The Full-Bodied (Book) Blog

Anthology to raise funds to help clean the BP Oil spill

2011-01-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

I have special interest in this book, and not because I edited, published, and have a story in it. It's because that all money raised from this book will be divided between two charities dealing with the aftermath of the oil spill. The cameras are gone, but the damage remains.

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Here's the official press release. Please pass it on!

The BP oil spill disaster in April 2010 prompted authors Zetta Brown and Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson Brown from the She Writes™ online community of writers to develop the charity anthology Oil and Water...and Other Things That Don’t Mix. All proceeds will be divided between charities that not only help the wildlife and environment, but also the people living in the area. With this in mind, they picked the charities of The Bay Area Food Bank (www.bayareafoodbank.org) and MOBILE Baykeeper® (www.mobilebaykeeper.org) to aid their continuing mission to help the Gulf Coast communities affected.

After placing a call for submissions last June, the resulting anthology features award-winning authors, poets, journalists, bloggists, newly published authors, and talented new authors making their debut. The women and men contributing to the anthology came from everywhere wanting to do something to help the Gulf region.

The official theme of the anthology is “Conflict...Resolution optional.” Not all stories are specific to the South, but all have the theme of conflict and there is fiction and non-fiction inside. The stories, poems and recollections will make you laugh, cry, think—and some may even get you angry—and topics range from personal relationships to dealing with the kitchen oven.

The editors of Oil and Water...and Other Things That Don’t Mix are from the South. Zetta Brown is from Texas but currently lives in Scotland with her husband Jim Brown, and together they own and operate LL-Publications that will publish the anthology. Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson Brown was born and raised on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. She is currently an editor and ghostwriter for several publishing houses in New York and the Berkshires and is following in the footsteps of her grandfather Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, founder of DC Comics.

“Despite our names, Nicky and I are not related,” says Zetta Brown. “In fact, we have never met in person. We met through the social network She Writes™ in the Southern Writers subgroup. When the oil disaster happened, the members in our little group were disgusted—which is Southern for ‘pissed off.’ I had the idea of doing an anthology to benefit charities dealing with the disaster and I approached Nicky because she has deep roots in the Gulf. She came up with the name and we’ve been running with it ever since.”

Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson Brown adds, “I am a seventh generation Gulf Coastal inhabitant and the only way I can describe how I felt once the oil started gushing is that my heart broke. My mother’s family arrived in New Orleans around 1820 and we’ve been somewhere on the coast between there and Pensacola, Florida ever since. The Gulf Coast has been through so much, particularly in the last six years—one devastating hurricane after another, economic difficulties, over-development and now this horrific oil spill. The charities that we honor in our donations are doing the best they can to help the people and the environment on the coast.”

Oil and Water...and Other Things That Don’t Mix is available from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, direct from the publisher at LL-publications, and from many other online book retailers. Other retailers who wish to carry the book should contact Jim Brown at editor(at)ll-publications.com for details.

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual

2010-09-08T03:38:00.000-07:00

This is my review (originally posted at New York Journal of Books).

People have forgotten how to eat.

Ever thought about why authorities use the word “consumers” rather than “customers” in their reports even though we are buying into their ideas about food whether it is for the new protein drink or new health guidelines from a government agency?

Recently the European Union announced new regulations to go into effect about nutritional labelling on foods. The EU wants nutritional labels to be easier to read and understand. For several decades now, people have relied on what they have been told by advertisers or other authorities that are supposed to have everyone’s best interests at heart.

So why, despite all of this (mis)information is Western society getting fatter and unhealthier? With so many conflicting opinions and theories about food, is it any wonder why people have an ambivalent or even antagonistic attitude towards food and eating? Perhaps it is because people have been bombarded with too much information and not enough common sense.

Journalist Michael Pollan argues that there is no need for various systems featuring traffic lights, pyramids, or the aptly-named pie chart or any kind of gimmick to tell people what is and isn’t nutritional to eat. Although he stresses that “(t)his book isn’t antiscience,” he is “sceptical of a lot of what passes as nutritional science.” Pollan isn’t a scientist, a nutritionist, or any kind of medical professional, but like the rest of us, he has eaten food daily for his entire life. Instead, he has chosen to look at the things taught to us by our mothers and grandmothers for centuries before governments and advertising agencies became involved.

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual is a very short book divided into three sections and consisting of sixty-four tasty tidbits of information to simplify the way we think about food. The concept of K.I.S.S. – “Keep it simple, stupid”—is germane. Michael Pollan keeps it simple but does inject some tasteful humor so as not to come across as being preachy. For example, Part One: What should I eat? Eat food.

Some of the earlier “rules” revolve around eating whole foods that have not been processed or refined, or if it has been, it should be very minimal. Rules 1 through 7 are worth having on hand to help ease the guilt people may have from either eating too much or the shame from not knowing what to eat. But overall, this little book can help the reader eat a more balanced diet painlessly and effortlessly.

Not all of the rules are about food. Some of the rules can be seen as reminders that by paying attention to how we eat food we can help the environment, aid the digestion, be more sociable, and even save money. Another thing to remember, as with all rules, is that sometimes it is important to pull a #64 and “break the rules once in a while.” Eating should not be intimidating or be seen as an inconvenient chore like taking out the trash—or worse, eating it. Eating is essential for survival.

While Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual may not be a heavyweight in the throng of “serious” books devoted to the topic of healthy eating, it is worth having as a reminder that we are not as ignorant when it comes to food as advertisers and even government agencies may want us to believe. The human body is quite capable of letting us know if we’re getting too much of a good thing—or not enough.

Making the Hook-Up is on sale now!

2010-02-20T01:28:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!

The anthology: "MAKING THE HOOK-UP - Edgy Sex with Soul," published by Cleis Press, edited by Cole Riley, and featuring my short story "Hung" is now on sale!

