 1)- online to CSU affiliates
- Seneca Review. PS 1 .S4 1970-6, 1981- Journal Room. Earlier years in Movable Shelves. Online 2005- to CSU affiliates.
Identify many other titles owned by CSU by searching the library catalog Sage by subject for: Literature Periodicals.
Identify titles of magazines published world wide by doing a search in Ulrich's Periodicals Directory (found under "U" on the Research Databases page) for "literature" and check the status: active box. There are over 6,800 titles listed. If you limit to country of publication, the search results find over 2,500 titles. Add a "and not" keyword: poet or poetry or poem, and the list drops to under 1,600 titles. [Subject: literature [and] Country of Publication: united states [andnot] Keyword: poet or poetry or poem; Status: Active.] A number of the titles have a description and/or a link to the magazine's Web site.
Annual
- The Best Creative Nonfiction. PS 659 .C743 Morgan 2007-
Web--Medical & Other Sites
The following Web sites and pages have information and/or links to information on the human body and its anatomy. Some of it is not for the squeamish.
Biomedical Sciences Research Guide. Cindy Mitchell. CSU Libraries.
Lists frequently used biomedical sources, databases, Web sites, and more.
World-famous medical facility's Web site. Search for topic, look up a symptom, and much more.
Human Gross Anatomy. MyHealthScore.com. Copyright (c) 1999 - 2009 INTELLIMED International Corporation.
Choose a system to view: skeletal, digestive, muscular, etc. Click on identified areas for description. (E.g. "tooth," "stomach," and "heart.") Aimed at a general audience, with a bit of whimsy.
Human Anatomy. Minnesota State University.
Watch a skeleton walk on the initial page (as of 1-7-9). Covers digestive (hard to read with dark background) and skeletal systems. The human anatomy terms give a useful guide to understanding descriptions found elsewhere, such as "proximal" and "distal." Page is currently under construction.
Biology 129 Human Anatomy. Dr James A. Strauss. Penn State.
Photographs of actual human skeletal systems and other systems of the cat (muscular, digestive, etc.) and sheep. Not for the squeamish.
Anatomy of the Human Body. Henry Gray. Bartleby.com. 1918.
"The Bartleby.com edition of Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body features 1,247 vibrant engravings—many in color—from the classic 1918 publication, as well as a subject index with 13,000 entries ranging from the Antrum of Highmore to the Zonule of Zinn." Site has advertisements and pop-backs.
How the Body Works. © 1995-2009 The Nemours Foundation.
Aimed at kids. Has simple explanations. Movies (cartoons--with a sense of humor), quizzes, articles, word finds, activities, etc. Section of a larger site aimed at children's health (physical and mental) and well being.
Web--Body Art
Warning: some of the sites below may have images that may not be appropriate for the young (or the squeamish).
Cautions | Multiple Ways | Henna | Tattoos | Piercing | Cosmetic Surgery
Cautions--Things to Consider Before Decorating Oneself
Body Art. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Brief information about body art. Describes transferable viruses danger for tattoo artists and body piercers who may be exposed to client's blood in the course of their work. List of recommended practices to reduce the risk of illnesses.
Canadian Association of Body Arts (CABA).
An informal group that is still in the process of forming although it may remain unfocused because the page was last updates in 1997. There is an online Guide to Safe Body Art (1995).
Henna Tattoo Allergy Link. BBC News. 15 August 2001.
Article warning of possible "lifelong allergy to a common chemical found in dyes." A tattoo made in back street kinds of shops "can lead to months of pain and discomfort." The warning about black henna is repeated on many other sites.
About Body Art & Piercing. Office of Health Promotion. Villanova University.
Aimed at students and other considering body art (information about multiple kinds).
Body Art. Australian Museum Online.
Sections: About, Painting, Piercing, Scarring, Tattooing, and Shaping. "Body Art explores the many different ways, both temporary and permanent, in which people modify, change, decorate and adorn their bodies." Quotes from people who have these. Some photographs showing the body art.
Body Art: Marks of Identity. American Museum of Natural History.
