The-F-Word.org

Here’s another new eating disorders-related book to look for, Inside Out: A Portrait of an Eating Disorder by illustrator Nadia Shivack.

Shivack offers up a personal narrative and graphic-novel-style depiction of her eating disorder, including anorexia and bulimia. Chronicled on napkins, notebook paper, or whatever scrap was available, Nadia’s story unfolds as she endures it. She refers to her eating disorder as “Ed,” draws it as a dragon, and details its hold on her life and sanity starting at age 14.

Especially poignant are the pictures, such as the anatomy of a flower with a torment of words on each petal describing her angst while a small figure leans over the central blue seed, the toilet bowl. The drawings are laid out on yellow pages, while a hindsight commentary about what was happening appears in white type over black boxes. Facts about the illness are presented in darker yellow boxes and each is linked to a specific Web site at the conclusion. A list of resources for intervention is appended.