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Damiana Chiavolini

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Unveiling Scent: The World of Indie & Artisan Perfumery
by

Damiana Chiavolini (Goodreads Author),

Whitney Swales (Goodreads Author)

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Damiana is Currently Reading

Damiana Chiavolini is currently reading

Go Tell It on the Mountain

by James Baldwin

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Sep 17, 2026 07:19AM

Damiana Chiavolini rated a book really liked it

Olfactory Worldmaking (Forerunners: Ideas First)

by Hsuan L. Hsu

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Damiana Chiavolini said: " Olfactory Worldmaking by Hsuan L. Hsu, a professor of English at the University of California, Davis, is a scholarly monograph on scent and its vast potential to recreate a more accepting, diverse, and inclusive world.

Hsu examines how novelists, perf Olfactory Worldmaking by Hsuan L. Hsu, a professor of English at the University of California, Davis, is a scholarly monograph on scent and its vast potential to recreate a more accepting, diverse, and inclusive world.

Hsu examines how novelists, perfumers, visual artists, and other creators have turned scent into a form of cultural resistance against racism, marginalization, discrimination, and other pressing social problems, through olfactory language and media (including perfume-making, organic fibers, and more).

Through their subversive work, these wordsmiths and sensory creators have systematically challenged the expectations that influence what we’re meant to enjoy when we smell the world around us, primarily through capitalist and colonial lenses.

A few of the works analyzed by Hsu made an impression. In her speculative fiction series, Octavia Butler has used scent to explore consent and bodily autonomy. Larissa Lai centers one of her novels on a fantastical character who smells strongly of durian fruit to critique “deodorized” and oppressive corporate establishments. Through their fragrances and books, artisan perfumer and author Tanaïs uses scent to empower underrepresented voices, honor memories, and recognize traumatic experiences disregarded by racial and patriarchal narratives. There are more important examples, but I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who’d like to read it.

As someone who has transitioned from research to communication, I recognize that the writing style used here might be a little challenging for those who aren’t accustomed to elaborate academic language. However, I’d still recommend sticking with Olfactory Worldmaking. It’s structured in a way that allows readers to explore individual chapters and should be kept as an important literary reference for anyone interested in the perfume world. It’s a book I find myself going back to repeatedly.

Once it’s freed from constraining conventions and limiting ideas, scent may become a compelling tool for changing societies, opening our minds (and noses) and meaningfully connecting us to others.

Thanks to University of Minnesota Press for kindly sending me this fascinating book. ...more "

Sep 17, 2026 02:29PM · see review

Damiana Chiavolini is currently reading

Middlemarch

by George Eliot

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Jan 22, 2025 09:16AM

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Damiana Chiavolini rated a book really liked it Olfactory Worldmaking (Forerunners: Ideas First) by Hsuan L. Hsu	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Olfactory Worldmaking by Hsuan L. Hsu, a professor of English at the University of California, Davis, is a scholarly monograph on scent and its vast potential to recreate a more accepting, diverse, and inclusive world. Hsu examines how novelists, perf ...more
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Damiana Chiavolini made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Question about editing publisher and ISBN topic " Hello, my co-author and I recently parted ways with the press we were going to publish with and will now self-publish. We are already part of the auth ...more "
Jul 24, 2026 06:26AM
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Damiana Chiavolini rated a book it was amazing Demo Accords: Make Perfume, Not War by Pia Long	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This isn't just a book for perfume enthusiasts, but anyone who wants to learn about the art of perfume and the myths of the fragrance industry through knowledgeable and honest words. I enjoyed Pia Long's smooth and engaging writing and Nick Gilbert's ...more
Jul 08, 2026 09:58AM · like · see review