From an exhibition. Gives background and definitions (via a glossary). Photo gallery has 22 pictures with information about the person(s) or art object.
Body Art Site. Rae Scharz. BellaOnline.
Information about tattoos, deciding to get one, body art history, body painting, body piercing, health & healing, Japanese style, topics (e.g. age limits), and more. Indicates when links goes offsite.
Bodies of Cultures. Penn Museum. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
"People around the world have been piercing, tattooing, and painting their bodies for ages." Items from the galleries at the Penn Musuem that have evidence of body modification "as far back as the 9th century B.C." Click on the hyperlinked images of faces for museum description; click on hyperlinked word at the end of the questions to read comments from museum visitors. Sites doesn't let you go back, so use "View-->Go to" to return to this page.
A number of sites warn against using black henna.
The Body Canvas: The Human Body as a Medium of Art. Kamat's Potpourri.
Images with brief descriptions of body art in India. Advertisements.
The Henna Page TM. Catherine Cartwright-Jones (& others).
"The Henna Page is an educational resource devoted to the history, traditions, techniques, science and art of Henna, and is part of a site group devoted to Henna and related arts." The entire first row of links (how to, patterns, etc.) and some of the lower ones did not work on 1-12-9. The ones that do work have useful information.
Body Adornment--The Art of Mehndi at Dwsbury Museum. Corinne Field. 24 Hour Museum.
Article gives a brief overview of Mehndi art and items on display at a museum (in 2004). 4 photographs.
Tattoos, Piercings, and Body Markings. National Geographic
Photographs by Chris Rainier showing tattoos, piercings, and scarification in cultures around the world. Images take a moment to load. A few images, but there are descriptions. Advertisements.
Information on popular tattoo designts and symbols, historical and celebrity tattoos, tribal tattoos from around the world, bodyart and photo galleries, and more. Site has its own Tattoo Museum.
Skin Stories: The Art and Culture of Polynesian Tattoo. Pacific Islanders in Communications. PBS.
Site that takes off from a program aired in May 2003. Topics include: history, role, artists, gallery, stories, and glossary of terms.
Association of Professional Piercers.
Site relaunched May 6, 2009 and still under rearrangement. Past site had under Getting Pierced topics such as: know your rights, faq, important health considerations, oral piercing risks, choosing a pierces, piercing aftercare, imposters, and more. Presumably this information is still there somewhere.
Body Piercing. Body Art Site. Rae Schwarz. BellaOnline.
Articles with practical information about piercings. For example, at airports, changing, various places on the face and body, faqs, etc.
Body Piercing. TeensHealth. Nemours Foundation.
Information about what body piercing is and things to consider before having it done and afterwards, to ward off possible infections.
Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery. Medline Plus (general site listed above).
Sections on: basics, learn more, research, reference shelf, and more. Links off to other sites.
Cosmetic Surgery. Body Image: Loving Yourself Inside and Out. Womenshealth.gov. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
List inappropriate candidates for surgery, discusses safety, doctor credentials, Body dysmorphic disorder, and additional information.
The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.
The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery "promotes, supports, augments, develops and encourages the science, art and practice of cosmetic surgery. . .. AACS is here to provide you with objective and reliable information to help you make an informed decision about your care and help ensure the safest, most effective treatment available." Surgeons listed on the site are members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, American Society of Liposuction Surgery, and/or American Society of Hair Restoration Surgery.
Commerical site with information on procedures (multiple body areas and head/face sites--also a list of the most popular), ideal candidates for the procedure in question, realistic expectations for the treatment, discussions of risks, benefits, cost, variations in results, questions to ask the surgeon beforehand, and more. Essential facts gives a summary of information on selected procedures. Site has "find a doctor" where a procedure is matched with a state.
Web--General Writing Topics
Web--Medical Discourse | Web--Creative Nonfiction
Narrative Writing. Copyright © 2007 by the Corporation for Educational Technology Funded by the Indiana General Assembly through the Indiana Department of Education
Definition. Gives uses and exercises. Links to definitions for descriptive writing, expository writing, narrative writing, persuasive writing, poetry, and technical writing.
