Friday, November 8, 2013

30th Anniversary of Shadow on a Tightrope - taking back our lives

Many activists are joining in a blog carnival today honoring the anniversary of this groundbreaking book

Shadow on a Tightrope, Writings by Women on Fat Oppression

I don't have a post to contribute myself but my wonderful publisher, Peggy Elam at Pearlsong Press posted this eloquent appreciation

A hundred years from now, or more, people will have the collection of writings in Shadow on a Tightrope as a record of the early days of and need for fat liberation. By that time I hope fat oppression and its many manifestations are extinct. But they're still alive and kicking now, so I recommend arming yourself with a potent weapon. If you don't have your own copy of Shadow on a Tightrope, get one. Now.

I'd like to end (after thanking Substantia Jones for use of her marvelous photo above) [LM note: wonderful photo can be seen on the Pearlsong Press post] with an excerpt from the poem from which the title of the book is taken, "whoever i am i'm a fat woman" by Sharon Bas Hannah:

certain truths

will make your heart beat fast

when you hear them from a fat womon

you'll grow pale

get chills

disbelieve

but she's marching toward you

she's here and she's taking back her life.

Happy Birthday, Shadow on a Tightrope. Thank you, and your editors and contributors and publisher.

Also here's a link to Golda Poretsky's list of links! Noting that this was something that couldn't be done 30 years ago!

Other Cool Carnival Posts!

No comments:

Post a Comment