Villard

I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:04:00 +0000

I'll tell you why I bothered picking up I Am an Emotional Creature: (1) I loved the graffiti-like cover, which reminded me of the doodling I used to pen over my books in high school, and (2) I really respect and enjoy Eve Ensler's writing. I saw a performance of The Vagina Monologues and loved the subversive way she used humor and fictional stories to tackle real women's issues around the world. So, when I saw that she had released a similar collection, but targeted for girls and teens, I instantly had to pick it up.

I think this book is so important because young girls today are growing up so quickly, and there are less outlets for them to discuss important issues, like abusive relationships and safe sex, or at least, it isn't coming from a source that is from "their generation." Peppered throughout the collection are statistics called "Girl Facts" with shocking numbers on prostitution, sex slavery, eating disorders, and other girl-related issues. Apart from the Girl Facts, though, I loved how these ideas and issues are tackled through the voices of other young women and girls around the world. This collection of monologues, poems, and short stories creates a sisterhood, almost, of females who share similar bonds, despite background, interests, language, etc. That kind of unity is so great and empowering, especially during that awkward period where young girls feel like no one else feels this awkward emotions or that no one "gets" them. I think with so much real suffering happening in other parts of the world, it's difficult to remember that girls in first-world countries have their own voices and stories needing to be told, and just because it isn't anything newsworthy, doesn't mean it isn't a problem or question or anxiety worth addressing.

That being said, my favorite pieces in the collection were the fictionalized accounts of the young women in other parts of the world (as in, not America or the UK). There is a great story called "Free Barbie," about a young Chinese girl working in an assembly-line doll factory, and probably my favorite piece is an epistolary poem/letter about a young female suicide bomber. In all of these stories, especially the ones from girls in developing countries, there is such strength and resilience in their voices that even someone past puberty can feel their empowerment and be proud to be a girl.

I really love what this collection does. And I love how it celebrates girls. I think, considering the target audience, this book is definitely five stars in terms of relevance and importance, but the writing wasn't always impeccable. I mean, I don't think it has to be Pulitzer prize-worthy to accomplish the goal Ensler was going for in motivating young girls; but to be fair, while some stories about sex trafficking or dealing with being a "masculine" girl were so amazing, some of the more experimental free verse passages didn't always do it for me.

Also, I think I might have benefited more if I had read this about five years ago, when the insecurity and all that was more intense. (P.S. This does reference some graphic sexual and adult themes, which are important to read about, but some more conservative families or younger readers should be aware of that.) Regardless, I loved it and will definitely keep it around to flip through and read a couple more times throughout my lifetime.

**Review by **

Cross-posted at Notes in the Margin

Written by: Renée McDonald, June 23rd 2010

Why Is My Mother Getting A Tattoo?: And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask

admin — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:38:00 +0000

By Jancee Dunn

Villard

Jancee Dunn’s second memoir, Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask, is a laugh-out-loud funny and often touching set of anecdotes about her life; her big, quirky family; her many quirky friends; and her quirky self. A follow-up to Dunn’s first memoir, But Enough About Me, this book is a comedic look at her experiences working for Rolling Stone magazine.

With chapter titles like “Don’t be Weird” and “The Joys of a Breakfast Buffet,” Dunn switches topics frequently, but never loses the narrative pull. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this book, but still woke up in a good mood the next morning. Dunn’s humor is like a cross between Dave Barry and Erma Bombeck, with just a hint of an edge. She’s like the really funny friend you always tell stories about. She finds humor in day-to-day moments, the peculiar habits of her loved ones, and of course, self-deprecation. She compares herself to her mother thusly, “Not once have I seen her slop around the house past 8 a.m. in a bathrobe and slippers, whereas my at-home uniform is best described as Mommy Drinks.”

Dunn is a joyous consumer of culture, and her writing is peppered with music, food, and plenty of products (her father and grandfather both worked for JC Penney). Anyone who has ever read a celebrity weight loss book will giggle at “Secure Your Wig With Extra Hairpins Before Lovemaking,” the chapter Dunn devotes to all the crazy beauty advice given by celebrities from Brooke Shields to Elizabeth Taylor. (Think mayonnaise masks and “staying away from cocaine.”)

Conversations between Dunn and her best friend Julie are scattered throughout the book, and I found myself looking forward to those moments. Dunn includes full transcripts of their cell phone chats, from topics as trivial as a trip to Costco with Aunt Mattie to subjects as intimate as Dunn’s procreation decision. They are personal, amusing, intelligent, vulnerable, and an affirmation of the joys of an unconditional friendship.

As funny as it is, Dunn’s book is also an unashamed look at modern womanhood, with all of its challenges. She devotes a chapter to her initial struggle to decide whether to have children, and the many negative responses she gets when others find out she just isn’t sure. She and her husband face pressure from family, friends, and even strangers on airplanes: “I was so bone weary of yet another well-meaning but tactless person joining in the discussion of my sadly empty, tumbleweed-strewn uterus...” Her honest, self-aware description of her decision is refreshing, not to mention hilarious. She is not political. She is simply an “everywoman” trying to chart the best course for her life.

Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask is silly, witty, and emotional, just like it’s protagonist. Jancee Dunn lets you into her life, and unlike with some of those celebrity diet books, you actually want to stay.

Written by: Jennifer Wedemeier, August 16th 2009

Laughing without an Accent: Adventures of an Iranian American at Home and Abroad

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:57:00 +0000

By Firoozeh Dumas

Villard

Laughing without an Accent is Firoozeh Dumas’s second book, after her debut memoir Funny in Farsi. Dumas is an Iranian-American who writes about the similarities and differences in Iranian cultures through her own experiences growing up in Iran and America. The book is a compilation of twenty-eight vignettes which span her life in both countries. The vignettes portray her childhood, adolescence, and adulthood in the most memorable ways, usually leaving the reader with a smile or laugh before eagerly turning to read the next story.

These days, Iranians are fighting for free, fair, and democratic elections and for their personal rights and freedom. Humor is not the first thing that may come to mind for Americans when thinking about Iranians right now. However, Dumas, who is married to a Frenchman, writes her stories with such ease that humor is exactly what readers find in each story, along with kindness, compassion, love, and sometimes chaos. Almost all of her stories are about her family, and how Persian culture really defines itself in society—or... well... doesn’t (hence, the humor).

One example of calamity is the cultural clash that occurs over a holiday feast her husband cooks for her parents. This is a hysterical but good-hearted read along with her other story of the amazingly bright red comforter that Firoozeh’s mother brought for them that just wouldn’t disappear. Her stories are meaningful because readers, regardless of origin, can relate to the humanity behind her writing.

Dumas’ descriptive skill gives her the leeway to explore her characters more freely, and set a peaceful tone for her readers. She challenges us to look beyond the dissimilarities and focus on the similarities which bring us together. She cleverly uses humor, grace, and respect for the written word as her instruments in one unique symphony. The music that she creates is our laughter—some with accents, some without.

Written by: Mona Lisa Safai, July 16th 2009