Gender and Creative Writing: A Bibliography. Susan Hubbard and Gail Stygall. 1997.
Selectively annotated; "a wide range of critical texts that have implications for the study of gender's influences on the teaching and practice of creative writing." Separate page for introduction and bibliography at same URL.
Gender-Sensitive Language. The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .
"This handout will explain some of the current thinking on gender issues and writing and will provide suggestions to help you appropriately express gender relationships as you write."
Web--Medical Discourse
A Critical Theory of Medical Discourse: Ideology, Social Control, and the Processing of Social Context in Medical Encounters. Howard Waitzkin. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 30 (1989): 220-39.
PDF version of an article that discusses how encounters with medical professional enforce social orders, reprecussions for social control, etc.
Building Better Patient Notes by Using Templates. David L. Blecker, FACP. October 1998 ACP-ASIM Observer. © 1998 by the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine.
The potential for confusion in patient notes is described, and an example template for patient notes shown. The template is an attempt to avoid later confusion.
Web--Creative Nonfiction Reading Recommendations and List of Journals
Sue William Silverman's Contemporary Creative Nonfiction Reading List. The University of Iowa Department of English.
List of titles (also available in PDF) grouped by Illness, Accident, Grief; Family & Relationships; Childhood & Coming of Age; Place, Nature, Science; New Journalism, Immersion, History, Social, Political, Religious, Spiritual, Feminist, etc.; Experimental Forms; Personal Essay & Anthologies; Humor; Journals & Letters; Occupational Memoirs; On and About Writing (not just nonfiction); and Literary Journals specifically for Nonfiction.
Literary Magazines: The NewPags Complete List. NewPages.com.
Very brief to a few lines of information about the magazine. Links to their Web sites. Sponsored listings at top; rest alphabetical. CSU affiliates may or may not have access to articles. Check the library catalog Sage to see if CSU owns the title.
Bruce Dobler's Creative Nonfiction Compendium (With Reading List and Notes). University of Pittsburgh.
Information about creative nonfiction, first reads, anthologies, collections, book-length works, and oral history. Annotated. Provides Short list, long list, and printer-friendly versions.
Body Studies
A major player in this field is Susan Bordo (link is to books owned by CSU). See also Web page with biographical information and bibliography. Workplace biography with information on her writing. [This information is repeated from above.]
Web--Bibliographies on Body Studies
Look in the library catalog Sage (and Regional Catalog Prospector) for books; use the FindIt@CSU citation linker to see if CSU owns articles. The links with a * appear particularly relevant.
*Anthropology of the Body and the Subject . Gary Hausman. Department of Anthropology. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Course syllabus with readings of interest. Topics include: Introductory Bibliographic Surveys, Phenomenological Approaches to the Body, (Feminist) Phenomenological Approaches to the Body, Bodily Techniques & Habitus, From Grotesque to Civilized Bodies, Body Doubles: Physical and Social, Discipline & Biopower, The Social Skin, Body Modification, Racial Bodies, Ethnic Bodies, Gender & Masculinities, Gender & Feminities, Gendered Subjectivities & Slasher Files, Technology and the Body, Evolution of Barbie, Mickey Mouse & Wonder Woman, Disability Studies & Embodiment, Tortured Bodies, Dead Bodies, Living-Dead Bodies, Charming Cadavers, Circulating Bodies, Cyborg Bodies, Artificial Life, Bodies & Nations [various], Individual & National Bodies
Body Studies in Feminist Theory. Copyright 1999 Kristin Switala. Center for Digital Discourse and Culture at Virginia Tech University.
Bibliography with both "general information on feminist body studies and information on feminist approches to sports."
*Bodywriting: Reading List. Clyde Smith. Ohio State University. 1998.
Brief, but it looks like it has captured the key writings on the body materials. Bibliography divided by: Writing/Bodies, Body Studies, The 1960s, Queer Bodies, Tehcnology and the Virtual Body, and Performing Bodies.
