Stick Figure: A Diary of My Former Self - Hardcover

Gottlieb, Lori

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0684863588 ISBN 13: 9780684863580

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2000

Synopsis

Living in Beverly Hills in the 1970's, an elevenyearold girl faced the pressures of her environment to be perfect in weight and presentation, yet when things got out of control, she needed help to return to normal and get a hold of her life once more.

About this title

Review:

In the image-conscious world of 1970s Beverly Hills, 11-year-old Lori knows she's different. Instead of trading clothes and dreaming of teen idols like most of her pre-adolescent friends, Lori prefers reading books, writing in her journal and making up her own creative homework assignments. Chronically disapproving of her parents' shallow lifestyle, she challenges their authority and chafes under their constant demands to curb her frank opinions and act more "ladylike." Feeling as though she has lost control over her rapidly changing world, Lori focuses all her concentration on one subject: dieting. Her life narrows to a single goal--to be "...the thinnest eleven year old on the entire planet." But once she achieves her "stick figure," Lori really sees herself for the first time in a restaurant bathroom mirror and decides then and there to bring herself back from the brink of starvation.

Stick Figure is a surprisingly upbeat memoir, mainly due to Gottlieb's descriptions of her upper-crust parents: "Mom and I usually don't like the same movies. For example, she didn't like my favorite movie, Star Wars, probably because no one goes shopping...." But despite the sly humor, Lori comes to a sobering conclusion that is, sadly, still relevant today: "...you can be too thin and not even know it, because you spend so much time listening to everyone talk about how ladies are supposed to diet, and how something's wrong with you if you aren't worried about being thin, too." Culled from Gottlieb's pre-teen diaries, Stick Figure is a wry and engaging observation of an eating disorder and the society that contributed to it. --Jennifer Hubert

About the Author:

Lori Gottlieb, a medical student at Stanford University, is a former Hollywood executive. Her work has appeared in Salon, Slate, and Daily Variety, among other publications. She lives in California.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0684863588
• ISBN 13: 9780684863580
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224