"Hung" stars Nola Vernier "who couldn’t help but stand out. Standing just less than six feet tall, she was stacked and packed, and her plump, creamy, toffee-colored skin made her a tempting treat."

Here's the listing on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Hook-Up-Edgy-Sex-Soul/dp/1573443832/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266657591&sr=1-1

or

http://bit.ly/5Tta1T

I am SO hyped!!

“Madea Says” - Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life

2010-01-28T03:33:00.000-08:00

January is a month of for making New Year’s resolutions. Since the month isn’t over just yet, I’m going to take the time to talk about a book that might not help you with your resolutions, but it may help you get through the rest of the year.

Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life by Tyler Perry.

This relatively short book (254 pages, hardback) needs to be read it from cover-to-cover, but it is divided into eleven sections making it easy to jump to where you need help most.

The purpose of this book is instructional and the clue is in the title. You don’t want to make a black woman take off her earrings. Why? Because this is your last clue that you have crossed the line and sistah-girl is about to throw down. Your mouth has written a check that is about to be cashed on your behind. So it’s better to learn how not to get into such a situation.

Who is Madea?
The word “Madea” is what some would call a “corruption” or even a “bastardization” of the words “mother dear.” It is a term of endearment found in the South given to those elder women in a family, like a grandmother or beloved aunt. Well, corruption or not, it is a term that is not given lightly and must be earned.

The children of Queen Alexandra of England may have called her “mother dear,” but she was no Madea. Queen Alexandra never would have said: “Payback is a mother!”

Besides, in this case, I am talking about MADEA.

THE Madea.

Many of us in the black community know about THE Madea or have heard about her. Some of us have been lucky to see her live and in person. Some remember Madea back when she was queen of the live theatre chitlin’ circuit and have seen her go on to conquer movies in Hollywood.

According to her biography, Madea, aka Mabel Simmons, was born in Greensburg, Louisiana in 1937. She’s a big woman with a big heart and a big gun stashed in her purse that she’s not afraid to get out if you work her nerves. But in truth, and those of you who have seen Madea know, she is the larger-than-life character created by playwright, actor, producer, and all-rounder, Tyler Perry.

Do not mistake Madea for being a humorless, strict, church lady who looks down her nose proclaiming, “Isn’t that special?” Back in her youth, Madea was a stripper. Fortunately for us, she has collected all of her advice from her life experiences and put them in a convenient book for our use.

Madea has something to say about everything, and she makes it clear that we would be wise to listen.

On ageing: “You don’t get older—you get better—if you’re wise.”

On weight: “There’s nothing sexy about a rib cage.”

On beauty: “Vaseline.”

On sex: “If you’re looking for a roadmap to heaven, follow these stretch marks along my thighs!”

On self-defence: “My momma didn’t give me any instruction on the gun. She just told me, ‘Aim and pull.’”

The effects of aging on the body: “You know, I stepped on my nipple today.”

And much, much more.

Where have all the Madea’s gone?
As mentioned above, you don’t get Madea’s age and experience if you’re stupid. But she points out that living in today’s society makes it harder to find sources of wisdom.

“See, grandmas today are twenty-nine years old. If you’re twenty-nine, you don’t know the things you know at sixty-eight.”

Madea has a lot to say about parenting throughout the book. In the section, Kids! (Enough Said), Madea really lays down the law. The crux of her advice is this:

“Whup that ass.”

There is a group on Facebook called “My parents didn’t put me in time-out, they whooped my ass.” A friend of mine put me onto this group and I joined with the quickness. THIS is the kind of group Madea would have founded or at least be a member of. She talks about the “bag of belts.” Some of you know what I mean. My mama had one.

But this Facebook group also demonstrates that it is not only black women who are unashamed to discipline their children this way. In this group you will find people from many different backgrounds and races talking about the elders in their lives, men and women, who took them to task—and thank them for it. You don’t have to be a black woman to be a Madea.

Madea is all about owning up to responsibility and working to your full potential. If you don’t believe me, just read the section: “What in Hell Is ‘Acting White’ Supposed to Mean?” Her response: “It’s not acting white. It’s acting like you got some sense!”

Further on in the chapter she says: “It’s like laws in America. If you break the law, you pay the consequences [...] So when you’re raising kids, remember—you are the law. Lay the law down and they will respect you.”

Do we really need Supernanny???

Madea is funny. She is over the top. Not all of her tips can be taken seriously. For example, you probably don’t want to try your luck by bouncing checks all over town, or leaving fish heads around your house to discourage houseguests, but that’s not the point. It is the spirit in which the advice is given that counts.

Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life by Tyler Perry is Madea’s first book. I hope she comes out with another one soon.

Madea wants you to understand what she is saying. “If you’re not a black person and you don’t understand something, read that part to a friend who’s black and ask for an explanation.”

No matter your background, or your current age, look for and appreciate the Madea’s in your life. If you happen to be a Madea, I salute you and want to be like you when I grow up. Tyler Perry lost his mother recently after a long illness, and as you can imagine, his mother was his touchstone and one of the inspirations for Madea. So you need to embrace your Madea while you can.

Therefore, I’m going to give this book 5 bags of belts out of 5.

And everyone out there should use those belts wisely and responsibly.

Madea has her eye on you.

MADEA IS BACK ON TOUR!
See the woman herself in “Madea’s Big Happy Family”
Check out the tour dates HERE.

http://www.tylerperry.com/_Plays/

If you are lucky enough to be in the area when Madea comes to town, I suggest you be there.

Reviews and content

2009-12-13T10:08:00.000-08:00

I'm getting some more books read to review for the blog but if anyone out there has a book featuring "characters of substance" that they want to talk about, drop me a line.

If you'd like to be a regular contributor to the FBBB, let me know and I'll hook you up.

Peace!

The New Look of Zetta Brown

2009-08-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let y'all know about the new look of my website!

http://www.zettabrown.com

It's a bit more streamlined but reflects more of my personality and was designed by my husband Jim (aka Mr. Zetta)...whose various technical services I pimp out at JimandZetta.com

I've also added my MEDIA KIT that I'm particularly proud of, if you care to take a peek!

