Eating Our Hearts Out: Personal Accounts of Women's Relationship to Food

by Lesléa Newman (Editor)

The author of Fat Chance and SomeBody to A Guide to Loving the Body You Have presents 92 personal accounts by women of all ages and walks of life, who tell stories of their past and present problems with food, their childhood traumas, how their lives have been affected, and their visions of the future.

Genres: Food

299 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1993

About the author

Lesléa Newman (born 1955, Brooklyn, NY) is the author of over 50 books including Heather Has Two Mommies, A Letter To Harvey Milk, Writing From The Heart, In Every Laugh a Tear, The Femme Mystique, Still Life with Buddy, Fat Chance and Out of the Closet and Nothing to Wear.
She has received many literary awards including Poetry Fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and two Pushcart Prize Nominations.
Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists.
Ms. Newman wrote Heather Has Two Mommies, the first children's book to portray lesbian families in a positive way, and has followed up this pioneering work with several more children's books on lesbian and gay families: Gloria Goes To Gay Pride, Belinda's Bouquet, Too Far Away to Touch, and Saturday Is Pattyday.
She is also the author of many books for adults that deal with lesbian identity, Jewish identity and the intersection and collision between the two. Other topics Ms. Newman explores include AIDS, eating disorders, butch/femme relationships and sexual abuse. Her award-winning short story, A Letter To Harvey Milk has been made into a film and adapted for the stage.
In addition to being an author, Ms. Newman is a popular guest lecturer, and has spoken on college campuses across the country including Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Oregon, Bryn Mawr College, Smith College and the University of Judaism. From 2005-2009, Lesléa was a faculty member of the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine. Currently, she is the Poet Laureate of Northampton, MA.

Reviews

[aregretz · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books, and one that was a key point in overcoming my eating disorder. Smart, sweet, and funny.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, I'm so disappointed by this collection that I'm quitting on page 81. One, like way too many compilations of this type, the quality of writing is hit-or-miss (all of the poems=MISS). Two, although I guess I could have surmised as much from the cover photo, I felt that it was overly focused on women's *negative* relationship to food, specifically on eating disorders. That's a part of the issue, sure, but essay after essay on eating disorders ended up feeling a little redundant.

[Selkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains stories & poems written in a variety of styles (including poetry) about all eating disorders from anorexia to obesity, to just food obsession in general.

All women would find something to associate with by reading this. It might even inspire you to write your own

[Billie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thought provoking collection of essays and poems that deal with the relationship of women and food. Newman was gathered a great variety of authors who are brave enough and honest enough to share their stories and struggles.