Dry Land Fish

Perspectives from the misplaced.
by April Herndon, Ph.D.

My Breasts Are for Me, Not Just for Feeding Babies

What it ultimately comes down to is that I don’t want anyone else telling me what my breasts are for. I want to decide that for myself, if you don’t mind. And I’d like for all women to be able to make that decision without feeling guilt or shame or like they’re betraying their nature or their feminist ideals—or like there are only two choices for how to see one’s breasts. Read More

I'm Nobody's Mommy, and That's Okay

Whenever anyone asked about whether or not I wanted babies, I replied with a firm “no.” Over the years, my commitment to being childless has been unwavering. In fact, I can’t remember a single time in my life when I actually considered having children. My choice not to have children may, in fact, be the only choice I’ve ever made that I’ve yet to reconsider. Read More

When Cutting the Fat May Not Mean Cutting the Fat

The economic argument for bariatric procedures doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Read More

There's No Such Thing as "Discrimination Lite"

If the investment is really in making everyone in our society more healthy, there’s just no way that stigmatizing fat people gets us there. Read More

Unfortunate, But Not Discrimination

Thin women, as a group, are not the victims of hate crimes because of their thinness. To name the experience of someone like Delizia as the result of “discrimination” dilutes that term to the point that nearly anything counts. Read More

A Jump the Shark Moment for Obesity Science

A phrase like “metabolically obese normal weight person” showcases how very far some people in the medical field will go to classify obesity as a problem in and of itself and avoid having to refer to anyone as “an unhealthy thin person.” Read More

You’re Too Fat to Play Tennis, But You Should Go Running

Surely we can teach children that working to the best of one’s ability and being good at something are admirable traits but that body size isn’t the only litmus test for either. Read More

Black Hair

Hair is more than a matter of personal choice, and recent discussions highlight how much hair still matters. Read More

Ladies First

When it comes to having a "perfect" pregnancy, women are bearing an unfair burden. Read More

Glorifying Fatness, Really?

Apparently, glorifying fatness and promoting obesity means talking about fatness or fat people in any way that isn’t discriminatory, denigrating, or hurtful. Read More

What If Some of Us Aren't Born that Way?

While the most mainstream personal stories about sexuality come from those who say they’ve known from an early age that they were homosexual, there are many people, especially women, who see their homosexuality as reflecting a conscious choice. Read More

The Magic Pill Question

The problems I face come from people’s attitudes about my sexual desire. Read More

Thin Like Me

When I’ve told people that the weight loss has been a big adjustment and not always a comfortable one, they brush my concerns aside, as if I’m just being silly. I should just enjoy my lottery winnings and not whine. Read More

What We Can Learn from Carnie Wilson

Carnie Wilson, who had her first Roux en Y gastric bypass surgery broadcast live on the internet in 1999 and produced two books about her experiences, recently announced that she’s now had a lap-band procedure because she regained weight. Read More

My Beef with Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign

Arguments for access to nutritious food and exercise should not be based on body size. Read More

April Herndon, Ph.D.

Dr. April M. Herndon has a Ph.D. in American Studies and is an Associate Professor of English at Winona State University.

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