Hsuan L Hsu, "Olfactory Worldmaking" (U Minnesota Press, 2026)

In this episode of The New Books Network, host Dr. Miranda Melcher interviews Dr. Sean Hsu about his 2026 book *Olfactory Worldmaking*, published by the University of Minnesota Press. Hsu, a professor of English at UC Davis, explores how smell functions not just as a sensory experience but as a powerful force in shaping identity, memory, and alternate worlds. Drawing from literary studies, environmental humanities, and critical race theory, he examines how marginalized communities—particularly Black, Indigenous, and diasporic voices—use smell to resist erasure, reclaim histories, and imagine more just futures. The conversation delves into key concepts like 'smellscape as distributed memory,' the political dimensions of olfaction in colonial and postcolonial contexts, and the role of scent in speculative fiction and art. Hsu highlights transformative works by authors like Toni Morrison, Tanaïs, and Larissa Lai, as well as artists such as Renee Stout and Anika Yi, to illustrate how smell can be a medium of resistance, care, and connection across time and space. He also reflects on how sensory experiences like smell challenge dominant narratives of toxicity and justice, urging a rethinking of atmospheric equity beyond pollution to include memory, desire, and relationality. The episode concludes with Hsu sharing insights from his ongoing research on heat, colonial extraction, and multimodal art, underscoring his commitment to sensory studies as a site of radical imagination. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on the often-overlooked power of smell in shaping lived experience and worldmaking. Key takeaways include: smell is a site of memory and resistance; olfactory justice extends beyond pollution to include access to cultural and ancestral scents; speculative fiction offers vital tools for reimagining inclusive futures; and sensory practices like Conjure and perfumery can be acts of survival and care. The tone is intellectually rigorous yet deeply humane, emphasizing the emotional and political weight of sensory experience.