So stop by and leave a comment in my guestbook! At the end of the month, I'll draw a name and the winner will get surprise gift! Could be a DVD, a CD, a book, or any number of items.

You have no idea what I have stocked up in my prize closet! One thing I will say is that it'll be a fun(ny) gift.

Zetta Brown
Editor-in-Chief, LL-Publications/Logical-Lust Publications
http://www.zettabrown.com
http://www.ll-publications.com
http://www.logical-lust.com

"I was an Internet Bride": Or, How to Find Your Mate on the Internet

2009-05-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

People are always asking me how I met my husband and how I ended up living in Scotland. Well, you can find out exactly how I did it by reading my new article:

"I was an Internet Bride"
10 simple tips showing how easy it is to find true love on the Internet explained by Zetta Brown who went from being single in Texas to married in Scotland.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1758944/i_was_an_internet_bride.html

Sounds like a romance story, doesn't it? LOL

Zetta Brown - She's a Colorful Woman
Messalina - Devourer of Men
http://www.zettabrown.com
http://www.badazzauthors.com

Cherries Jubilee - Before Eva Met Jared

2009-05-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Before she was a sex goddess, Eva Cavell was a virgin...

In "Cherries Jubilee" a young, and innocent, Eva Cavell comes to terms with the challenges of reaching womanhood and independence. When her first job results in demotion and humiliation, Eva finds comfort in the arms of handsome blond, Casey Weller . . . comfort and revenge.

"Cherries Jubilee" is the short story prequel to Eva's adventures in Messalina: Devourer of Men.

http://www.logical-lust.com/cherriesjubilee.html

A $2 electronic quick read - or receive it FREE with a print or ebook purchase of MESSALINA: DEVOURER OF MEN from Logical-Lust.com

Sex is the dessert of life...don't forget your "Cherries."

New, Official Blogs for LL-Publications and Logical-Lust

2009-04-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

April 24, 2009 announces the birth of two new blogs:

The Official LL-Publications Blog
http://llpublications.wordpress.com

The Official Logical-Lust Blog
http://logicallust.wordpress.com

Today is also the official unveiling of the NEW LOOK of Logical-Lust!
Jim has spent weeks revamping the site while ignoring his long-suffering wife! So PLEASE take a look at his handiwork:

http://www.logical-lust.com

And don't forget to drop by the SWING! Launch Party! It looks like Yahell is finally starting to cooperate and let messages through:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/logical-lust

Zetta Brown - She's a Colorful Woman
Messalina - Devourer of Men
http://www.zettabrown.com
http://www.ll-publications.com

Save The Quiet Kitty Fund - for authors with medical needs

2009-04-20T03:39:00.000-07:00

I've just learned of this organization and it turns out, one of the beneficiaries is someone I know--Camille Anthony. This woman is a survivor and an inspiration.

Save The Quiet Kitty Fund was established to create a non-profit organization to help uninsured authors with medical needs.

http://www.savethequietkitty.com/

We all know the state of the economy and the state of healh care, but as authors and publishers, here is a chance to help others get through it.

Please take a moment to learn about the organization--make a donation--and put a banner or button on your site or blog in support.

http://www.savethequietkitty.com/

Zetta Brown - She's a Colorful Woman
Messalina - Devourer of Men
http://www.zettabrown.com
http://www.badazzauthors.com

Amazon Ranks - can't you smell it?

2009-04-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't been swept up in the big hoo-ha of Amazon's stripping the sales ranks from "adult" themed works that ended up targeting gay,

lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) works.

Well yours truly was also hit even though MESSALINA - DEVOURER OF MEN is a heterosexual erotic romance.

But it doesn't matter the sexual orientation of a books characters or its theme/topic - here is Amazon.com trying blatantly discrimminating against a certain

population.

Like many others, I first heard about this through my Twitter account, but it got smothered by various other twits that I really couldn't figure out what was

going on until I got THE PETITION in my emailbox that my husband forwarded to me.

The ratings function has been fixed has been corrected but solely because of the intstant and LOUD protest from around the world of people who saw it for the

bullshit it really is. Amazon spin doctors are trying to say it was an internal "glitch" and "ham-fisted error" despite the fact that it has been documented

that one of the employees stated that this decision was based on their "entire customer base."

No one asked me for my opinion. Did they ask you? No? I didn't think so.

DON'T BELIEVE THE SPIN!! AMAZON WAS CAUGHT TRYING TO DISCRIMINATE AND IT HAS BIT THEM IN THE ASS!!!

Some people say Amazon has a right to do whatever they want with their site. True. But if Amazon really doesn't want to sell "adult" books, they need to stop

selling it and rebrand themselves as a totally Family and child-friendly merchant. There are thousands of other retailers, large and small, who I'm sure

would be glad of the business.

Psst! MESSALINA - DEVOURER OF MEN is also available at Barnes & Noble!

Thank GOD Amazon isn't the only fish in the sea. It may be the biggest in regard to online book sales, but it's not the only fish.

There have been several informative, if not entertaining, responses to the whole fracas. One of my favorites is from the Smart Bitches and their GOOGLE bomb

of the phrase "Amazon Fail."

http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/index.php/weblog/comments/amazon-rank/

Here's another article on Foreign Policy discussing ways of civil disobedience and "anti-corporate cyberactivism."

The article in Publisher's Weekly amused me too.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6651080.html?desc=topstory

Then there is THE petition. I signed it a few hours after it started when less than 800 people had signed. By the time I went to bed, it was around 2,000.

Less than 24 hrs later, it was pushing the 20k mark and as far as I know, it's still growing. The comments people are leaving makes great reading too:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/in-protest-at-amazons-new-adult-policy

Some people (mistakenly) see this as a "GBLT" thang or a "smut" thang or a "sex" thang. WRONG! You let this go, where does it end?

