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© Copyright 2009 Christina Baker Kline. All Rights Reserved.
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About Face: Women Write About
What They See When They Look
In the Mirror
edited by Christina Baker Kline and Anne Burt
What They See When They Look
In the Mirror
edited by Christina Baker Kline and Anne Burt
Looking in the mirror without turning away—and then
talking about it honestly—is a radical act. In ABOUT FACE,
women writers take on this challenge in twenty-three
intelligent, insightful, and deeply affecting essays.
“Anne Burt and Christina Baker Kline asked women
writers, some quite well-known, to reflect what they see
in the mirror, mirror on the wall. It’s not always the
fairest of them all. These women’s essays are poignant,
wry, arch, redolent of memories cherished and
inescapable, more revealing than any photograph could
ever be, and most of all, irresistible.”
—Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the
Ocean and Cage of Stars
Contributors include Kathryn Harrison, Jennifer
Baumgardner, Alix Kates Shulman, Patricia Chao, Catherine
Texier, Meredith Maran, Alice Elliott Dark, Kamy Wicoff,
Benilde Little, Marina Budhos, and Pamela Redmond Satran.
For a complete list of contributors, click here.
talking about it honestly—is a radical act. In ABOUT FACE,
women writers take on this challenge in twenty-three
intelligent, insightful, and deeply affecting essays.
“Anne Burt and Christina Baker Kline asked women
writers, some quite well-known, to reflect what they see
in the mirror, mirror on the wall. It’s not always the
fairest of them all. These women’s essays are poignant,
wry, arch, redolent of memories cherished and
inescapable, more revealing than any photograph could
ever be, and most of all, irresistible.”
—Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the
Ocean and Cage of Stars
Contributors include Kathryn Harrison, Jennifer
Baumgardner, Alix Kates Shulman, Patricia Chao, Catherine
Texier, Meredith Maran, Alice Elliott Dark, Kamy Wicoff,
Benilde Little, Marina Budhos, and Pamela Redmond Satran.
For a complete list of contributors, click here.
The women you'll meet in About Face define a new "All-American" standard of beauty -- one that
includes a wide range of backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and ages. The youngest writer in this book is
twenty-two; the oldest, seventy-five. They hail from all around the United States -- some with families
who emigrated from countries as far-flung as India, Mexico, Italy, and Iran. Some have learned to
embrace the faces they see in the mirror; some are still actively engaged in the struggle. What they all
have in common -- and what they share in their essays -- is that each has had a moment in her life
when she realized that, for better or worse, the face she sees in the mirror defines something about who
she is in the world.
-- From Bobbi Brown's foreword to About Face
“In this lively, thought-provoking collection, writers speak with rare candor about the most
intimate object in a woman’s possession, and the most revealing expression of her subjectivity.
About Face is a book that illuminates not only the great variety of faces that make up the
American mosaic, but the changing forms and possibilities of femininity.”
-- Eva Hoffman, author of Lost in Translation
“Twenty-five female writers had one assignment: Look at yourself in the mirror, then reflect on
what you see. The resulting essays are as beautiful and unique as each author.”
-- Shape magazine
“What woman hasn’t looked in the mirror and turned away? Seeing yourself as you really are
can be a radical act, as these 23 brilliantly insightful essays from women of all ages, races and
backgrounds prove … From blow-drying our hair to hiding behind concealer, About Face reveals
the way we learn to see ourselves and appreciate our differences, and that’s really beautiful.”
-- Dame magazine, “August’s Best Books”
“Every girl who has ever done a double take in the mirror understands that the love/hate
relationship women have with their appearance is a unifying plight of the fairer sex. In About
Face, editors Burt and Kline create a discourse around this often taboo subject, asking 24
writers of various ages, races, and nationalities to share their inner monologues about vanity,
insecurity, and identity, ultimately shedding some light on how the way we physically see
ourselves affects the way we live … Their words will certainly resonate.”
-- Nylon magazine
“Often funny, frequently reflective, and always relatable.”
-- Curve magazine
“A treasure trove of irresistibly intimate, honest, and charming essays that are perfect for any
woman who has ever looked in a mirror and wondered what she really sees. About Face
provides a deeper understanding of the true nature of female beauty—and it’s a delightful read.”
