F*uck Your Diet and Other Things My Thighs Tell Me

Journalist–turned–stand-up comic Hilliard delivers a heartfelt, amusing essay collection about her struggles with her weight in an image-conscious culture. Hilliard, who fluctuated “between fat and thick from the age of twelve,” grew up with the nickname “big.” In “Starving Kids in Africa,” she writes about getting overfed by her food-loving grandmother, and, in “Let Them Eat Ketchup,” about later being sent to school by her mother with SlimFast for lunch. Throughout, she analyzes the impact that government policies have had on her “waistline, self-esteem, and body image,” and repeatedly calls out former president Ronald Reagan, who, when she was a kid in 1981, slashed budgets for public school lunches, which she says increased unhealthy food offerings and contributed to childhood obesity. She shares a funny story about buying a treadmill that put her in debt (“The $1500 Mistake”) and gleefully recalls her decision to leave journalism and pursue stand-up (“I’m a Comedian”). Hilliard’s battles with food may not be over, but age has given her perspective: “I’m smart, but I’ll never really grasp the concept of calories.” The author’s self-love message will resonate with readers who appreciate narratives of personal and professional fulfillment. [em](Jan.) [/em]