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nmcannon 's review for:
The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat & Fierce
by Angie Manfredi
Continuing my goal to read more nonfiction this year, I picked up The Other F Word: A Celebration of the Fat & Fierce. #YALit twitter sang this book's praises when it came out, mentioning how unique and needed this anthology is. After reading it myself, I concur.
The Other F Word is a collection of poetry and essays by fat activists, fat models, fat influencers, fat writers, and other fat artists. Angie Manfredi did a stellar job in finding and showcasing a diversity of voices, with tons of racial, gender, and ability differences among them. I loved how focused the essays and art were on building up fat teens and addressing the problems they face. Not unexpected, I suppose, but YA books can lose focus on their teen audience in favor of the adult YA readers (who do have a lot more spending money). I was clearly a visitor to a teen space, and I enjoyed my stay and learned a lot.
In fact, I think The Other F Word was at its weakest when it didn't focus in on teens who are beginning their journey in love and acceptance. Many essays and art remind readers to love their bodies and assure them that seemingly infallible adults, like parents, teachers, and doctors, can be fatphobic. Under the guise of worrying about health, adults may insist teens lose weight, even when their body is fine as is. This left me at loose ends. If we can't trust doctors to inform us when we're at an unhealthy weight, who can we? Where should we go? Are there no unhealthy weights? I kept expecting an essay from a doctor explaining how diets don't work, body type is genetic, or the BMI is bullsh*t. These are basic body positivity arguments that beginners need to hear. There were oblique references, but no one came out and explained them.
This lack weakened the book's message. In an era with anti-vaxxers and fake news, we must be vigilant against false information. Without a doctoral ethos to back it up, potential readers might be inclined to reject the book, which is a shame because they might need it the most. As others have said, The Other F Word already has the power to set people on a journey of self-love. It needs to get into the hands of everyone on the planet. Just add a little more science oomph to make it perfect.
The Other F Word is a collection of poetry and essays by fat activists, fat models, fat influencers, fat writers, and other fat artists. Angie Manfredi did a stellar job in finding and showcasing a diversity of voices, with tons of racial, gender, and ability differences among them. I loved how focused the essays and art were on building up fat teens and addressing the problems they face. Not unexpected, I suppose, but YA books can lose focus on their teen audience in favor of the adult YA readers (who do have a lot more spending money). I was clearly a visitor to a teen space, and I enjoyed my stay and learned a lot.
In fact, I think The Other F Word was at its weakest when it didn't focus in on teens who are beginning their journey in love and acceptance. Many essays and art remind readers to love their bodies and assure them that seemingly infallible adults, like parents, teachers, and doctors, can be fatphobic. Under the guise of worrying about health, adults may insist teens lose weight, even when their body is fine as is. This left me at loose ends. If we can't trust doctors to inform us when we're at an unhealthy weight, who can we? Where should we go? Are there no unhealthy weights? I kept expecting an essay from a doctor explaining how diets don't work, body type is genetic, or the BMI is bullsh*t. These are basic body positivity arguments that beginners need to hear. There were oblique references, but no one came out and explained them.
This lack weakened the book's message. In an era with anti-vaxxers and fake news, we must be vigilant against false information. Without a doctoral ethos to back it up, potential readers might be inclined to reject the book, which is a shame because they might need it the most. As others have said, The Other F Word already has the power to set people on a journey of self-love. It needs to get into the hands of everyone on the planet. Just add a little more science oomph to make it perfect.