ABSTRACT
In this wide-ranging conversation, Barbara Creed begins by reflecting on the genesis of the concept of the monstrous-feminine, tracing the important influence of works by Sigmund Freud, Julia Kristeva, Elizabeth Cowie, and Laura Mulvey, among others, upon her emergent understanding of female monstrosity. The importance of human and non-human animal relations as a theme in both The Monstrous-Feminine (1993) and Phallic Panic (2005) is then discussed. Creed also describes her more recent work in the field of animal studies, particularly her formulation of a ‘stray’ ethics that is capable of responding to the contemporary exilic experience of animals that have endured the destruction of their habitat. Creed moves on to consider the importance of sound in horror films and how Kristevan theory enables its importance to be articulated and investigated. Next, Creed’s own film-making is surveyed. Creed concludes by contemplating the enduring importance of the monstrous-feminine and how it now manifests in new contexts.