This cock-up has provoked many people to never buy from Amazon again, which is their choice. Other people have said they'll never look at Amazon the same way

again. Whatever your personal standpoint:

"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." --Malcom X

Sign the petition against Amazon's "Adult" Policy

2009-04-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

PLEASE pass it on!

Amazon.com has removed the sales ranking of "adult" themed books (mainly GLBT) in order to prevent them from being found in searches and from getting on the best-seller lists.

They say they are doing this "in consideration of our entire customer base."

Did Amazon ask you to censor your search? I didn't think so.

What's next? Preventing searches of interracial themed books because someone finds them offensive??

Let's get over 10,000 signatures on this petition!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/in-protest-at-amazons-new-adult-policy

"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything."
--Malcom X

Zetta Brown - She's a Colorful Woman
http://www.zettabrown.com
http://www.badazzauthors.com

Locker Room Diaries - and other scary books

2009-01-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009, folks!

My only resolution is to be more disciplined and that can be applied to many things, from making regular blog posts...to exercising regularly.

I've had various gym memberships since the early 1990s but I'm still a big girl. Why? Mainly because I am not a superwoman and there are only 24hrs in a day.

"But those are just excuses!" I hear you shout. Maybe, but it's true.

I have a 12-month gym membership that will expire in June. It should expire in April but I had to take a 2-month hiatus while I dealt with a respiratory infection (and relapse). I've just recently gotten to the point where I can do a flight of stairs without feeling like I'm about to pass out. Perhaps if I was thinner, I would be more fit to fight off the chronic respiratory illnesses that have been plaguing me for the last 3 years.

Yes, I can stand to lose weight. I would love to be a size 16...but I also love hamburgers. I hope to see size 16 again one day, but I'm not going to sacrifice my love for the occasional hamburger. I am like many overweight women. It's not like I eat a LOT. I don't sit down and put away 30 Big Macs in one meal. In fact, I love salads and vegetables. But I just don't get enough exercise to burn off the things I do eat that help put on the weight. Plain and simple.

However, I shall be rejoining my gym at the busiest time of the year for gyms because this is the time of year where millions of people are thinking in unison. We are thinking: "This is the year that I get fit!" or "get thin."

I figure now is a perfect time to offer up my views about the book, Locker Room Diaries: The Naked Truth about Women, Body Image, and Re-Imagining the "Perfect" Body by Leslie Goldman.

The title says it all and the book delivers what is "on the label."

According to the blurb on the back cover, Leslie Goldman, MPH, is a health writer for the American Medical Association. She is also a recovering anorexic. Now why the hell should we listen to some skinny minnie who already has a skewed outlook on body image and weight? "Recovering" or not, we learn that she still has a high-level workout routine that would intimidate many women.

This was one of the things going through my mind as I read the book, but Goldman makes up for it because this is written from a first-person point of view. Sometimes I find Goldman's "voice" annoying, as if she's trying too hard to be witty at times, but more often than not, she sounds like one of the girlfriends you have whom you can easily talk to. Why is that?

Because Locker Room Diaries is a unique book. It is a collection of interviews conducted by Goldman of the women in her gym and not a simple recollection of her views and opinions. She interviews fellow members of her gym (and it's a nice gym) and even the staff and winds up uncovering stories that are funny, touching, sad, and more. She also talks to medical professionals, but face it, it's the views and opinions of the gym members we're interested in and there are plenty. Goldman's personal experience with anorexia also provides useful insight from someone who has survived but must still deal with her eating disorder.

For example, Goldman talks about a woman named Jane. Jane is anorexic. She knows it (but won't admit it) the gym knows it, but no one can tell her differently. "She's gonna tell you to go fuck yourself," warns a gym employee when Goldman suggests talking to her. Jane goes into the gym and works out, daily, for three hours, and has done for 10 years. Her anorexia shows not just in her living-skeleton physique (Spandex sags on her body) but in her dry, brittle hair. Imagine everyone's shock when Jane gets pregnant and starts showing...but doesn't let up on her work out regime. Can you imagine what her child will have to deal with? Perhaps Jane's child will be like the little girl Goldman observes with her mother:

"The mother followed her daughter's gleeful voice to The Scale, where she rumpled her daughter's hair, giving her a cursory 'That's great, honey!' She lifted her daughter off the scale and then got on herself. In one swift motion, the mother's face soured and her head dropped. She stepped gingerly off the scale and, without another word, returned to her locker and continued dressing. And wouldn't you know it, before I had the chance to ask myself, 'Will this turn into a vicious, lifelong cycle?' that little girl climbed back onto the scale, and in a performance worthy of a pint-sized Oscar, imitated her mother's actions, right down to her exaggerated pouty face. Was she old enough to read the numbers? Probably not."

Or Jane's child may be like the one who asks her mother, "Mommy, why do you only eat salads?"

But not all the examples related are so disheartening. You'll hear about women who are unashamed to walk around naked in the locker room, no matter their size or age, and their counterparts who have developed interesting body contortions in order to change clothes while exposing as little flesh as possible.

In addition to book chapters, Goldman subdivides them depending on the topic or interviewee. Here's some examples: "Pimples, Crotches, and Butts, Oh My!" "Breasts: They Do A Body Good", "Living Life Large...And Loving It", the list goes on. Goldman covers topics ranging from exercising regularly, exercising while pregnant, age and exercise, and cultural perspectives of weight and body image. I'm not listing them all here, but that's enough to give you an idea.

As expected, the book spends a lot of time showing how women constantly compare themselves (often unrealistically) with other women but it also shows how women can want something that they just will not get because of simple genetics, including racial makeup. Face it ladies, sometimes your race will determine how your body works. Live with it. There's nothing wrong with it or you.

