Feed Me!: Writers Dish About Food, Eating, Weight, and Body Image
This collection of essays by women addresses food, fat, and body image, issues challenging so many women in today’s media-dominated, appearance-obsessed society, forever judging those whose bodies aren’t perfect and fall short of some ever-shifting ideal. Magali Amadei recalls the bulimia that plagued her rise to a top model. Diana Abu-Jaber, raised in a large Jordanian American family, tells the story of her uncle, who encouraged young girls to overeat. Harriet Brown reworks the biblical 10 plagues into a list of 10 foods she relishes to excess. Laurie Notaro registers embarrassment at being unable to shop for clothes in the trendiest boutiques. In one of the most moving essays, Caroline Leavittwrites about how food helped deal with her grief at the death of her fiancé and served as a warning sign in her subsequent toxic relationship. A worthwhile read for both women and those who love them. --Mark Knoblauch