Lena Dunham's Not That Kind of Girl packed in a solid 288 pages of the actor-writer's opinions of body image, show business, and the realities of being a twentysomething. But Dunham wasn't done sharing her thoughts. Today, she published an annotated version of a chapter from her memoir, titled, "'Diet' is a Four-Letter Word." The excerpt covers Dunham's relationship with her weight and food — from college binges to her post-nutritionist food log.
Dunham's added notes are full of funny asides on making weight and fitness goals. She writes about attending Physique 57 classes: "I did that thing where you buy a package of 10 classes then only take two or three. I am still ashamed of the wasted $$$."
But she ended the annotations on a serious note, talking about where she is now, as compared to when she was maintaining a detailed food diary:
People sometimes ask if I’m still as mental about food and the answer is no. A lot has changed in the last five years and I’ve learned an incredible amount about what I need to be healthy and happy. I work hard and I don’t have time to put my body through this kind of shit, and I also don’t have the mental space.
The annotations make it clear that a memoir, unlike a biography, is always going to be an unfinished portrait of its subject.
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