One of the best parts of the book comes towards the end in the chapter, "Having a Senior Moment: What Lessons Can the Older Generation Teach Us?" Perhaps we should listen to Becky, the ninety-one year old yoga instructor whom people ask to see proof of her age because she looks decades younger, so she shows them her drivers license. Becky says:

"I believe in focusing on the body, as long as we remember we are not the body; and if you focus too much on the body, you lose what you really are. And what you really are is a beautiful daughter of God. First, realize you are a spiritual soul. The body is a vessel. And that's what's wrong with the world today--we're so interested in the I, the me, that we don't realize we're more than the body. We're the mind and spirit. That's why I don't really consider myself an African American woman. Because I believe in reincarnation, I see myself as a Greek woman, an Egyptian woman. So I just think of myself as a citizen of the world, like Socrates."

Despite the many topics covered, the book doesn't read choppy or incomplete. Sure there are themes that could be expanded into their own book, but Locker Room Diaries provides just enough variety to keep your interest without becoming boring. There will be women that you can relate to as well as women you'll want to strangle with their bikini thong.

I highly recommend this book so I'm going to give Locker Room Diaries - 5 hernias out of 5 because I think this book provides a wide (no pun intended) illustration about the relationship women have with their bodies and their motives to exercise.

In fact, I plan to re-read this book to keep me motivated--and inspired--as I resume my goal of getting FITTER, if not leaner.

Now, excuse me as I go get a hamburger for my lunch.

A slight change in direction

2008-12-13T12:02:00.000-08:00

As you can see from the title of the blog, this is now The Full-Bodied (Book) Blog.

It is now a (Book) blog that is no longer limited to books. There have been many thoughts, ideas, rants that I've wanted to post here that aren't book related but are related to size, weight, image, etc. But where could I put it?

I had limited my scope with this blog without meaning to.

I'm still interested in hearing what others have to say and I'm still open to having a limited number of contributors to this blog so maybe this will lead to my having more posts here.

Since the year is almost done, I'll save my next book review until the New Year, so join me when I share my thoughts on the book --

Locker Room Diaries - The Naked Truth about Women, Body Image and Re-Imaging the "Perfect" Body, by Leslie Goldman

"Good in Bed" - Oy vay!

2008-08-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

I read Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner because the premise is similar to my own novel. They are both about women, who happen to be larger than "normal" and find themselves "exposed in print," so to speak.

Good in Bed stars Candace (Cannie) Shapiro. She's in her late twenties and works as an entertainment reporter for a large Philly newspaper but is living in the shadow of the out-of-touch entertainment columnist, Gabby. Basically, Cannie does the work and Gabby gets the glory.

Cannie, we discover, has decided to "take a break" from her relationship with Bruce Guberman, a shiftless (his parents are rich) but likable man who, through the numerous flashbacks in the story, seemed to be truly in love with Cannie. Until she opted for a break.

You don't have to be in a lot of relationships to know that men can turn off from a relationship between heartbeats, or that men express their feelings differently. Bruce Guberman is like many men I've seen or known who will, stoically, give a woman what she wants even if it hurts.

He and Cannie split up and he sees it as a permanent arrangement. Not like I can blame him. I never could accept the "let's take a break" line as a legitimate reason to test the strength of a relationship. However, Cannie really believes that she simply needed a break from him.

Bruce then goes on to chronicle the highs and lows of their now-defunct relationship as a columnist for Moxie magazine in a series of confessional articles where he refers to Cannie as "C." The name of the column? Good in Bed.

Understandably, Cannie is livid, humiliated as the first article, "Loving a Larger Woman," splashes on the mag's pages. We learn (along with Cannie's family and friends) that it was her experience in the bedroom that will serve Bruce well in future relationships. As the novel is from Cannie's point-of-view in first-person narrative, we get to know her feelings for Bruce. He qualities range from loving and vulnerable to sloppy pot-head who can't lift the toilet seat up or down depending on which is most inconvenient to the woman at the time.

Unlike Cannie, I don't see Bruce as a totally bad guy. In fact, other characters see his good and bad points, but on the whole seem to like him. If anything, he's a bit reckless and insensitive with his literary scribblings and needs to grow up.

Through Cannie, Weiner does an excellent job conveying the range of emotions that can come with being a larger woman. Not only that, but Cannie has some queen-size issues to deal with in regards to love and relationships, such as a father who abandoned her and the rest of the family without shame and a mother who eventually replaces him with her new lover--Tanya. You see Cannie take some of this hostility out on Bruce, and he takes it. Cannie realizes that, although not perfect, Bruce is a good guy but she let him get away.

Now we come to a part of the story that started to make me look askance. Cannie starts a campaign to win Bruce back and it's disturbing how obsessive she gets and the ultimate, life-changing reprocussions that come. I wanted to shout to her: "Yo, Cannie! Big girls get dumped on by friends, family, and strangers all the time and it's unfair. Life is unfair. You can't wallow in self pity forever. Goddammit! Pull up your big-girl panties and deal!"

I wanted Cannie to listen to her best friend, Samantha, and just move on. But then, this would probably be a short story rather than a novel. Then, Bruce's father dies suddenly. Granted, Cannie loved Bruce's father but she uses the event of the funeral as part of her campaign to get him back:

"But even though I was feeling horrible, I felt a spark growing. He'll get it now...I imagined us at the funeral, and how I'd hold his hand, how I'd help him, hold him up..."

WTF?

It's all well and good wanting to be there to show support to an ex whom you still have feelings for, but it's much, much different to go to a man's funeral to win back the affections of the grieving son. Talk about hitting a person when they are vulnerable! Nope. I'm sorry, but I can't swallow that (no pun intended).

Well, things don't turn out as planned, but Cannie and Bruce do fall into bed, and he's quicker than Cannie to realize that was a mistake.

This is where my admiration for Cannie changes and she comes to resemble the idea that every big woman is so desperate to have someone love them that she will make some dumb-ass choices. Not like big women have the monopoly on dumb-ass choices, but stereotypically, we're more prone to do so in order to have somebody--anybody--tell us they love us.

