I played with the first line, “Everyone hates a fat woman,” for a decade (and published four other novels) before writing Waisted. The scale-obsessed women screamed in my head, but I kept the words locked away. Because writing it meant facing myself. Writ honest, the novel would have to include tales of self-loathing, food needs so intense … Read more
by Sahar Abdulaziz I stand, transfixed, staring into the mirror at a face I no longer recognize, at a body that has housed my soul for fifty-plus years, birthed healthy children, sustained me through illness and healed me from falls, and yet, here we are, she and I, practically strangers — adversaries for most … Read more
I grew up with the idea that the size of my body was the most important thing in the world—and that my body was always too large. When I look back at pictures, I see me at normal, chubby, and large—but at no time did I ever see myself as anything but too big … Read more