April 23, 2009
Dear Friend:
I’d like to let you know that the Spring issue of Ms. is just about to hit the newsstands, featuring an essay I wrote—“The Perfect Pantomime”—about how eating disorders are wordless cries for relief.
As I write: “Just think of an infant in pain or discomfort. She has no words, so how, beyond crying, can she call for help? She rejects her food. Soon enough, her parents or doctor notice she’s failing to thrive. They comfort her. They figure out what’s wrong and solve the problem. Why shouldn’t the same tack work for the embattled psyche of a suffering young woman?”
The new issue of Ms. also includes several other articles that reflect on the gains for women and children in the first 70 days of the Obama administration, from reversing egregious Bush reproductive health politics to signing anti-discrimination legislation to recognizing women’s employment needs in the stimulus package. One of the stories of particular interest shows how Hillary Clinton is already transforming the State Department into a place where women’s rights are of prime concern rather than just an afterthought. Ms. wil further expand its post-election coverage to Obama’s first 100 days on the www.msmagazine.com website.
The Ms. cover story is the first-ever Ms. “Guide to Women’s Studies,” which overviews the burgeoning academic field—over 90,000 students!—and offers data on nearly 200 undergraduate and nearly 50 graduate programs (with more undergrad data online).
Finally, if you or your child is a fan of the Twilight series of books and films, there’s an article called “Taking a Bite out of Twilight” that gives a feminist critique of its views of young women’s sexuality.
Ms. helps us to be righteously angry (instead of depressed) about what’s going on in the world, and encourages us to use that energy to move forward. Look for it on newsstands or, even better, join the Ms. community at https://store.msmagazine.com/ and have the new issue sent right to your door.
Aimee
