Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;A THOROUGHLY GROWN-UP LOOK AT A TWENTIETH-CENTURY MUSE OF OUTSTANDING PROPORTIONSandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; To some she's a collectible, to others she's trash. In andlt;Iandgt;The Barbie Chronicles,andlt;/Iandgt; twenty-three writers join together to scrutinize Barbie's forty years of hateful, lovely disastrous, glorious influence on us all. No other tiny shoulders have ever, had to carry the weight of such affection and derision and no other book has ever paid this notorious little place of plastic her due. Whether you adore her or abhor her, andlt;Iandgt;The Barbie Chroniclesandlt;/Iandgt; will have you looking at her in ways you never imagined.
Review
Caroline Preston author of andlt;Iandgt;Jackie by Josieandlt;/Iandgt; From the spring day in 1959 when I dumped my Ginny doll for the new flashy babe on the block, I have adored Barbie. When she was finally exposed as a sexist stereotype, my adoration, undiminished, went underground. andlt;Iandgt;The Barbie Chroniclesandlt;/Iandgt; celebrates our complex forty-year love/hate relationship toward the world's most irresistible doll.
Review
Hilton Als author of andlt;Iandgt;The Womenandlt;/Iandgt; The pieces and poems in this book so rich in insight and wit, mean so much -- to cultural and political studies, to the life of the mind, to those who have given thought of affection to this strange and strangely alluring figure which, despite her initial docility, refuses to remain seated on anyone's shelf.
Review
Faye Moskowitz author of andlt;Iandgt;A Leak in the Heartandlt;/Iandgt; Whatever your position on the world's most persistent posable piece of plastic, you'll find much to intrigue you in this provocative collection that examines Barbie from all angles -- with perspicacity and panache.
Review
Albert Mobilio winner of The National Book Critics Circle Award for Excellence in Reviewing Equal parts celebration, confession, and investigation, andlt;Iandgt;The Barbie Chroniclesandlt;/Iandgt; takes shrewd measure of just how much we are what we buy.
Synopsis
A THOROUGHLY GROWN-UP LOOK AT A TWENTIETH-CENTURY MUSE OF OUTSTANDING PROPORTIONS
To some she's a collectible, to others she's trash. In The Barbie Chronicles, twenty-three writers join together to scrutinize Barbie's forty years of hateful, lovely disastrous, glorious influence on us all. No other tiny shoulders have ever, had to carry the weight of such affection and derision and no other book has ever paid this notorious little place of plastic her due. Whether you adore her or abhor her, The Barbie Chronicles will have you looking at her in ways you never imagined
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-226) and index.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Yona Zeldis McDonough andlt;/bandgt;is the author of andnbsp;the novels THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTSandlt;uandgt; andlt;/uandgt;and IN DAHLIAand#8217;S WAKE. She is also the editor of the essay collections THE BARBIE CHRONICLES: A LIVING DOLL TURNS FORTY and ALL THE AVAILABLE LIGHT: A MARILYN MONROE READER. Her short fiction, articles, and essays have been published in anthologies as well as in numerous national magazines, and newspapers. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Table of Contents
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Introductionandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Who's That Girl? andlt;Iandgt;Steven C. Dubinandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Golden Oldie andlt;Iandgt;Stephanie Coontzandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Dangerous Curvesandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie Buys a Bra andlt;Iandgt;Pamela Brandtandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Elegy for My Mother andlt;Iandgt;M. G. Lordandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Teen Idol andlt;Iandgt;Leslie Parisandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie Meets Bouguereau andlt;Iandgt;Carol Ockmanandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie's Body Project andlt;Iandgt;Wendy Singer Jonesandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Sex and the Single Doll andlt;Iandgt;Yona Zeldis McDonoughandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Happy Birthday to You!andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie at 35 andlt;Iandgt;Anna Quindlenandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;My Mentor, Barbie andlt;Iandgt;Susan Shapiroandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie in Black and White andlt;Iandgt;Ann duCilleandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie Does Yom Kippur andlt;Iandgt;Rabbi Susan Schnurandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Postmodern Museandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Photographing the Dolls andlt;Iandgt;Jeanne Marie Beaumontandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Of Mere Plastic andlt;Iandgt;David Trinidadandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Planning the Fantasyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Wedding andlt;Iandgt;Denise Duhamelandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Holocaust Barbie andlt;Iandgt;Denise Duhamelandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie's Gyn Appointment andlt;Iandgt;Denise Duhamelandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Material Girl andlt;Iandgt;Melissa Hookandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie Gets a Bum Rap andlt;Iandgt;Sherrie A. Innessandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Our Daughters, Their Barbiesandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;I Believe in Dolls andlt;Iandgt;Carol Shieldsandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;You Can Never Haveandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Too Many andlt;Iandgt;Jane Smileyandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie Doesn't Live Hereandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Anymore andlt;Iandgt;Mariflo Stephensandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie, Twelve-Step Toy andlt;Iandgt;Molly Jong-Fastandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Twelve Dancing Barbies andlt;Iandgt;Erica Jongandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Barbie as Boy Toy andlt;Iandgt;Meg Wolitzerandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Notes and Referencesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Contributorsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Indexandlt;/Iandgt;