Event Calendar

Events for Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Council Committee of the Whole
6:15 PM

Location:
Cleveland Heights City Hall
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Jess Baker and Maria Miranda - Reading and Discussion
7:00 PM
Jess Baker, author of Landwhale, will be in conversation with Rachel Kancenjar at Mac's Backs Books on Coventry (1820 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights) on Tuesday, May 29 at 7 p.m. Joining the discussion will be community activist Maria Miranda.

Jes Baker’s first book, Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls, was a call to arms to reject fat prejudice and fight body-shaming. Her follow-up is an intimate look at the personal and cultural forces that made Jes who she is today, for better and for worse. It’s called Landwhale: On Turning Insults into Nicknames, Why Body Image Is Hard, and How Diets Can Kiss My Ass.

Despite the bold title, Jess is at her most vulnerable in Landwhale, writing about her troubled relationship with her stepfather (and his own body issues); overcoming her fear of intimacy—both physical and emotional; and being trolled because of her weight online and in real life. Landwhale also contains:

a pantheon of Fat Women who serve as role models of body acceptance, with notes about how each of them shaped Jess’ own path

a personal exploration of the link between polycystic ovary syndrome, genetics, and weight

a story about the time she tried (really hard) to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal Studios, but couldn’t fit…and the surprising lesson she learned from the experience

a thoughtful examination of the stigma around weight-loss surgery in the fat-positive community, and the painful—sometimes deadly—unintentional consequences of that stigma

and meditations on the link between trauma and weight gain (both from a personal perspective and as a former mental health worker).

From her therapist’s office to her bedroom, from the grocery store to the airport lounge, Jes invites readers on her journey toward—if not total body acceptance—at least something like peace.

Jess Baker is a leader in the body positivity movement. Her work has been covered by TODAY, CNN, NPR, TIME, BUST, and numerous other outlets. Find her online at TheMilitantBaker.org.

Rachel Kancenjar is a leader in plus-size fashion, and is the owner and HBIC designer at Re/Dress, a brick and mortar and online destination for fashionistas all over the globe.

Maria Miranda, a reproductive health activist from Cleveland, serves on the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio board, works at an online reproductive health-oriented publication called RH Reality Check and has worked with other social justice organizations including Greater Cleveland Community Shares and Preterm. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to social activism.
Location:
Mac's Backs
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