As you can imagine the result of unplanned sex, you get an unplanned pregnancy. After some soul searching, she decides to keep it, and after even more soul searching, she decides that Bruce has the right to know and she writes him a letter. To his discredit, he doesn't reply.

Meanwhile, the "Good in Bed" articles show Bruce is moving on with a new love, but Cannie remains fixated on him. Her smart friend Samantha asks if this is a way for her to keep a part of Bruce. She denies this but eventually she does use this, and Bruce's general immaturity, to blame him for her misfortune.

. . . Sigh . . . The last time I looked, it still takes two to tango and she did have an ulterior motive the last time she saw him.

The rest of the story shows Cannie's star on the rise, both professionally and romantically, but she's too blind to really appreciate it because she is on a crusade to get sympathy and convince the world that Bruce is the jerk for "leaving her" and the baby and making her miserable.

Cannie is an unreliable narrator, which I found to be tiresome. Then, when something really bad happens to her, I can't muster any sympathy.

No doubt Cannie has and will appeal to a lot of people, but I can't say that I'm one of them. I do like her humor and sass and the way she, normally, rebounds, but there's too much self-pity ("Oh, no one loves a fat girl") and selfishness ("YOU did this to me!) on her part that she doesn't really seem to overcome. If she did, it was grudgingly--and I missed it.

Nevertheless, I like Weiner's writing and this book has moments that are laugh-out-loud funny as well as heartbreaking. There were times when I really sympathized with Cannie, but those moments dwindled as the story progressed.

The edition of the novel I have has a quote saying 'Do not read on trains--as you will miss your stop.' I must say that this is true and likely to happen because you will get engrossed in it. But this edition also has the first chapter of the next novel featuring Cannie, Certain Girls, which promises to cover even more sticky-tricky situations. Although it sounds intriguing, I don't think I can muster enough patience to follow Cannie through it.

But hey, in the end, I give Good in Bed 3 out of 5 latkes and will try my luck with another of Weiner's books.

Got a book you'd like me to read or want to post your own views about a book in this blog? Contact me at zwb70(at)yahoo.com

New commentary coming soon

2008-08-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

I'll be posting my views on the next book very soon. If you have any titles to suggest, contact me at zwb70(at)yahoo.com, but keep in mind that I may/may not have a chance to read it.

On the other hand, if you have comments on a book featuring any "characters of substance," let me know and you can post it here.

Messalina Gets 5 Cups!

2008-08-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

OK, it's brag time:

My debut novel, Messalina - Devourer of Men has just received FIVE CUPS from Coffee Time Romance!!

Click here to read the entire review!

Yes, I'm dancin' on air!

Big Girl Does Good! LOL

Woo! Hoo!

The F-BBB is looking for an image . . .

2008-07-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

Are you creative?

I'd like a logo or some kind of signature image to promote The Full-Bodied Book Blog.

If you, or anyone you know of, may be interested and can help, please contact me at zwb70(at)yahoo.com.

Thanks!

Body is in the Eye of the Author

2008-07-27T04:14:00.000-07:00

Do authors write their main protagonists with figures similar to their own?

Many authors write stories for the same reason readers read them and that is as a means to escape. So, if you’re large, do you create your hero/heroine with a smaller physique? Do authors automatically—naturally—create their main characters to be everything they (may) wish themselves to be? Or do they mix it up a bit?

Or do they simply go by what the story--or market--demands?

As someone who has been large all her life, I don’t ever see myself writing from the viewpoint of a petite woman, but I can (and have) written characters that are smaller than I am.

I suppose it depends on the amount of mundane detail a story gets into. An action-packed thriller may not be interested hearing in detail about how difficult it is for the heroine to squeeze her size 24 hips into a size 12 airplane seat . . . unless it plays into the suspense.

Is the reading audience receptive to larger women taking the lead in novels? I don’t suppose the question is considered much in male-oriented books, but men are not immune to the pressure to be Bondesque: buff, brave, bold . . . and preferably Scottish, but that’s just me. A lot of romance and erotic novels have covers where the men are "beefy burritos of manhood," as Judy Tenuta would say. Definite eye candy, to be sure.

I recently bought several books, and one e-book (I'll list them in my next post) simply because they feature "characters of substance." Also because I need material to post about on this blog.

I’m not saying I’m going to exclude reading books that have “normal” sized characters or books that make no declarative statement about body size. But I am interested in expanding my library (if a book is good enough for me to keep) and my reading experience with books that does address the issue. Size doesn’t have to be the central theme. The occasional reference is fine. I just want to see how authors—by way of their characters—handle it.

I guess I'm on a quest to do a non-scientific study of my own in the way size is portrayed in books and any trends it may contain. How many am I going to find that are "Woe is me! I am huge and nobody loves me!" or "I'm fat. Get over it." or even "I'm fat. You're skinny. I HATE YOU!"

What do y’all think? Are you more or less likely to read a book where “size” is an issue on some level? Or do you pass on it either because 1) you’re not interested in yet another story whining about size and or 2) you want the characters in your books to be as physically “perfect” as possible and if they can’t be on the cover of VOGUE or GQ, you don’t wanna know.

New stuff coming soon

2008-07-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Howdy!

For those of y'all interested, I've been reading a book that I plan to comment on sometime next week and I have 2 or 3 other books lined up. You may have heard of them before, if not, they may be books for you to check out.

But I'm still interested in hearing what YOU have to say about the things I post here or any thing YOU would like to get off your bountious chest with regard to the portrayal of fuller, bigger, fat figures in the media.

Contact me at zwb70(at)yahoo.com if you would like to start your own thread/topic.

Later :)

Mode Magazine and Ugly Betty

2008-07-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

The following is a rant, so if you’re not in the mood, check back later.

OK, am I the only one who sees the irony that the magazine on Ugly Betty is called “Mode?”

