Me, My Hair, and I : Twenty-Seven Women Untangle an Obsession by Elizabeth Benedict (2015, Trade Paperback)

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[A] splendid collection . . . By turns wry, ten

About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherAlgonquin Books of Chapel Hill
ISBN-101616204117
ISBN-139781616204112
eBay Product ID (ePID)208563865

Product Key Features

Book TitleMe, My Hair, and I : Twenty-Seven Women Untangle an Obsession
Number of Pages336 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2015
TopicWomen, Women Authors, Beauty & Grooming, Women's Health, American / General, Essays
GenreLiterary Criticism, Health & Fitness, Biography & Autobiography, Literary Collections
AuthorElizabeth Benedict
FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height1.1 in
Item Weight12.2 Oz
Item Length8.3 in
Item Width5.7 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2015-011132
Reviews"Truth and wisdom do such a delightful dance throughout "Me, My Hair, And I" that you finish the essay collection wondering why we don't spend more time, not less, obsessing over our tresses. . . A deliciously enlightening read, equal parts fun and poignant." -- Chicago Tribune "This anthology of essays by women explores a surprising range of issues, including identity, relationships, vanity, femininity, aging, and society." -- NYTimes.com "Here, in a series of astonishingly good essays, writers wax eloquent about the emotions wrought by our locks: 'good hair' and 'bad hair' in African-American culture; envy of our follicly gifted siblings; the quest for delusional hairstyles; and much more."-- People "Women show their roots in 'Me, My Hair, and I.'" -- Vanity Fair "[T]hese twenty-seven essays are beautifully revelatory and deeply personal accounts of each woman's hair"-- Bustle "The long and the short of it is that one of the most intimate--and fraught--relationships women have is with their hair . . . it's that relationship that's explored in Me, My Hair, and I, a collection of essays from a diverse range of authors . . . These essays are by turns funny and poignant. They will spark a sense of recognition in any woman who has ever suffered a bad hair day." -- BUST Magazine "Benedict has a knack for zeroing in on subjects with far-reaching, often surprising implications and resonance. In her third invitational collection, she has definitely tapped a nerve . . . Women spend enormous amounts of money and time on their hair, agonizing over every decision. Variations on these themes are tackled with candor, wit, insight, and emotion by Benedict's 27 eloquently entertaining contributors . . . [An] irresistible, pithy, and right-on anthology." -- Booklist "[A] splendid collection . . . By turns wry, tender, pointed, and laugh-out-loud funny, the selections take us along on the contributors' tangled, complicated, and thoroughly engaging journeys."-- Publishers Weekly "This collection is not only unique for the subject matter it addresses. It also provides cultural commentary that is by turns insightful, humorous, and moving. . . Surprisingly engaging reading." -- Kirkus Reviews "We wear our hair every day, and this collection demonstrates--with great clarity and insight--the complexities of what that means for women of all backgrounds. An important conversation and worthy of note" -- Library Journal, "Benedict has gathered such wonderful writers to examine the allure, magic, curse, thrills, seductions, and sorrows of hair. Written with tender sensitivity and wild wit, these essays may start with the external, but they go deep into the lives of the writers, into what appearance means, and into how they see themselves and their place in the world." -- Luanne Rice, author of The Lemon Orchard "Untangles the many truths about hair, and the lives we lead underneath it." -- Pamela Druckerman, author of Bringing up Bébé "This is the book I wish I'd had when I let my hair go gray and when my husband and I made the pact that if he stopped talking about hockey, I'd stop talking about my hair. Now with these wonderful, affirming, and insightful essays, I understand that there's merely a hair's breadth between my hair and myself. This brilliant collection that takes us from Samson and Delilah to silver foxes is a terrific read for those of us who obsess about our hair. Or those who live with those of us who do. A collection that's, dare I say, a cut above the rest." -- Mary Morris, author of The Jazz Palace, "[A] splendid collection . . . By turns wry, tender, pointed, and laugh-out-loud funny, the selections take us along on the contributors' tangled, complicated, and thoroughly engaging journeys."