Smart Girls. Pretty Girls. Slender Girls.
Why did I give Gaia a scarred face? Much as I would like to say my book is not about beauty, I don’t think there’s a girl alive in America today who can get away from the issue of beauty. Not for more than five minutes. I played volleyball poorly as a high school student, and one of my friends took a grainy, black-and-white photo of me in action. At the time I thought, oh, I look fat in that picture. When I saw the same photo years later, I saw a fit, healthy, slender girl. Why was I visually impaired as a teenager?
In The Birthmarked Trilogy, Gaia starts out thinking she’s ugly. It shapes her expectations of every new interaction she has. I wish I could convince Gaia she’s beautiful in every way that matters. I wish I could convince my girl readers they’re smart, confident, capable, giving, and strong.
Today the Prized blog tour takes me to Karin’s Book Nook for a few more questions, like how I felt when I first heard my book sold. That was a happy day.
It isn’t just girls…. Many, many women deal with body insecurities. They feel unworthy because they have a few extra pounds. They are constantly striving to achieve the ‘perfect body’. The diet and cosmetic industries make billions on the insecurities of women.
Lisa ~
You’re right, I know. The beauty/insecurity culture is nearly inescapable, but women don’t have to fight it alone. Supportive friends are often closer than we think, once we reach out, and sometimes reaching out to a book is a safe way to start. Littman’s PURGE and Gottlieb’s STICK FIGURE are some of the most compelling books I’ve read about eating disorders, for instance.
All best,
Caragh
I think that boys an men are plagued by this problem too, although not to the same extent. Instead of being pretty, for them it’s a case of being buff, strong, and masculine.
Melanie ~
It’s true! So why do we do this to ourselves? I hope we live long enough and see enough other cultures to discover the deeper ways to value each other and ourselves.
All best,
Caragh