May 6, 2008
Such A Pretty Fat on Shelves Today
Chicago writer Jen Lancaster is back with her third memoir, Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big; Or, Why Pie Is Not the Answer, which hits bookshelves across the nation today. To celebrate the launch, the author kicks off her book tour in our hometown, making a book signing appearance tonight at Barnes & Noble in Lincoln Park.
If you’ve picked up any women’s magazine or watched an episode of Oprah in the last decade, you know that weight loss is a painstakingly pervasive topic, yet there always seems to be some new “answer” that promises to melt pounds effortlessly. (Note: we actually saw an ad for Motionless Exercise the other night. Sold.) Lancaster chronicles her stab at all these solutions (Atkins, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, the works) until she finally settles in with Barbie - the perky, blonde, perfect personal trainer whom she actually happens to like. Lancaster spares us from most of the sappy, spiritual awakening b.s. of weight loss, instead favoring relatable wit and charm as she tells her story of finally learning to leggo the Eggo.
Queen of fantastic titles, Lancaster's previous works include Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomanical, Self-Centered, Smartass, or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office and Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who Are All These Idiots and Why Do They Live Next Door to Me? You can also read her blog here.
The book signing is at Barnes & Noble, 1441 W. Webster, May 6, 7:30 p.m.
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This modern memoir genre is getting a little out of control. How can you write more than one, maybe two, memoirs??
I read a review of Augusten Burroughs latest memoir and I kid you not, the lead in was "it's been over 3 years since his latest memoir..." WTF!!! Aren't memoirs supposed to be one book relating life's lessons from a wise-beyond-his years author?? Or even every once in a while a memoir from somebody who has extrodinary life experiences. Not 3 or 4 memoirs back to back from the same author!!! What the hell makes them think everyone wants to read about their life anyway?
Not to mention Burroughs has been accused of getting a little to close to James Frey's memoirs all new genre, which includes just making shit up about your life.
mepps, it's all semantics, but you're confusing memoir with autobiography. memoir simply means writing your own personal experience, and those are ongoing throughout your life. whether your story is interesting enough for someone else to care about is a whole other thing, though. and don't even get me started on Burroughs and Frey.
So this is about a fat girl?
It would be cool if her memoir went something like:
so i was fat.
Then I started eating right and drinking less.
I started going to the gym.
Then I realized jogging is a really effective way to lost weight.
I've lost 15 pounds in 2 months and guys are starting to notice me more.
I am happy with myself and my accomplishments.
The end.
-------------
But no, probably not.
i was wondering when matty would chime in with his fat-girl hate. what's interesting is that you still feel the need to be hateful, fully ignoring the summary that this is about a girl who got un-fat. so if something worked for her, it still doesn't count because it wasn't your way? get over yourself. don't read the book. problem solved.
I won't don't worry.
And I don't hat fat people or fat women.
Sorry, I don't. Espousing good eating and excersize for those who need it is not hate.
If you say you don't hate fat girls, there's no way to prove or disprove that. But I will just say that your past comments on Chicagoist have certainly been hateful. And "espousing good eating and excersize [sic] for those who need it" can still be done in a hateful way, and you do it often. Which, uh, suggests you hate fat people.
I guess I hit a nerve. *rolls eyes*
"And I don't hat fat people or fat women."
Sounds like a hater to me
well yeah, people spewing their ugliness usually do hit a nerve with me. but thanks for cleverly cyber-rolling your eyes. it reminds me what a waste it is engaging petulant posters.
I think you're attacking me for being skinny and I don't appreciate it.
I think mo's attacking you for being an a-hole on this topic. And I appreciate it.
@matty:
Dude, you can have all the skinny, "healthy", weight obsessed girls that live in the gym. I'll take all the "curvy" girls that will chug a beer, go to the barbecue joint with me, and jiggle a little when I smack their ass.
My experience tells me they tend to be better in bed and have bigger boobs. I could care less about someone's dress size and if they "eat right" or not.
Obesely fat people disgust me. No, I'm not ashamed either