Forget thighs and breasts, the body part that women universally obsess about is hair. Elizabeth Benedict, author of both fiction and nonfiction, has edited a new collection of essays entitled Me, My Hair, and I. These female authors talk about their hair: African American hair, Jewish hair, Latina hair, Sri Lancan hair, and hair from everywhere in between. Some essays are more scholarly than others: Marita Golden starts from her own experiences and talks about the social implications of African American hair, but they are all intensely personal. The impression one gets is that even the most well-adjusted woman at some point covets another's hair and despises her own. Some of these essays are funny, some are harrowing, but all are moving.
Speaking of African American women's hair, Chris Rock has noticed it, too. In Good Hair, Rock hosts a documentary about the relationship between African American women and their tresses. Weaves, falls, wigs, relaxers, what won't one do to have hair she can be at peace with, if not always proud of?
With the fashion for red hair, another book of interest might be Roots of Desire by Marion Roach. A redhead herself, she talks about the science of scarlet strands (it's a genetic mutation) as well as the artistic, historical and (often bizarre) social importance that has been attached to them.
No matter where you come from, eventually, if you live long enough, a little silver will creep in. Anne Kreamer generally writes about the workplace, but Going Gray is about just that. After a disastrous experience with dye, Kreamer spent six months gradually going gray with the help of her stylist. In her book, she explores what it means both personally and socially to have your natural color as an older woman. The results are shall we say, enough to curl your hair.
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