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Silent Screams

by Lori Henry

130 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0694; ISBN 1-55369-881-9; US$16.00, C$19.99, EUR13.00, £9.10

Silent Screams is a collection of poetry written during a young woman's struggle with Bulimia Nervosa. Now in its second printing, this edition includes a new preface by the author.

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about the book - from the author      about the author      excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book - from the author This collection of poems was written during my battle with bulimia. Starting at 12 years old, I began a dangerous dance with an eating disorder that would take over my life for the next six years. I was able to hide my behaviour better than anything else in my life; I became the best liar I have ever known. Reviews "The poems are filled with intense emotion, moments of frustration, despair and anger as well as power, freedom and joy. The collection takes readers on a journey through one woman's triumph over an eating disorder and the ups and downs that accompany her in this process. The poems provide valuable insights into the emotional journey one takes on the road to recovery." - Christine A. Hartline, M.A., Executive Director Eating Disorder Referral and Information Centre http://www.edreferral.com GUTSY NEW WRITING The symptoms of bulimia nervosa "like fluctuating weight, secretive eating, low self-esteem, and tooth decay" are well-known. What are not so easily understood are the emotions behind the eating disorder. Lori Henry knows those feelings all too well. The 20-year-old Vancouver resident battled bulimia for six years. Henry, who's now recovering, wrote hundreds of poems during her hard junior-high and high-school years. She selected some of her writings for her recently published first book, Silent Screams (Trafford, $19.99), which she hopes will give people insight into the mind of a bulimic. "Bulimia overwhelmed me," she told the Straight on the line from home. "It became my whole life. From the time I was 12 to 18 or so, I was absolutely numb. Everything was concerned with food and weight, how I looked, how many calories things had; the other aspects of my life were there, but they weren't really part of my world." Henry would binge and purge, mainly through excessive exercise. She trained as a dancer and got a treadmill so she could run regularly. She also used laxatives as a means of losing weight. Finally, two years ago, feeling utterly exhausted, she knew she needed to get help and started seeing a counsellor. The titles alone of Henry's poems give hints of the kind of despair that people with the condition experience: "Beneath my Calm Exterior", "Tumult", "Unwelcome Girl", and "Vilest Self". "The book expresses what people can't express openly," she said. "I had piles and piles of journals. I wanted to share that, and I also wanted to get it out of myself. I wanted to touch others who are having the same struggles." -The Georgia Straight, Vancouver, British Columbia

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About the Author Ms. Henry was the publisher and editor of Beauty: You Define It magazine, an alternative youth publication that dealt with questioning mainstream beauty standards and our culture*s fixation on outward appearance.  She is now freelancing in Vancouver, Canada and is in charge of covering the eating disorders community at http://eatingdisorders.suite101.com.

Along with writing, she is also a trained actor in theatre, film and television and has had over 20 years of dance education.