Bibliobimbo

I enjoyed this short introduction to body positivity by Kinzel. I have followed her blog (also Two Whole Cakes) for a while now, and was excited to read this, especially after reading an excerpt in Bitch Magazine. Light but never fluffy, Kinzel is an excellent writer (must be those double-master degrees) with a gift for language that packs a wallop. I can't deny that a good part of my enjoyment derived from the fact that Kinzel and I share similar backgrounds and stories of growing up--she is, I believe, three years older than me, which means I spent a whole lot of my time going "Yes! I remember that!" I remember squeezing into the largest size in straight stores because there were no plus-size places yet. I remember the continual dieting--Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, etc. I remember the social ostracizing, the eventual camaraderie with a group of fellow outcasts. I even remember the cultural markers, like Queen Latifah and Sassy. And, whether it is because of our similar backgrounds or another factor all together, I share Kinzel's desire to stand out, to be noticed, no matter how much negative attention that may bring. So, I quite enjoyed this on a personal level. It does well on a meta level too, though, I think. You may be a chubby middle-aged woman or a fat 16 year old boy, but Kinzel clearly explains the dangers inherent in our current obsession with obesity.