"Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters"- a post by Lily.

Currently, Jessy and I are reading "Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body" by Courtney E. Martin.  Jessy has already compiled many especially potent excerpts from this ground-shaking novel.  Martin addresses the fundamental issues that are contributing to one of the basic things that the whole of Western society lacks: BALANCE.

She breaks down many important matters that have led us down this precarious path, such as:

• feminism
• familial and relational influences 
• the media and sex culture 
• the reality of pornography and (fe)male attraction 
• dieting and the eternal drive to "remake" our body 
• the obesity "epidemic" 
• atheletics and fitness obsession
• college and post-college years
• hungering for spirituality

I feel like I have so, so much to say in response to her earth-shattering viewpoints.  This book is written perfectly for my generation (Martin was 25 years old when this book was first published), as well as older open-minded thinkers and younger-yet-mature audiences.  She brings up some powerful subjects, that might make some squirm or protest, but her writing is well-researched and always addresses topics that are often glossed over (or made into some sort of psychological experiement).  This isn't just a book about the extremes of eating disorders, body image issues, and self-harm; this is a brilliant documentation of the affliction of an unbalanced, detached world.

Feel free to join Jessy and me, as we dissect our experiences and feelings while reading "Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters" by Courtney E. Martin.  We will be posting our dialogue here, in various discussions, and welcome any responses or comments (no, seriously!).  Better yet, pick this book up at your local library or Amazon.com, and follow along with us!

Until next time, HAPPY READING!
-Lily