*History of the Body. © Lynnette Regouby 2008
Working bibliography. Materials cover "the growing literature on the history of the body as a coherent historiographical approach by setting theoretical and historical studies of the body into conversation with each other."
Studies of the Body: A Selected, Annotated Bibliography In Process. Nathan Sivin. University of Pennsylvania.
List of books and articles.
SWIP Suggested Readings on Feminism and Body Image: A Bibliography. Lenore Kuo. Spring 1998. The Society for Women in Philosoophy.
List of books and book chapters. Citation information is not always complete.
Articles about the Body & Related Topics
Some of these go directly into PDF documents.
Atkinson, Michael. "Figuring Out Body Modification Cultures: Interdependence and Radical Body Modification Processes." Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Studie of Health, Illness and Medicine 8(3): 373–386. Review symposium of Victoria Pitts.
Caddick, Alison. "I'd Rather Be a Cyborg Than a Goddess: Avoiding Difficult Questions." Arena Magazine June-July 1998. BNET.
Crowley, Sharon. "Body Studies in Rhetoric and Composition." In Olson, Gary A. ed. Rhetoric and Composition as Intellectual Work. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2002. 177-87. PE1404 .R485 2002 Morgan also e-.
Grassie, William. "Cyborgs, Trickster, and Hermes: Donna Haraway's Metatheory of Science and Religion." Published in Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science, June 1996. CSU affiliates only can access.
Haraway, Donna. "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century," in Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature (New York; Routledge, 1991), pp.149-181.
Kunzru, Hari "You Are Cyborg: For Donna Haraway, We Are Already Assimilated." Wired Archive | 5.02 - Feb 1997 | Feature
Sylvester, Christine. "Feminist Theory and Gender Studies in International Relations." Feminist Theory & Gender Studies, International Studies Association.
Young, Robert M. "Science, Ideology and Donna Haraway." Has bibliography.
Writing Marketplace
Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents. Z475 .I57 2006 Reference
Literary Market Place. PN 161 .L52 Latest year at Help Desk; earlier in Morgan
Novel & Short Story Writer's Market. PN 3355 .F47 Latest edition Help Desk; earlier Morgan or Storage
Poet's Market. PN 1059 .M3P59 2007 Reference
Publishers, Distributors & Wholesalers of the United States. Z 475 .P86 Movable Shelves
Ulrich's Periodical Directory. (online to CSU affiliates only)
The Writer's Market. PN 161 .W83 Latest Help Desk; earlier Morgan and Storage
Writer's Online Marketplace: How & Where to get Published Online. PN 161 .O45 2001 Morgan
Manuscript Preparation & Ideas
Writing @ CSU. Colorado State University.
From this site, learn to write; save your work in a free password-protected account; participate in Writing Studio Classes and Co-ops; create ePortfolios; and get feedback on your writing
The American Directory of Writer's Guidelines: A Compilation of Information for Freelancers from more than 1,500 Magazine Editors and Book Publishers. PN 147 .A479 2005 Reference
Beyond the Writers' Workshop: New Ways to Write Creative Nonfiction. PE 1404 .B5896 2001 Morgan
Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript. PN 160 .N44 2004 Morgan
Medical Writing. OWL. Purdue.
Description and brief examples of medical writing. Links to other examples either not working or not available remotely (1-7-9).
No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells. PN 161 .O77 2004 Morgan
The Nonfictionist's Guide: On Reading and Writing Creative Nonfiction. PN 3377.5 .R45 R66 2008 Morgan
The Writer's Chronicle (Periodical). PN 101 .A88 Journal Room
Writer's Digest (Periodical). PN 101. W82 Journal Room; older issues Movable Shelves and Storage
Writing Creative Nonfiction: Instruction and Insights from the Teachers of the Associated Writing Programs. PE 1404 .W697 2001 Morgan
Article of Interest
Barbara, Stephen. "The Great American Query Letter." Publisher's Weekly November 17, 2008: 62.
Additional articles giving advice about query letters can be found in Academic Search Premier (Research Databases) under: QUERIES (Authorship).
In all cases, be sure to evaluate what you find, no matter the source: book, article, Web page.