-- Publishers Weekly "This collection is not only unique for the subject matter it addresses. It also provides cultural commentary that is by turns insightful, humorous, and moving. . . Surprisingly engaging reading." -- Kirkus Reviews "Elizabeth Benedict has gathered such wonderful writers to examine the allure, magic, curse, thrills, seductions, and sorrows of hair. Written with tender sensitivity and wild wit, these essays may start with the external, but they go deep into the lives of the writers, into what appearance means, and into how they see themselves and their place in the world." -- Luanne Rice, author of The Lemon Orchard "Untangles the many truths about hair, and the lives we lead underneath it." -- Pamela Druckerman, author of Bringing up Bébé "This is the book I wish I'd had when I let my hair go gray and when my husband and I made the pact that if he stopped talking about hockey, I'd stop talking about my hair. Now with these wonderful, affirming and insightful essays, I understand that there's merely a hair's breadth between my hair and myself. This brilliant collection that takes us from Samson and Delilah to silver foxes is a terrific read for those of us who obsess about our hair.  Or those who live with those of us who do.  A collection that's, dare I say, a cut above the rest." -- Mary Morris, author of The Jazz Palace , "Elizabeth Benedict has gathered such wonderful writers to examine the allure, magic, curse, thrills, seductions, and sorrows of hair. Written with tender sensitivity and wild wit, these essays may start with the external, but they go deep into the lives of the writers, into what appearance means, and into how they see themselves and their place in the world." -- Luanne Rice, author of The Lemon Orchard, "Untangles the many truths about hair, and the lives we lead underneath it." -- Pamela Druckerman, author of Bringing up Bébé  "Benedict has gathered such wonderful writers to examine the allure, magic, curse, thrills, seductions, and sorrows of hair. Written with tender sensitivity and wild wit, these essays may start with the external, but they go deep into the lives of the writers, into what appearance means, and into how they see themselves and their place in the world." -- Luanne Rice, author of The Lemon Orchard  "This is the book I wish I'd had when I let my hair go gray and when my husband and I made the pact that if he stopped talking about hockey, I'd stop talking about my hair. Now with these wonderful, affirming, and insightful essays, I understand that there's merely a hair's breadth between my hair and myself. This brilliant collection that takes us from Samson and Delilah to silver foxes is a terrific read for those of us who obsess about our hair. Or those who live with those of us who do. A collection that's, dare I say, a cut above the rest." -- Mary Morris, author of The Jazz Palace, "This collection is not only unique for the subject matter it addresses. It also provides cultural commentary that is by turns insightful, humorous, and moving. . . Surprisingly engaging reading." -- Kirkus Reviews "Elizabeth Benedict has gathered such wonderful writers to examine the allure, magic, curse, thrills, seductions, and sorrows of hair. Written with tender sensitivity and wild wit, these essays may start with the external, but they go deep into the lives of the writers, into what appearance means, and into how they see themselves and their place in the world." -- Luanne Rice, author of The Lemon Orchard "Untangles the many truths about hair, and the lives we lead underneath it." -- Pamela Druckerman, author of Bringing up Bébé "This is the book I wish I'd had when I let my hair go gray and when my husband and I made the pact that if he stopped talking about hockey, I'd stop talking about my hair. Now with these wonderful, affirming and insightful essays, I understand that there's merely a hair's breadth between my hair and myself. This brilliant collection that takes us from Samson and Delilah to silver foxes is a terrific read for those of us who obsess about our hair.  Or those who live with those of us who do.  A collection that's, dare I say, a cut above the rest." -- Mary Morris, author of The Jazz Palace , "Benedict has a knack for zeroing in on subjects with far-reaching, often surprising implications and resonance. In her third invitational collection, she has definitely tapped a nerve . . . Women spend enormous amounts of money and time on their hair, agonizing over every decision.  Variations on these themes are tackled with candor, wit, insight, and emotion by Benedict's 27 eloquently entertaining contributors . . . [An] irresistible, pithy, and right-on anthology." - Booklist "[A] splendid collection . . . By turns wry, tender, pointed, and laugh-out-loud funny, the selections take us along on the contributors' tangled, complicated, and thoroughly engaging journeys."