How many of you ladies out there remember MODE Magazine that introduced the world to the beauty of the plus-sized woman as a cover girl and strutting her stuff in between glossy pages? I still have pictures I cut out of the magazine and put in a book because it was the first time I’d seen fashionable clothing in my size on beautiful women my size. To this day I regret not getting two issues: one to cut up and destroy and one to archive.

Hands up if you had a subscription. I did.

Hands up if you cheered when they told the plus-sized haters (e.g. Anna Wintour – hell, Oprah Winfrey had to start her own magazine just to get on a cover!) by way of their editorial pages that there was a place in beauty, fashion, and modelling “big enough” for us. I did.

Hands up if you were sad and/or pissed as all hell when MODE published its last issue. I was.

I did a little search on the Internet and found I wasn’t the only one who felt this way: http://www.bigfatblog.com/node/176

MODE mattered. It made a difference. Even the font used for MODE was evocative of VOGUE.

So, how many of us noticed that MODE, late, lamented, lost magazine catering to reality-sized, average and above-average sized women . . . is the same title of the magazine featured in Ugly Betty?

I noticed right off. I noticed on the very first commercial when they were first promoting the series. I was enraged. How dare they? How the fuck dare they take the name of MODE in vain by having it be a magazine catering to the size zero (and below) crowd like every other goddamned fashion magazine! Right down to the fucking font style!

Now . . . I need to admit that I’ve never seen an entire episode of Ugly Betty even though it has Vanessa L. Williams (love her!) in it. By the time the American series came out, I was already living in Britain. However, I was interested in the original soap opera, Betty la fea, because a few of my Latina friends watched it.

I doubt I’ll ever watch the show. The premise is interesting, and at one time it was probably fresh, but I've been hyped out with all the press about the American version. Maybe ya’ll can educate me as to the image of “Mode Magazine a la Betty,” but if Williams’s character of Wilhelmina is anything to go by, I think I got it all sussed.

The whole thing has me feeling that, yet again, we full-figured women have been set aside, negated, usurped, bumped off—whatever you want to call it—for the sake of perpetuating the “perfect” image of womanhood that slender, tiny, on the cover . . . and strutting her stuff between glossy pages.

Info about "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" TV series

2008-07-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

For those of us interested, here's an old article (March '08) from the BBC News website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7289129.stm
(or you can click on the title of this blog entry)

Like I said in my previous post, the TV movie aired here earlier this year on the BBC but it's being produced in conjunction with HBO. I strongly encourage any of ya'll out there who have yet to introduce yourself to The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books to do so.

Filming begins this summer so let's hope they're working on it right now! LOL

If there hasn't been any buzz about it on HBO, why don't ya'll ask around? Write some letters or start a campaign ;-D

But if you like to watch a movie adaptation before reading the actual book(s), and if the series is anything like the TV movie, I guarantee you will be hooked and you will want to read the books.

Apologies for any delays

2008-07-07T23:47:00.000-07:00

I want to say thank you for those of you taking the time to comment and support this blog.

I should let you Americans know that if you notice any long delay between your post and its appearance on the blog it's because I live in Scotland and my time zone is 5 hours ahead of EST/EDT. Half of my work day is done before ya'll even get out of bed! LOL

I'm keeping the blog (lightly) moderated because I want people to feel comfortable in knowing they can comment and contribute.

Thanks, again!

In Praise of the Traditionally-Built Woman

2008-07-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

When I first picked up The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, the first book in the series by Alexander McColl Smith, I had a hard time getting into it.

I guess it’s because the style of the writing mixes elements of literary and genre fiction. It breaks “the rules” for purists who read and define genre fiction by the formulas it uses and expect things to unfold in a certain manner. I’m sure it disturbs some of the literati who wouldn’t be seen on fire at a crematorium reading something so common-denominator as genre fiction.

OK, perhaps I’m exaggerating the hostility between those who only read genre and those who only read lit. You would think that for someone, like me, who reads both, this type of book would be perfect.

Well it wasn’t . . . at first.

I had to get used to Smith’s writing style and a voice which is meant to evoke the storytelling of African oral traditions through the eyes of a black Botswana woman.

Once I got into the rhythm of the writing, I was able to get lost in the story. I could visualize the Botswana countryside, feel the heat, see to the cattle posts. Ya’ll, I was even curling my toes at the thought of encountering the snakes!

And the fact that Alexander McColl Smith is a white Scotsman currently residing in Edinburgh makes this a great accomplishment, in my opinion.

As a black woman happily married to a white Scottish man, discovering Smith’s books was like a great big smack on the head. It almost feels like I was destined to encounter his work. I hadn’t been living in Scotland for long and was feeling really homesick and wanted to read something either by an American writer—or about some black folks. Enter, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.

Mma Precious Ramotswe is the “traditionally built” protagonist of series and it’s easy to see how some of us, as African-American women, have been led to believe there is something wrong with our full hips and legs and our plush bellies and bottoms. In Africa, these features are still considered compelling and attractive.

But even in Africa, there is the ever-growing shift in what is seen to be the “modern” woman. This modern woman is more in line with the Western (read: Anglo-European) views of beauty. She is thin and can be seen wearing very fashionable, Western clothing rather than the more traditional styles. This attitude also affects men who will have, or want, a traditionally-built wife to take care of home and kids, while maintaining a skinny mistress. It’s almost like a status symbol.

Precious blames these attitudes on the South Africans. This is like a running joke in the series where problems are seen as “coming up” from the south. Precious sees the change in the youth as having no real respect for traditions and history. It’s not like Precious is an “old” woman. The series starts with her being in her mid-thirties—like me--therefore, like me, she’s lived enough to know and criticize youth if she has a mind to. But, like many traditionally-built women, Precious has her good days and bad days when it comes to dealing with her size and dealing with people dealing with her size. This is shown in how the characters talk. The writing can be blunt. But if anyone has ever been around Africans know they can talk in a very direct, matter-of-fact type of way. It is not the intention to be rude. Nevertheless, there are characters, people, in the stories who know what they are saying and how they are saying it, and Precious is no fool.

