The Smell of Risk

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This exploration delves into how odor intertwines with structural inequality, emphasizing the visceral and personal nature of our sense of smell. Hsuan L. Hsu highlights the historical dismissal of smell in Western aesthetics due to its subjectivity and volatility. However, these qualities render olfaction a crucial tool for understanding environmental risk and inequality. Unlike other senses, smell transcends space and connects with our bodies. Hsu examines how writers, artists, and activists utilize the biochemical aspects of smell to critique the disparities of modernity. The narrative outlines how differentiated atmospheres contribute to the uneven distribution of environmental risk. By analyzing a range of works, from nineteenth-century detective fiction to contemporary performance art, Hsu investigates modernity's varied atmospheres. The discussion spans from the industrial revolution to current environmental crises, employing ecocriticism, geography, and critical race studies. It addresses issues such as Latinx communities facing freeway exhaust and pesticides, Asian diasporic artists confronting racialized perceptions of odors, and the impact of settler colonialism on Indigenous smellscapes. Hsu reveals the violence inherent in air maintenance and control, particularly affecting marginalized populations. Through this lens, the book offers a compelling retelling of urbanization, public health, and environmental violenc