The Other F Word: A Celebration of the Fat & Fierce

by Angie Manfredi (Editor)

Overview

The definitive collection of art, poetry, and prose, celebrating fat acceptance

Chubby. Curvy. Fluffy. Plus-size. Thick. Fat. The time has come for fat people to tell their own stories. The (Other) F Word combines the voices of Renée Watson, Julie Murphy, Jes Baker, Samantha Irby, Bruce Sturgell, and more in a relatable and gift-worthy guide about body image and fat acceptance. This dazzling collection of art, poetry, essays, and fashion tips is meant for people of all sizes who desire to be seen and heard in a culture consumed by a narrow definition of beauty. By combining the talents of renowned fat YA and middle-grade authors, as well as fat influencers and creators, The (Other) F Word offers teen readers and activists of all ages a tool for navigating our world with confidence and courage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419737503
Publisher:	Amulet Books
Publication date:	09/24/2019
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Angie Manfredi is a librarian and writer who owns every season of Law and Order on DVD and sends over 150 handwritten Valentines every year. She has spent the last 11 years working directly with children and teens of all ages in a public library and now works in library consulting on all things youth services. Angie is fat and not sorry about it. She is a passionate advocate for literacy, diversity, and decolonizing the discourse surrounding children’s literature.

Table of Contents

Letter from the Editor Angie Manfredi 1

Body Sovereignty: This Fat Trans Flesh Is Mine Alex Gino 5

Chubby City Indian Jana Schmieding 12

How to Be the Star of Your Own Fat Rom-Com Lily Anderson 20

The Story of My Body Renée Watson 30

Brighter Than Starlight (an illustration) Jiji Knight 34

A Body Like Mine Mason Deaver 38

Fat, And S. Qiouyi Lu 42

Write Something Fat Sarah Hollowell 51

Seven Things I Would Tell Eleven-year-old Me David Bowles 58

Black, Fat, Fem: The Weight of a Queen Jonathan P. Higgins, ED.D. 67

The 5 Things You Need to Start Your Very Own Rad Fat Babe Revolution (from Someone Who Knows) Virgie Tovar 73

