In a work that is partly memoir and partly inspirational, actor and dramatist Weiner relates her struggles during her high school and college years to control her weight, gain self-esteem, and recover from eating disorders. During this time, Weiner, an acting student, was writing skits, plays, and performance art based on her own experiences and uncertainties. After college, she moved to Indianapolis, where she started the Youth and the Arts Program and the ACT OUT Ensemble, which uses social issues such as sex, violence, suicide, and alcohol and drug addiction as starting points for dialog and discussion. A performance artist and motivational speaker, Weiner has been called on to address young people in crisis, including high school students after the Columbine massacre. Through an engaging style, she tells poignant stories of her work and offers "take-away tools for change," e.g., "society is not some room down the hall" (stop blaming others and take responsibility), "change your words and you change your life" (shift the language you use every day), and "plant the seeds and watch them grow" (be patient, serve others). Recommended for self-help collections.-Lucille M. Boone, Martin Luther King Jr. Lib., San Jose, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Jessica Weiner’s book, A Very Hungry Girl, speaks to the hunger that almost every woman carries. All of us can relate to these stories that few will speak about. I applaud her work in helpingwomen cross the barrier from self-hatred to self-love. This is a must-read for anyone working with the young.”
—Louise L. Hay, the bestselling author of You Can Heal Your Life
“Jessica Weiner sheds light on issues that teens and parents shroud inprivate darkness. With compassion, empathy, and humor, she enablesyou to examine, address, and ultimately heal.”
—John Edward, host of Crossing Over with John Edward; author of One Last Time and Crossing Over
“Jessica Weiner has reached a very self-actualized state of being at a very young age. I’m so pleased that she’s using her strength and intelligence to enlighten others in this wonderful book. Jessica has prioritized and come out a winner, teacher, and friend to all who read her words.”
—Janeane Garofalo, TV and film actress
“We needneed Jessica and her voice! As the mother of a teenage girl and a member of the media, I know the pressure of growing upwith the constant scrutiny of a judgmental society. Jessica’s message is nourishing and validating. We need to clone her and have her onconstant standby! Thank you, Jessica, for your courage and wisdom.”
—Leeza Gibbons, TV journalist and host
“In A Very Hungry Girl, author Jessica Weiner gives readers an unstintingly honest account of her struggles with bulimia. Ms. Weiner is forthright about her own culpability in succumbing to societal pressures to be thin, but she also helps us see just how powerful these messages are. Her account of other young womenwhose lives she touched with her drama-outreach work, and her practical suggestions of ‘Take-Away Tools,’ make this book one I will promote to the many moms and daughters I encounter with various eating disorders.”
—Cheryl Dellasega, GNP, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine &Humanities, Penn State College of Medicine-The Milton S. HersheyMedical Center; author of Surviving Ophelia
“Jessica is the single most courageous person that I know. Her book represents a breakthrough in personal honesty and integrity. As a doctor and healer who has successfully treated many diseases considered incurable, the process can be distilled by a single phrase—the essence of healing is finding yourself. In a decade of experience with natural medicine and healing, I have never seen a more authentic work, or worked with a more authentic person. Jessica represents the next major step in the process of healing ourselves. Although the details may differ, you will recognize yourself in this book, or you will recognize a part of yourself that you need to reclaim. If you are on a journey of healing, or would like to be, this book will be of great value to you.”
— Steve Nenninger, M.D., Manhattan
“This book is positioned to change the way we think critically about, and respond actively to, social issues that directly impact the lives of women and men everywhere. Jessica Weiner seamlessly fuses autobiography, tales from the field, and strategies for empowerment and, in doing so, challenges us to rethink our lives, our bodies, and our place in a society still so desperately in need of change.
“Students of all ages and in all fields of study will find themselves somewhere in this book. Jessica doesn’t simply tell her own story. She gives voice to the lives and experiences of women and men throughout the country who are yearning for better tools for empowering themselves and those around them. Readers are left with a sense of direction, hope, and passion and are given clear strategies for activism and social change, both in their own lives and in the world around them.”
— Brian R. Jara, Women’s Studies Program, Penn State University