- Publishers Weekly "This collection is not only unique for the subject matter it addresses. It also provides cultural commentary that is by turns insightful, humorous, and moving. . . Surprisingly engaging reading." - Kirkus Reviews "Elizabeth Benedict has gathered such wonderful writers to examine the allure, magic, curse, thrills, seductions, and sorrows of hair. Written with tender sensitivity and wild wit, these essays may start with the external, but they go deep into the lives of the writers, into what appearance means, and into how they see themselves and their place in the world." - Luanne Rice, author of The Lemon Orchard "Untangles the many truths about hair, and the lives we lead underneath it." - Pamela Druckerman, author of Bringing up Bébé "This is the book I wish I'd had when I let my hair go gray and when my husband and I made the pact that if he stopped talking about hockey, I'd stop talking about my hair. Now with these wonderful, affirming and insightful essays, I understand that there's merely a hair's breadth between my hair and myself. This brilliant collection that takes us from Samson and Delilah to silver foxes is a terrific read for those of us who obsess about our hair.  Or those who live with those of us who do.  A collection that's, dare I say, a cut above the rest." - Mary Morris, author of The Jazz Palace 
Table Of ContentCONTENTS Acknowledgments xi Introduction xiii Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, The Rapunzel Complex 1 Suleika Jaouad, Hair, Interrupted 9 Marita Golden, My Black Hair 19 Anne Lamott, Sister 35 Patricia Volk, Frizzball 47 Alex Kuczynski, And Be Sure to Tell Your Mother 55 Rosie Schaap, Kozmic Hippie Hair Breakdown Blues 67 Bharati Mukherjee, Romance and Ritual 75 Emma Gilbey Keller, My Thick Hair 85 Adriana Trigiani, Oh Capello 95 Deborah Tannen, Why Mothers and Daughters Tangle over Hair 105 Honor Moore, Beautiful, Beautiful 117 Maria Hinojosa, My Wild Hair 131 Jane Green, Love at Last 139 Deborah Feldman, The Cutoff 147 Ru Freeman, Glory 157 Elizabeth Searle, Act Tresses: Hair as Performance Art 171 Hallie Ephron, Remembering Sandra Dee 185 Katie Hafner, Maids of the Mist 195 Deborah Jiang-Stein, Hair in Three Parts 205 Siri Hustvedt, Much Ado about Hairdos 215 Myra Goldberg, Two Hair Stories from One Life 231 Julia Fierro, Capelli Lunghi 243 Deborah Hofmann, Heavy Mettle 255 Jane Smiley, At Last, I Learn How to Turn Heads 269 Anne Kreamer, Getting Real 277 Elizabeth Benedict, No, I Won't Go Gray 287 Contributors 299
SynopsisAsk a woman about her hair, and she just might tell you the story of her life. Ask a whole bunch of women about their hair, and you could get a history of the world. Surprising, insightful, frequently funny, and always forthright, the essays in Me, My Hair, and I are reflections and revelations about every aspect of women's lives from family, race, religion, and motherhood to culture, health, politics, and sexuality., Ask a woman about her hair, and she just might tell you the story of her life. Ask a whole bunch of women about their hair, and you could get a history of the world. Surprising, insightful, frequently funny, and always forthright, the essays in Me, My Hair, and I are reflections and revelations about every aspect of women's lives from family, race, religion, and motherhood to culture, health, politics, and sexuality. They take place in African American kitchens, at Hindu Bengali weddings, and inside Hasidic Jewish homes. The conversation is intimate and global at once. Layered into these reminiscences are tributes to influences throughout history: Jackie Kennedy, Lena Horne, Farrah Fawcett, the Grateful Dead, and Botticelli's Venus. The long and the short of it is that our hair is our glory-- and our nemesis, our history, our self-esteem, our joy, our mortality. Every woman knows that many things in life matter more than hair, but few bring as much pleasure as a really great hairdo. "A terrific read for those of us who obsess about our hair. Or those who live with those of us who do. A collection that's, I dare say, a cut above the rest." --Mary Morris, author of The Jazz Palace, "[A] splendid collection . . . By turns wry, tender, pointed, and laugh-out-loud funny." -- Publishers Weekly "Untangles the many truths about hair, and the lives we lead underneath it." --Pamela Druckerman, author of Bringing Up Bébé Ask a woman about her hair, and she just might tell you the story of her life. Ask a whole bunch of women about their hair, and you could get a history of the world. Surprising, insightful, frequently funny, and always forthright, the essays in Me, My Hair, and I are reflections and revelations about every aspect of women's lives from family, race, religion, and motherhood to culture, health, politics, and sexuality. They take place in African American kitchens, at Hindu Bengali weddings, and inside Hasidic Jewish homes. The conversation is intimate and global at once. Layered into these reminiscences are tributes to influences throughout history: Jackie Kennedy, Lena Horne, Farrah Fawcett, the Grateful Dead, and Botticelli's Venus. The long and the short of it is that our hair is our glory-- and our nemesis, our history, our self-esteem, our joy, our mortality. Every woman knows that many things in life matter more than hair, but few bring as much pleasure as a really great hairdo.
LC Classification NumberGT2290.M4 2015

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