I Wear What I Want 'Cause I Want To P. S. Kaguya 81

Fatness & Horror: The Match Made in Not Heaven Hillary Monahan 87

A Poem That's About Nature and Fatness Miguel M. Morales 94

For the Love of Ursula's Revenge Body Julie Murphy 98

Fat Prom (an illustration) Shelby Bergen 104

Fat and Thriving Isabel Quintero 110

Can't Find Your Community? Create Your Own Bruce Sturgell 117

Your Journey to Being #fatandfree Saucyé West 125

Confidence Corissa Enneking 130

Make Your Own Self-Care Kit (an illustration) Rachelle Abellar 134

Losing My Religion Jess Walton 138

You Are Loved Ady Del Valle 145

Fat Acceptance Is (Really) Real Evette Dionne 149

50 Tips from a Fat and Fabulous Elder Miguel M. Morales 158

Does this poem make me look fat? Miguel M. Morales 162

Elephant, Hippo, and Other Nicknames I Love Jes Baker 165

Love You (an illustration) Mel Stringer 176

To All the Pizzas I've Loved Before Laina Spencer 180

From Your Fat Future Adrianne Russell 185

Fat. Boy. Walking Miguel M. Morales 190

Reasons to Hang in There Samantha Irby 192

Baltimore … and Me Amy Spalding 201

Fat Fashion Resources 209

Acknowledgments 215

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/16/2019

This outstanding anthology of essays, illustrations, poems, and letters assembled and edited by librarian and writer Manfredi is a celebration of every body and presents a revolutionary message about fat acceptance and self-love. Bringing together 31 intersectional and diverse voices, the volume includes selections by gay, Latino, big and tall model Ady Del Valle; nonbinary Chinese-American writer S. Qiouyi Lu; and African-American plus-size model, blogger, and activist Saucyé West. Following Manfredi’s thoughtful, empowering note, Alex Gino’s opening essay, “Body Sovereignty: This Fat Trans Flesh Is Mine,” sets the tone for the volume with the powerful, straightforward message that individuals have the right to determine what is best for their own bodies and selves, regardless of size or societal assumptions about health or worth. Manfredi skillfully balances the contributions, interspersing research-based essays with poems and illustrations about self-care and self-acceptance, and pulls off the nuanced feat of representing an array of insights and topics relating to fat experiences. This empowering, stereotype-busting volume concludes with a section highlighting “Fat Fashion Resources” compiled by contributors. Ages 13–up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"This powerful anthology creates an important discourse celebrating body diversity, leaving readers feeling inspired to seek their own form of self-acceptance. Recommended purchase for all libraries, especially for those seeking engaging essays promoting body positivity for teens."

SLJ Review

09/01/2019

Gr 9 Up—Prominent YA writers, such as Renée Watson and Alex Gino, and several other influential individuals share their experience growing up fat and their work to reclaim the meaning of that word. Essays vary in their intensity and structure, including tips for teens, upbeat advice columns, eye-catching comic strips, poetry, and harrowing testimonials showcasing the ramifications of fat shaming. At the end of this book, fashion resources are provided for teens looking to augment their clothing options. VERDICT This powerful anthology creates an important discourse celebrating body diversity, leaving readers feeling inspired to seek their own form of self-acceptance. Recommended purchase for all libraries, especially for those seeking engaging essays promoting body positivity for teens.—Stephanie Rivera, Naperville Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

2019-06-23
Body positivity and fat acceptance take center stage with this anthology of prose, poems, lists, and art.

Featuring authors, artists, models, entrepreneurs, and influencers, the 30 contributors to this collection represent a dazzling multiplicity of voices from different gender identities, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. The work ranges from serious to lighthearted, from academic cultural analysis to intimate personal essays and letters to the authors' teen selves. Many pieces focus on the struggles, self-loathing, and shame of living in a fat body—at odds with the joyful, bright, cartoon illustrations of round bodies dancing throughout the book—but eventually they get around to sharing that it's OK to be fat, and fat people deserve love, respect, and happiness. The strongest chapters present a fresh take on loving yourself: the hilarious honesty in Lily Anderson's (The Undead Girl Gang, 2018, etc.) "How to Be the Star of Your Own Fat Rom-Com," the evocative language of Miguel M. Morales' "Does this poem make me look fat?" and the inspiring advice in Saucyé West's "Your Journey to Being #fatandfree." While a list of plus-size fashion resources in the backmatter feels like an unfinished afterthought, nevertheless fat adults will wish they'd had this book growing up, and fat teens will finally feel seen.

Frank and fabulous. (fat fashion resources) (Anthology. 12-adult)

Kirkus Reviews

"This book of self-affirming, self-defining, and self-loving essays is exactly what we need in this fat-hating, fat-phobic society we are living in today."

ultramarathoner and author of A Beautiful Work in Mirna Valerio

**STARRED REVIEW**
"A provocative and enlightening collection of personal essays, prose, poetry and artwork. . .Essay titles and contributor bios are almost as empowering as the pieces themselves."

Shelf Awareness

"This book of self-affirming, self-defining, and self-loving essays is exactly what we need in this fat-hating, fat-phobic society we are living in today." —Mirna Valerio, ultramarathoner and author of A Beautiful Work in Progress

“Fat adults will wish they'd had this book growing up, and fat teens will finally feel seen. Frank and fabulous.”—Kirkus Reviews

**STARRED REVEW**
"This outstanding anthology of essays, illustrations, poems, and letters assembled and edited by librarian and writer Manfredi is a celebration of every body and presents a revolutionary message about fat acceptance and self-love."—Publishers Weekly

**STARRED REVIEW**
"A provocative and enlightening collection of personal essays, prose, poetry and artwork. . .Essay titles and contributor bios are almost as empowering as the pieces themselves."—Shelf Awareness

"This powerful anthology creates an important discourse celebrating body diversity, leaving readers feeling inspired to seek their own form of self-acceptance. Recommended purchase for all libraries, especially for those seeking engaging essays promoting body positivity for teens."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher