Going Hungry: Writers on Desire, Self-Denial, and Overcoming Anorexia [Paperback]

Kate M. Taylor (Editor)

Book Description

Release date: September 9, 2008

Here, collected for the first time, 19 writers describe their eating disorders from the distance of recovery, exposing as never before the anorexic's self-enclosed world. Taking up issues including depression, genetics, sexuality, sports, religion, fashion and family, these essays examine the role anorexia plays in a young person's search for direction. Powerful and immensely informative, this collection makes accessible the mindset of a disease that has long been misunderstood.

With essays by Priscilla Becker, Francesca Lia Block, Maya Browne, Jennifer Egan, Clara Elliot, Amanda Fortini, Louise Glück, Latria Graham, Francine du Plessix Gray, Trisha Gura, Sarah Haight, Lisa Halliday, Elizabeth Kadetsky, Maura Kelly, Ilana Kurshan, Joyce Maynard, John Nolan, Rudy Ruiz, and Kate Taylor.

www.anchorbooks.com
www.goinghungry.com

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Shedding light on anorexia and other eating disorders, Taylor gathers the personal stories of a range of writers, producing an occasionally inspiring but repetitive collection. Though gifted contributors (Jennifer Egan, Louise Glück, Joyce Maynard) offer honest, occasionally insightful accounts, many are is a strikingly similar; most can remember day they began their dark journey into anorexia and/or bulimia with striking clarity. Most see anorexia as a chronic affliction, shaping their relationships with food and loved ones, but in no way precluding happy, fulfilling lives. Powerful moments come from Amanda Fortini, medical writer Trisha Gura (who meshes her story with insight into the latest theories on anorexia) and John Nolan, but Taylor's collection is decidedly WASP-heavy: tales of ivy league schools, living abroad in Italy, auditioning for prominent ballet schools and living up to the expectations of glamorous, high-profile parents do little to deflect the stereotype of anorexia as an affliction of affluence. Still, those struggling with an eating disorder are sure to find among these personal essay at least one that will help them better understand their own condition, and provide company and hope (if not necessarily a plan for recovery).
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From Booklist

Edited by New York Sun reporter Taylor, this topical anthology showcases nearly 20 authors’ struggles with anorexia nervosa. The contributors include novelist Jennifer Egan, poet Louise Glück, and former New York Times reporter Joyce Maynard. Each author delineates his or her own personal battle with the disease, but by the fifteenth story, they begin to meld into a chorus. Young and old, men and women, all are included, and together they provide telling glimpses into the struggles of anorexics. The writing seems to be therapeutic for many, including Francine du Plessix Gray, who penned a bitter open letter to her deceased parents. Maura Kelly tells of her blue-collar widower father’s difficulty coping with her disorder as he tried to support and raise his family alone. Amanda Fortini discusses our obsession with thinness and the reactions of men and women to her weight loss after she acquired a parasite on a trip to Brazil. Each author provides a unique, often disquieting perspective on an increasingly common disease. --Katherine Boyle

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Product Details

• Paperback: 306 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; 1 edition (September 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307278344
• ISBN-13: 978-0307278340
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful September 18, 2008

By Reader

Format:Paperback

This was an excellent book overall, and a number of the essays (including the editor's own contribution) are genuinely outstanding. My own perspective is that of someone who has not experienced this herself, but is close to those who have--if this is yours as well, and/or if you are perplexed and bewildered by anorexia as a medical phenomenon, this would be the ideal book to read. It includes a number of perspectives, with all the essays well-written, direct, and unsentimental, and yet from this variety some essence of understanding does emerge with regard to what the disease may actually be "about." Very highly recommended.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars going hungry September 12, 2008

By L. Thomas

Format:Paperback

Anorexia requires withholding--from the self, from others. This book opens up this world of secrets and deceptions. It is ranging and searching--touching on history, ecstasy, motherhood, illness, creativity, and a host of other subjects. The writers have a multitude of experiences and perspectives, and their reasons for denying themselves food are manifold. But each essayist manages to write directly and to illuminate a new aspect of an elusive and epidemic disease. An important, generous, fascinating book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Starving for life February 25, 2010

By Deb

Format:Paperback

On the surface, anorexia is a tragic disease of self-starvation. Underneath, however, lies an individual with a voracious hunger for life, meaning, purpose, connection, and validation. _Going Hungry_ is an illuminating collection of essays from 19 writers whose personal experiences shed light on this highly misunderstood disease, and offer a deeper look into the mindset of this body-destructive disorder. Informative, fascinating, poignant, touching, and eye-opening, _Going Hungry_ offers a much-needed course to the growing menu of eating disorder publications.