Includes and index

Gendered language -- The language of 'race' -- Language and society -- Performative language -- Locating intention -- Consciousness and cognition -- Creativity in language -- Figures -- The reception of meaning -- Writing gender -- Writing 'race' -- Language, society and history -- Language performs -- Dislocating intention -- Mind reading -- Creating worlds -- Figuration -- Constructing interpretations -- Reading gender -- Reading 'race' -- Reading the political -- Language's performances -- Desiring intention -- Language and mind -- Forms of creativity -- Making metaphors -- Creating interpretations -- Gender: Deborah Cameron -- Race: Jacques Derrida -- Society: Theodor W. Adorno -- Performativity: Judith Butler -- Intention: Michel Foucault -- Cognition: George Lakoff and Mark Johnson -- Creativity: Ronald Carter -- Figuration: Barbara Johnson -- Interpretation: Michael Toolan.