recommended fat reading
May. 10th, 2006 03:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
keryxI'm choosing to believe that the sudden outbreak of fat hate on feminist communities lately is simply an overreaction to the [entirely reasonable] demand that we address fatphobia as a feminist issue. And that the fat hate is therefore good in a sort of cathartic way.
Yeah. Do not fuck with me today. That particular choice of belief is taking a lot of energy to sustain, and I am on drugs.
Anyhow, I'm seeing a lot of people recommending Fat! So? lately as a result. It's a good book, and one I think anyone who is personally struggling with the idea that they are "too fat" should read, like now. But if your fat reading only goes as far as that, it's like taking Cunt as your ur-text for feminism. There are other things you should read, too. [Ahem. I've linked to Amazon where I didn't have direct website links, but I encourage you to buy from the author, feminist bookstores, or at least union chains.]
Taking Up Space, Pattie Thomas's sociological memoir. Read if: you want the idea of personal fat empowerment placed in a cultural context, you've read Marilyn's book and are trying to figure out what to do now, or if you're not fat per se but want to understand. Pattie also writes Fatty Patties.
Avoirdupois, Tish Parmeley's I think as-yet-unpublished memoir (the link is, I think, simply an extract/essay, but wow - Tish's words have this tendency to smack people in the face in a good way). Read if: you need to know you're not alone. Tish also writes Fatshadow and is, in my opinion, the Best Blogger Evah.
The Obesity (or Diet) Myth [Did this book get retitled in paperback or something?], Paul Campos' scientific and legal analysis places fat in both a cultural and medical context. Read if: you need/want data. Also totally trumps Glen Gaesser's Big Fat Lies, although the latter is a good read if only to point out that even a doctor who runs a weightloss program can kinda recognize that fat isn't (all) evil.
I haven't read any of Susan Stinson's novels. But I'll say, if you can get your hands of some of her poetry, it tells a nice story of awakening in the body. Read if: you're asleep in yours.
Fat: the Anthropology of an Obsession is a collection of essays on the global cultural context of fat. I'm reading it right now - the intriguing thing about this book is that it's a much bigger perspective on fat, not just about the body or just about health or whatever. Read if: you want to recontextualize fat as an object, a state of being, a food.
Bodies Out of Bounds also a collection of essays, but from a more personal/political stance. Read if: you'd like a little consciousness-raising. I can also sorta recommend Revolting Bodies (written by Katie Lebesco, one of the eds of BOoB), which will resonate if you are a queer theorist or really like Judith Butler's or Susan Bordo's works.
Losing It is basically an indictment of the diet industry. It also contains a good amount of data in the Paul Camposy vein, which makes it good fodder for argument. Read if: you are about to go on, quit, or otherwise interact in some way with the diet industry. Know what you're doing.
Women En Large - this one's largely a collection of photos, and it seems to really help people move from thinking fat is hideous to thinking fat can be beautiful. Read if: you're having trouble seeing yourself as beautiful in the mirror. Laurie also writes Body Impolitic.
Zaftig is a diverse collection of erotic stories edited by Hanne Blank, who also wrote Big Big Love (an advice book on fat sex). Read both if: you're trying to see fat as sexy, or at least understand why other people might.
For neophytes and people trying to do something - Big Fat Blog is a great resource for current events and general education. Paul McAleer does a good job of making the site user-friendly, safe, and yet still open for new people to learn.
Feel free to add. I deliberately left off a large number of "I'll accept my fat while I secretly hate myself for being 'unhealthy'" Fat Girl Stories (generally written by people named Wendy) as well as some of the denser more academic stuff, but I'm sure I still missed some things people should be reading.
Yeah. Do not fuck with me today. That particular choice of belief is taking a lot of energy to sustain, and I am on drugs.
Anyhow, I'm seeing a lot of people recommending Fat! So? lately as a result. It's a good book, and one I think anyone who is personally struggling with the idea that they are "too fat" should read, like now. But if your fat reading only goes as far as that, it's like taking Cunt as your ur-text for feminism. There are other things you should read, too. [Ahem. I've linked to Amazon where I didn't have direct website links, but I encourage you to buy from the author, feminist bookstores, or at least union chains.]
Taking Up Space, Pattie Thomas's sociological memoir. Read if: you want the idea of personal fat empowerment placed in a cultural context, you've read Marilyn's book and are trying to figure out what to do now, or if you're not fat per se but want to understand. Pattie also writes Fatty Patties.
Avoirdupois, Tish Parmeley's I think as-yet-unpublished memoir (the link is, I think, simply an extract/essay, but wow - Tish's words have this tendency to smack people in the face in a good way). Read if: you need to know you're not alone. Tish also writes Fatshadow and is, in my opinion, the Best Blogger Evah.
The Obesity (or Diet) Myth [Did this book get retitled in paperback or something?], Paul Campos' scientific and legal analysis places fat in both a cultural and medical context. Read if: you need/want data. Also totally trumps Glen Gaesser's Big Fat Lies, although the latter is a good read if only to point out that even a doctor who runs a weightloss program can kinda recognize that fat isn't (all) evil.
I haven't read any of Susan Stinson's novels. But I'll say, if you can get your hands of some of her poetry, it tells a nice story of awakening in the body. Read if: you're asleep in yours.
Fat: the Anthropology of an Obsession is a collection of essays on the global cultural context of fat. I'm reading it right now - the intriguing thing about this book is that it's a much bigger perspective on fat, not just about the body or just about health or whatever. Read if: you want to recontextualize fat as an object, a state of being, a food.
Bodies Out of Bounds also a collection of essays, but from a more personal/political stance. Read if: you'd like a little consciousness-raising. I can also sorta recommend Revolting Bodies (written by Katie Lebesco, one of the eds of BOoB), which will resonate if you are a queer theorist or really like Judith Butler's or Susan Bordo's works.
Losing It is basically an indictment of the diet industry. It also contains a good amount of data in the Paul Camposy vein, which makes it good fodder for argument. Read if: you are about to go on, quit, or otherwise interact in some way with the diet industry. Know what you're doing.
Women En Large - this one's largely a collection of photos, and it seems to really help people move from thinking fat is hideous to thinking fat can be beautiful. Read if: you're having trouble seeing yourself as beautiful in the mirror. Laurie also writes Body Impolitic.
Zaftig is a diverse collection of erotic stories edited by Hanne Blank, who also wrote Big Big Love (an advice book on fat sex). Read both if: you're trying to see fat as sexy, or at least understand why other people might.
For neophytes and people trying to do something - Big Fat Blog is a great resource for current events and general education. Paul McAleer does a good job of making the site user-friendly, safe, and yet still open for new people to learn.
Feel free to add. I deliberately left off a large number of "I'll accept my fat while I secretly hate myself for being 'unhealthy'" Fat Girl Stories (generally written by people named Wendy) as well as some of the denser more academic stuff, but I'm sure I still missed some things people should be reading.