If you have yet to read any books from The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, I hope you have (or will) see the television movie from the BBC featuring singer Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe. It aired earlier this year and it was magnificent. I never guessed Jill Scott as an actress and pre-production rumors had Queen Latifah interested in the role, but Scott was the perfect choice. She looks like the Precious Ramotswe I envisioned in my mind.

Go here and learn more about the television movie:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/no1ladiesdetectiveagency/

There’s talk about it being developed into a series, but I don’t know any more. I hope to GAWD that it’s true!

Whether or not Smith holds the traditionally-built woman with the same esteem that can still be found in Africa is not important. What is important is the way he has captured the character of a “traditionally-built” African woman who is proud of her country and proud of herself.

Precious is a fine example of womanhood no matter her race, color, or size.

Lula Gets No Love

2008-07-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, a friend introduced me to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series of romantic comedy-slash-mystery books. I fell in love with them and quickly read the series until it stopped (at #6 or #7 at the time).

Although I enjoy the stories and laugh out loud at the situations Stephanie and the gang find themselves in, one thing that really, really bugs me is the way Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is portrayed.

Lula starts as a minor character in the first book of the series, One for the Money, and is a prostitute who ends up being of some use in order for Stephanie to apprehend her first bail jumper. As a rule, secondary characters are meant to enhance the image of the primary character(s) and are typically—stereotypical. Lula is the "hooker with a heart of gold," and although she no longer walks the streets, she is always eager to help her friends.

Lula is black, and a "big girl" to say the least. As her character appears throughout the series, she may no longer be a "ho," as she refers to herself in her former occupation, but her too-tight outfits and love for flashy clothing suggests that the ho fashion sense remains. Lula now works as a file clerk for Stephanie’s cousin, Vinnie, the bail bondsman Stephanie works for. But Lula dreams of being a bounty hunter, like her pal Stephanie, and skips out on her filing duties to "help" Stephanie, usually with disastrous results.

On a side note, Evanovich fans have considered Queen Latifah to be the one they’d like to see play Lula in a movie. Personally, I’d pick comediennes Mo’Nique or Sherri Shepherd.

I’ve read through book #12, Twelve Sharp. But number 14, Fearless Fourteen, has just been released so I have a little catching up to do, but my point isn’t to do a review of the entire series.

So what’s my problem? My problem is Lula is shown to be, and seen as by the others to be lazy, loud, brash, selfish, cowardly, and inept—everything you would expect your stereotypical urban black woman/man to be. And the fact that she’s plus-sized only adds to some of the disdain she gets from others. This also allows for her to be passed over as someone worthy of romantic interest—and isn’t that oh so typical? But this is a series about Stephanie Plum.

Lula, however, is big, but she is comfortable with her size and is proud to flaunt it by the clothes she wears, albeit too small. I don’t ever remember her saying she’s lonely for company or feels sorry for herself because of her size, but it’s been a while since I’ve read the earlier novels. And maybe that is the point. Lula is fine with who she is, so why should I be bothered?

Perhaps it’s because I’m a big, black female and this is one stereotype I’ve seen too often in media that it makes me tired. That’s my problem. Stephanie is thin, can eat the most fattening and disgusting combination of foods and never really gain an ounce, and, of course, she gets the best looking guys to fight over her. And isn’t this how it’s supposed to be in real life? At least that’s what the media expects us to believe.

I wish Evanovich got creative and let the mysterious, dangerous, and devastatingly attractive Ranger have a romantic interest in Lula. Now that would spice up a series that has been criticized for lacking any real character development after fourteen instalments. However, I’m happy to say that in recent books Lula has been getting some attention from another worthwhile character.

Rumor has it that book number fourteen doesn’t sit well with some of the die-hard fans of the series and maybe it’s time to bring these capers to an end. I haven’t read the last two books, so I can’t say. What I will say is that, although I’ve enjoyed the series, I’m in no rush to see Lula live up to her image as being fat, cowardly, and inept. Oh, I will read the latest two volumes . . . I’m just not in a hurry to do so.

But Lula is a great example of how secondary characters can enhance a storyline up to the point where you would notice if they should ever go missing. Characters like these can even overshadow the main protagonist and spin off on their own. It happens in TV all the time. Look at Frasier, or The Jeffersons, or even A Different World—a show where all the secondary characters overshadowed the main character!

It would be nice if Lula could have a series—or at least a book—of her own. If she did, I’d read it and talk about it in this blog. But that is highly unlikely. Lula may be big, but she’s destined to remain underdeveloped as a character.

The purpose of this blog

2008-07-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

I created The Full-Bodied Book Blog (FBBB) because I want to read more stories featuring full-figured women. I couldn’t locate anything similar and I don’t like to waste hours surfing on the net for stuff I want so I put this together simply to make things easy for me.

"If you build it . . . they will come . . ."

We’ll see.

I know there are books out there with big women (like me) as the romantic lead or as the serious protagonist and not just comic relief. I’ve seen and read excerpts of books on various websites, but wanted a place where I could centralize this information and hopefully get the authors of these books and readers (women and men) to participate.

I don’t just read one type or genre of book, so I’m not going to limit the focus of the blog to fiction, nor am I limiting it to books by/for women. I want to hear about and discuss:

Fiction (literary, genre) Non-fiction Personal essays Reviews Commentaries
Women, men, GBLT--bring it on!

Is this gonna be a skinny-bashing site? Well, there may be ranting, bitching, and moaning about a lot of things but it’s not the intention of this blog to "bash" anybody. But that doesn’t mean to say that someone may get their feelings hurt or disagree with an opinion.

Regardless, I’m not going to put up with personal, hostile attacks on this blog. Any argumentative discussions will remain civil.

Well, I’m gonna kick things off with my "first" post.