About this item
A scholar fashionista and bride-to-be spends a year without mirrors to get a better view of herself her life and whats really important When Kjerstin Gruys became engaged to the love of her life she was thrilleduntil it came time to shop for a wedding dress Having overcome an eating disorder years before Gruys found herself struggling to maintain a positive self-image as her pending nuptials imposed a new set of impossible beauty standards She decided to embark on a bold plan for boosting her self-esteem while refocusing her attention on the beautiful world around her A memoir of discovery Mirror Mirror Off the Wall charts Gruys awakening as she vows to give up mirrors and other reflective surfaces relying instead on her friends and her fianc to help her gauge both her appearance and her outlook on lifeThe result A renewed focus on what truly matters regardless of smeared makeup crooked eyebrows or messy hairIn the honest witty self-aware voice that has made her blog so popular Gruys explores what it means to be a feminist in a society where femininity is subject to destructive ideals of beauty and sex appeal Having worked in the fashion industry before becoming a sociologist Gruys draws on her frontline expertise to explore the gender inequities created by societys obsession with a flawless female body imagePutting a human face on an important issue with humorous and poignant scenes from Gruys life Mirror Mirror off the Wall sparks important conversations about body image and reclaiming the power to redefine beauty.
About the Author
Kjerstin Gruys is a sociologist, a body image activist, and the author of, Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall: How I Learned to Love My Body by Not Looking at It for a Year, which hits bookshelves May 2nd and recently received a coveted "starred review" from Publishers Weekly. The review describes the book as "brave and inspiring" and as "required reading for those women who struggle with body-image - and even those who don't." On her blog - also called Mirror, Mirror OFF the Wall (at ) - Kjerstin enjoys musing, ranting, and reporting on the colliding worlds of sociology, social psychology, contemporary feminism, body image, and beauty culture. A graduate of Princeton University, Kjerstin started her career working in the fashion industry, first at Abercombie & Fitch Corporate, and next at GAP Inc. She still loves her glitz and glam, but has learned she is happiest when her life leans more geek than chic. Raised in St. Louis, MO, she lives in San Francisco with her husband along with their dog and 2 cats. Her favorite pastime is voracious stay-up-all-night-cause-I-can't-put-it-down reading, she bargain-shops for exercise, and (despite mediocre cooking skills) she is passionate about good food.
