Plastic Fantastic

My book review on Alex Kuczynski's Beauty Junkies ran yesterday in the Oregonian. It's a horrifying (the book, not the review) peek into the world of plastic surgery. Check it out. Or just stay here and read it:

Entering the strange cosmos of cosmetic surgery
Sunday, October 29, 2006
BY MIRIAM WOLF
W e've entered an age when moviegoers are likely to be more entertained by guessing which actor has had cosmetic surgery than by the actual plot of the film they are watching; an age when women in their 20s feel the need to get "prophylactic" shots of Botox to stop facial wrinkles before they ever start; and when a face lift or breast enhancement has gone from a slightly shameful secret to a proudly displayed accessory of a high-end lifestyle.

In "Beauty Junkies: Inside Our $15 Billion Obsession With Cosmetic Surgery," New York Times reporter Alex Kuczynski shines a metaphorical light that is bright enough to reveal the scars of those surgeries on individuals and our culture.

It's juicy reading. Kuczynski doesn't spare the details of procedure junkies like her friend Robert, who maintains relationships with several doctors so he can get shots of Botox (a weakened form of botulism toxin that paralyzes facial muscles) every eight weeks, instead of the six-month break between shots that doctors recommend. As the chapter on Botox closes, Robert's heading into his doctor's office to get shots in his palms, the soles of his feet and his underarms. Kuczynski notes, "His goal is to live a life without wrinkles or sweat."

Then there's the Hollywood housewife who, after liposuction, a tummy tuck, face lifts and breast enhancement, underwent genital cosmetic surgery because, " 'I've spent so much money for the rest of me to look like Dolly Parton,' she says, 'so why should that . . . look like Willie Nelson?' "

But "Beauty Junkies" is more than the sum of its horror-story parts. Kuczynski delves into many facets of plastic surgery, from its history as a way to make the grievously wounded or deformed look more human to the money issues that drive the industry today. She makes surreal hay from a visit to the American Board of Plastic Surgery's trade show, where she fondles silicone implants, attends the "Effective Marketing Techniques for Plastic Surgeons" seminar and checks out her pores on a high-tech diagnostic machine.

She also looks into the sociological reasons for our obsession. Going beyond the easy answers and cheap shots about women of a certain age, Kuczynski looks for deeper cultural markers. She implicates factors as disparate as the mainstreaming of pornographic images in advertising, the peripatetic nature of our society, even managed-care health insurance and, yes, the cult of youth and perfection.

Kuczynski is not just a plastic surgery critic; she's also been a client, and has her own story of addiction, escalation and remorse to tell (". . . was it wrong to pay my mortgage late so I could get some Botox?"). It adds even more layers of depth to this already meticulously researched and highly entertaining book. Give it to those you love before they go "under the knife."

Miriam Wolf is a Portland writer.

We Like Her, We Really Like Her

"What are you doing on October 31st?" Seth asked while we loitered around the bookstore.
"Giving out candy while you take Sage trick or treating," I answered.
"You might change your plans," he said, noting that Amy Sedaris would be at the downtown Powells that evening.
Since I was just at that moment hungrily leafing through her new book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, a lavishly illustrated twist on those 1950s how-to-entertain books. In it, Ms. Sedaris shares her secrets on how to throw unforgettable bashes. With notes on everything from applying the perfect kohl to your eyes for your Greek party to making felt-covered pencil cups with rude or obscene sayings on them, this book can give you a whole lifestyle makeover. And she even providesthe recipe for her famous cupcakes!

Friday the 13th

While Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has been content to birth six behemoth novels starring her little wizard, Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Evan Handler, whose non-Lemony novel of San Francisco teens -- The Basic Eight was plenty dark and funny) has published more than double that amount -- today, Friday the 13th, sees the publication of The End, the (sniff) last in the series. I will always have a soft spot for Mr. Handler, as he at one time lived in my 'hood -- though we've both since moved. Long live the Richmond District!

After devouring that, young goths with no where else to turn might look into the new edition of Jane Eyre illustrated by the always creepy good and gothic Dame Darcy, whose zine Meatcake was always eagerly devoured when it came into the Factsheet Five office.

Running with Memoirs

What if your famous son wrote a memoir that painted you as a mom who was as neglectful as you were nutty? That happened to Margaret Robinson, whose son Chris grew up to change his name and write the bestselling memoir ... wait for it ... Running with Scissors.

NPR digs her up and posts a profile on All Things Considered.

There have been few mothers as monstrous as the one in his memoir Running with Scissors. In it, Robison is described as so cold and self-absorbed that she gives away her young son to her psychiatrist.

But it turns out that she is a quiet literary person who sounds much more rueful about about losing the closeness with her son (they used to write together and critique each other's work), than about how she was portrayed in print.

As James Frey's experiences have pointed up, the hotter the memoir, the more grains of salt the reader has to take it with.

Subject and Artist

The coffee table crushers have started to arrive in advance of the holiday season. First out of the gate, Annie Leibovitz's mammoth tome A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005. While she's best known for her work with celebrities (I think the ultimate Leibovitz photo is not the John and Yoko one, but the Meryl Streep portrait on the cover of a Leibovitz collection from the 1980s.), this book also lets readers into her personal life a bit with portraits of her longtime companion, cultural critic Susan Sontag.

Fast Foodie Nation

Once food was a status symbol for only a few of the richest people willing to down challenging dishes like foie gras and caviar. Now everyone from yuppies to convicts is insisting on farm-fresh produce, free-range eggs, and authentic South Indian food. What the hell happened? We used to be so happy with our Kraft macaroni and cheese and our Swanson TV dinners. Now all our pasta has to be hand stretched or extruded through brass dies. Where is Sylvia Lovegren, the author of one of my favorite books about food fads Fashionable Food, which traces American food manias from the Jello salads of the 1930s to the duck breast pizzas of the 1980s. It even has recipes, for those brave enough to dip into the past for their next dinner party. Sadly, the book, originally published in the 1990s has no information on the current we-are-all-foodies-now-(but-don't-call-us-that) craze.

Luckily there is a new book that purports to tell us all we need to know. David Kamp's The United States of Arugula has just been published to tons of interest (including reviews last Sunday in the New York Times, SF Chronicle, and The Oregonian. For the most part, the book is concerned with the personalities that drove the movement forward -- Alice Waters, Julia Child, Craig Claiborne, and James Beard. There is lots of gossip. Sadly, no recipes, though, since dining out is a big focus of the book.

Kamp's touring now, so you can check him out. He's at Portland's Powells Books tonight.