
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman

There are minuscule daily ways each of us will be asked to apologize for our bodies, no matter how “normal” they appear. The conservative haircut needed to placate the new supervisor, the tattoo you cover when you step into an office building to increase your chances of being treated “professionally” are examples of tiny apologies society will ask
... See moreSonya Renee Taylor • The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love
There were so many things that could be done to it or go wrong with it, this adult female body, that I was left feeling I would be better off without it. I considered shrinking myself by not eating, and I did try that for a day, but I got so hungry I couldn’t stick to my resolution, and went to the kitchen in the middle of the night and ate chicken
... See moreMargaret Atwood • The Testaments: The Sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale
Just as my friend Bethany is accused of ‘glorifying obesity’ just for having the gumption to exist without shame, Lindy describes being harangued with the same question – ‘isn’t this a slippery slope into poor health?’ – every time she asserts her humanity as a fat woman. As she puts it: ‘The question itself is an assault: it validates the idea tha
... See moreRuby Tandoh • Eat Up: Food, Appetite and Eating What You Want
