Play, build, repeat
Mina Loy’s disability aesthetics
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22434710 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lauren M Rosenblum (Adelphi University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-14 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-14 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Feminist Modernist Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2469-2921 • E-ISSN: 2469-293X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/24692921.2026.2692893 |
| OpenAlex | W7168255399 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 19 |
In 1940, avant-garde poet, essayist, and artist Mina Loy sent FAO Schwarz two design ideas for toys, “Build Your Own Alphabet” and “The Alphabet that Builds Itself.” In the proposal, Loy suggests the manufacture of brightly colored blocks in different shapes that a child could use to fabricate letters before the development of the necessary motor skills required for writing. Loy’s toys would be delightful to a child who has an intense interest in the alphabet, a characteristic sometimes related to autism called hyperlexia. Using these designs as a guide, this article argues for a reading of Loy’s work through the lens of disability studies. Previously characterized by descriptions of modernist disruption, Loy’s oeuvre can be analyzed through the lens of autistic rhetoric on modernist artifacts.
Subconscious · Disability Rights and Representation · Posthumanist Ethics and Activism · Theatre and Performance Studies
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |