My first thought reading this article in the food section of the NY Times was - Ummm, why is this news? Apparently, people who love to eat to distraction are discovering you can be selective and moderate and eat really well and the foods you love and still lose weight. This might sound familiar to readers of my old blog or The Skinny itself. But then I remembered talking with Melissa (Melissa Clark), co-author of The Skinny very early in the project. She sent me a draft of something that said: "If you want the cookie, have the cookie." And it was a million light bulbs went off in my head. Which is I guess why the Times ran that story.
I also thought I should give some thought to this piece over at Jezebel on whether or not a female-only literary prize is sexist. And the answer is: Who cares? AS Byatt won't let her books be considered for the prize because she doesn't want them "ghettoized" (or however you spell that). As Jezebel points out, men tend to be the heavy weights in fiction. The ones taken seriously. The ones who win the Big prizes. But Byatt's point begs the reality that being a woman is part of a female writer's lived experience and will inform her world view and writing. To say a woman's prize is ghettoizing is a little besides the point. It's not that women's writing can't compare to men's, it's that it doesn't have to. Nor does men's writing have to compare to women (although if it's going to sell and be read, it probably should appeal to women since women buy the most fiction). To deny that gender matters is simply to be cranky. Or young.
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3 comments:
The whole idea of, you can eat what you really like, in moderation--it may sound obvious, but you and Melissa explained and exemplified it in ways I'd never heard before. And it works! Lizi
I'm with you, this is news? When I saw this Wednesday morning, I wondered if any of these writers knew Melissa. I even scanned the article first to see if there was a quote from her confirming that obesity was not inevitable for food writers. As I continue to eat well and lose weight, everyone around me wants to know how I'm doing it and if I'm taking any weight loss drugs. No one wants to believe it's simply a matter of moderation. It sounds too easy.
Annie
I hoped Melissa would be quoted, too. Too bad! I'm really glad to hear, Lizi, that you thought we presented some ideas in new ways -- thinking and writing the book really helped me re-think how I ate -- and it's all process, and it still helps me. The problem is, as always and you point out, Annie, that it is easy to say "be moderate" in your portions, but it's hard to do. It takes practice and letting yourself be a little less than moderate sometimes, and, as you prove, sticking to your guns and tapping into a little Will Power from time to time. Oh the balance beam! At least it's tasty....
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