Document Type

Student Paper

Publication Date

2019

Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement

This piece discusses my personal struggles with my weight as an plus-size woman by integrating the Lord's Prayer throughout the piece in a creatively bittersweet manner. Body image distortions continue to be all too common for countless young girls and women as they struggle with them, but also the growing prevalence of body shaming in our society.

Comments

I would like to thank Dr. Rebecca Wee for her support and encouragement throughout the writing process of this piece. Words cannot describe my gratitude for her feedback with my countless revisions and office hour visits, as well as her kind words in describing how impacted she was by this piece. You believed and continue to believe in this piece, and in my writing capabilities. To have someone as talented and gifted as you encourage me to apply for this award was touching and meant a lot to me!

In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Jeanneth Vázquez for coordinating and creating this opportunity, as well as Dr. Jennifer Heacock-Renaud, Dr. Kiki Kosnick, and Jennifer Milner for all of their hard work for the Vázquez-Valarezo Poetry Award.

Finally, I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to read this poem! This was a painful piece for me to write, as well as share and publish, but hopefully this piece will touch you and help you better understand the body shaming struggles that countless young girls and women endure on a daily basis within our society.

2nd Place Winner, 2019