-- Laura Schenone, author of The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken
“Too often, beauty and body image are dismissed as superficial issues. I would encourage
[anyone who thinks that way] to read About Face—a collection of twenty-three essays written
by women talking about what they see when they look in the mirror. This is certainly not fluff or
frivolity. The writers in this anthology share deeply personal stories that build a compelling case
for the central message of this collection: It’s complicated…. I hope that others will read their
words and be inspired to stage their own radical acts, whether in the bathroom mirror, in the
rearview mirror, or even passing by a store window. These reflections offer opportunities for
positive change.”
-- girlwpen.com
“Enthralling … About Face goes way beyond skin-deep observations to breathtakingly personal
essays by an impressively diverse array of women.”
-- The Montclair Times (NJ)
“This book consists of essays by women of varying ages and races – and from many different
walks of life – candidly writing about what they observe when they take a good long look in the
mirror. The thoughts they share run the gamut from funny to inspiring to heartbreaking.”
-- Mount Desert Islander (Maine)
See www.sealpress.com for further information on About Face.
includes a wide range of backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and ages. The youngest writer in this book is
twenty-two; the oldest, seventy-five. They hail from all around the United States -- some with families
who emigrated from countries as far-flung as India, Mexico, Italy, and Iran. Some have learned to
embrace the faces they see in the mirror; some are still actively engaged in the struggle. What they all
have in common -- and what they share in their essays -- is that each has had a moment in her life
when she realized that, for better or worse, the face she sees in the mirror defines something about who
she is in the world.
-- From Bobbi Brown's foreword to About Face
“In this lively, thought-provoking collection, writers speak with rare candor about the most
intimate object in a woman’s possession, and the most revealing expression of her subjectivity.
About Face is a book that illuminates not only the great variety of faces that make up the
American mosaic, but the changing forms and possibilities of femininity.”
-- Eva Hoffman, author of Lost in Translation
“Twenty-five female writers had one assignment: Look at yourself in the mirror, then reflect on
what you see. The resulting essays are as beautiful and unique as each author.”
-- Shape magazine
“What woman hasn’t looked in the mirror and turned away? Seeing yourself as you really are
can be a radical act, as these 23 brilliantly insightful essays from women of all ages, races and
backgrounds prove … From blow-drying our hair to hiding behind concealer, About Face reveals
the way we learn to see ourselves and appreciate our differences, and that’s really beautiful.”
-- Dame magazine, “August’s Best Books”
“Every girl who has ever done a double take in the mirror understands that the love/hate
relationship women have with their appearance is a unifying plight of the fairer sex. In About
Face, editors Burt and Kline create a discourse around this often taboo subject, asking 24
writers of various ages, races, and nationalities to share their inner monologues about vanity,
insecurity, and identity, ultimately shedding some light on how the way we physically see
ourselves affects the way we live … Their words will certainly resonate.”
-- Nylon magazine
“Often funny, frequently reflective, and always relatable.”
-- Curve magazine
“A treasure trove of irresistibly intimate, honest, and charming essays that are perfect for any
woman who has ever looked in a mirror and wondered what she really sees. About Face
provides a deeper understanding of the true nature of female beauty—and it’s a delightful read.”
-- Laura Schenone, author of The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken
“Too often, beauty and body image are dismissed as superficial issues. I would encourage
[anyone who thinks that way] to read About Face—a collection of twenty-three essays written
by women talking about what they see when they look in the mirror. This is certainly not fluff or
frivolity. The writers in this anthology share deeply personal stories that build a compelling case
for the central message of this collection: It’s complicated…. I hope that others will read their
words and be inspired to stage their own radical acts, whether in the bathroom mirror, in the
rearview mirror, or even passing by a store window. These reflections offer opportunities for
positive change.”
-- girlwpen.com
“Enthralling … About Face goes way beyond skin-deep observations to breathtakingly personal
essays by an impressively diverse array of women.”
-- The Montclair Times (NJ)
“This book consists of essays by women of varying ages and races – and from many different
walks of life – candidly writing about what they observe when they take a good long look in the
mirror. The thoughts they share run the gamut from funny to inspiring to heartbreaking.”
-- Mount Desert Islander (Maine)
See www.sealpress.com for further information on About Face.
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