Bound Up

In an autotheoretical journey through bondage, domination, and intimacy, Leora Fridman uncovers how Jewish historical trauma can be challenged and explored in embodied relations. Drawing on her experiences as an American Jew in Germany, Fridman delves into BDSM practices and experimental communities from Oakland to Berlin, weaving personal encounters with critical analysis founded in feminist theory, queer literature, Holocaust history, and memory studies. Bound Up begins with kink and leads us through a sensual and intelligent approach to intergenerational trauma and politics, layering a nuanced understanding of shame, responsibility, and power with explorations of cinema, contemporary art, and popular culture to shed light on topics from social relationships to victimhood and blame.