Shadow on a Tightrope: Writings by Women on Fat Oppression

by Lisa Schoenfielder (Editor), Barb Weiser (Editor), Barb Wieser (Editor)

Literary Nonfiction. Essays. Women's Studies. With a foreword by Vivian Mayer. SHADOW ON A TIGHTROPE is a collection of articles, personal stories, and poems by fat women, about their lives and the fat- hating society in which they live. Topics exposing the myths concerning fat; what it's like to grow up fat; a description of the medical crimes committed against fat women; stories of the daily hassles, verbal and physical harassment in the lives of fat women; inaccessibility to clothing, jobs, and public places for exercise and sports; effects on the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual selves of fat women living in a society that hates them, and how they have learned to survive. This anthology also collects material previously distributed separately by Fat Liberator Publications, plus many new writings solicited over the past two years from women all around the country.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Fat Studies, Fat, Bodies, Womens Studies, Lesbian

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1983

Reviews

[Stephy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the seed that was planted which, when it grew up, started the Big Beautiful Woman Movement. This is a powerful book, and I consider it a good read for anyone who suffers from fat oppression, which means, anyone who is overweight. One cannot be fat in American Culture without being ridiculed, commented on by total strangers and possibly less in this new millennium, struggling to Roamans/Lane Bryant Catalogs for your clothing.***

For the first time in my life, I learned that other fat women felt exactly as I felt, experienced the same kind of emotional abuse from strangers, did secret eating, were yelled at by immature men driving by in cars, making mooing noises, shouting insults. This book helped me not to be alone in my fatness.

Many a doctor had made the pronouncement to me: "You are not just fat, you're obese, Morbidly Obese." as if the shame could change the fact that I weighed 188 pounds when I left eighth grade. This book touches on all the aspects of fat, food, emotional eating, eating to suppress feelings and, in some cases, memories, too terrible to know.

Across the medical spectrum, if I have ever had a problem, the immediate first cause of it is fat. Is it a broken arm or urinary tract infection? Fat. Women with cancer? Caused by their fat. How old does a fat woman have to be before she dies of natural causes? Gotcha! it's Always the fat.

The title "Shadow On a Tightrope" comes from the poem
"whoever i am i'm a fat woman" by Sharon Bas Hannah.

This book broke silence about fat oppression. It has stories, essays, poetry, scholarly works citing just about every article or paper on the subject at that time. It's a great Pathfinder, if you can find it. I still own the copy I bought from Nancy Finke & Flora Faraci at Jane Addams Bookstore on the second floor of the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, the week it came out, in 1983.

***It should here be noted here that Roamans/Lane Bryant Company has cornered the market on ugly fabric, uncomfortable garments and clothing that has never had the word, "FASHION" written on a piece of paper, waved over it. I had to start buying my clothes there in fifth grade, and I can honestly say, nothing they ever sold me was pretty, comfortable or fashionable. For almost 40 years of my life I have worn their crap. I'm entitled to call it crap. I earned the right, wearing it.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology focuses on women's lived experience of being fat in U.S. society. It is the first published anthology of its kind and it was released in 1982, but some of the earlier article were originally written in the early 1970s. This anthology includes poems, essays, interviews and personal stories on fatness.

I wanted to give the above context to explain the perspectives that the entries are written from. It is second wave feminist. So the fat activists are challenging society in general but specifically the feminist and lesbian movements to analyze their then privilege.

The stories are more heartbreaking today because things have changed a bit, but not drastically. Mainstream society still construct fatness as a death sentence in spite of studies that state otherwise. Losing It by Laura Fraser goes into more detail about the connections between medical studies, the weight loss industry and the health industry.

This anthology is good for a historical perspective on the fat positive movement and shows the influences of theories created at this time on the movement today. Shadow on a Tightrope covers issues of treatment by the health industry, disability, race, class, sexuality and conflict within the feminist & lesbian movement because of fat politics.

Because this is an older text, the language is outdated and the focus on sexism is more pronounced. The majority of articles are by white women with a few by black women. No other people of color were mentioned. The editors do acknowledge this lack of inclusivity and note that it's because of their location in Iowa. Another outdated aspect of this book is using other oppressions to justify the legitimacy of fat oppression (e.g. You wouldn't tell a black person to change their skin color). These arguments are still used sometimes and it's a problematic reasoning not because fatness is supposed to be changeable but because the oppressions are not the same or experienced in the same way. It's an apples to oranges type of comparison.

What was surprising was the stories by differently abled fat women. I personally thought this inclusiveness would be less likely for this time period. I appreciated reading these stories. There weren't a lot but definitely more than I expected.

All in all, this book is a staple in my fat studies collection. I think that it is important for fat people, particularly fat women to have the context of this history of the movement. There are so many things that have changed but there is so much more that has changed and even more that has stayed the same. Same issues, same conflicts. And in spite of the fact that this anthology does not speak to every experience, every story allows the reader to connect to the experience of fat hatred in U.S. society.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong ratio of good:bad for an anthology!!!! A lot of what’s asserted here, and backed up by evidence in 86, is way MORE well supported now... even though things have not substantively improved at all in an awful lot of ways still. I get that they wanted a range of voices but tbh given that there was nothing else like it then and still nothing like it now, i wish there had been more focus on a clear message and that contributors had been challenged on stuff they said that didn’t match the values the editors seemed to hold. Still much better than nothing though!! Good for them

[Dot Matrix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It's one of the few that I keep a lending copy of. It's important reading for everyone, of all body types, just as good feminist books should be read by everyone, because the issues involved are not only relevant to the people who most obviously suffer (are scapegoated). We are all impacted by fat-phobia, as we are all affected by sexism, and by the racism and classism implicit in fat-phobia.

Shopping lists of oppressions are boring, but there are lots of ways that oppression works, and to the extent that learning about them is empowering, let's do it.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

One feels like 37 years later this shouldn't feel so familiar, but I was alive in 1983, and already considered myself fat, and have had many similar experiences to the women in this book.

There is a lot to be angry about, especially for that which has not changed, but along with that anger I feel a great compassion for those who came before, and gratitude for the groundwork they laid. I think there are still lessons to learn from their experiences.

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are stories that are sad, but need to be heard.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that saved my life

[Sydney Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology is still relevant, 30 years later.

[Sucre · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - an essential collection for anyone interested in fat oppression and the politics of fatness. this includes seminal work from the first pro-fat groups organized in the US and tons of work from members of various organizations all over the US. this felt more radical and galvanizing than many current works on fat oppression that largely focus on health or simple "body acceptance". while this does go over the typical myths on the unhealthy nature of fatness, there is a lot in here about class, class mobility and misogyny that struck a chord for me.

"There is something grotesque about having to quote from medical sources to defend a liberation movement." yes! there is! I am so tired of the acceptance of my body to only reach so far as my being healthy, or being unhealthy in an acceptable manner that "excuses" why I am fat. the fact that current fat activism at large, as this book states, "let(s) the enemy choose the battleground" is maddening. there should be no qualification a person has to meet to be respected and granted rights as a person.

the feminist thought present in these essays is such a breath of fresh air. we're currently in a bleak era for feminism, and being able to read something that links feminism and the liberation of fat people so blatantly is extremely comforting for me. knowing that there have been women fighting for 50 years, that have been loud and proud and fat in public, fills me with pride and energizes me to pick up their fight.

"when i move i shake / when we all move together we shake so big and loud and fat / clearly cast / you will have to see us / and you will have to hear us / and you will be moved" - Sanctuary, Leah Pesa Kushner

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

pity there aren't more books like this