Allie Rowbottom is an American writer known for her 2018 memoir Jell-O Girls [1] [2] and her debut novel Aesthetica about a former Instagram model with a plastic surgery addiction.
Rowbottom received her BA from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, her MFA from the California Institute of the Arts where she was mentored by Maggie Nelson, and her PhD in literature and creative writing from the University of Houston.
The memoir follows three women in Rowbottom's family and investigates the roles of domesticity in the American kitchen over generations. Starting with Midge (Rowbottom's grandmother), then detailing Mary's life (Rowbottom's mother) and finally focusing on Rowbottom herself. [3] [4] The memoir discusses the dessert specifically because Rowbottom's great-great-grandmother's sister's husband's father bought the Jell-O patent in 1899 for $450, [5] and because of Rowbottom's own account of her eating disorder and her active struggle with only eating foods, like Jell-O, that have a low calorie count. [6]
The book starts with Rowbottom feeding her dying mother Jell-O, the only food her mother could keep down at the time. Rowbottom's mother eventually passed away in 2015 at age 70. Rowbottom was not able to finish the book before her mother's death. [7]
Told in two timelines–2017 and the near future, 2032– Aesthetica follows @annawrey, who at the age of 19 moves from Houston to Los Angeles to become an Instagram influencer, and at the age of 35, cloisters herself in a moldy hotel room in Burbank to contemplate Aesthetica(TM), a risky surgery designed to undo all her past cosmetic procedures and reset her face to its natural, aged state.
Rowbottom was raised in New England and New York City and is now based in Los Angeles.[ citation needed ] She is married to the writer Jon Lindsey.
Jell-O, stylised as JELL-O, is an American brand offering a variety of powdered gelatin dessert, pudding, and no-bake cream pie mixes. The original gelatin dessert is the signature of the brand. "Jell-O" is a registered trademark of Kraft Heinz, and is based in Chicago, Illinois.
Le Roy, or more commonly LeRoy, is a town in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 7,641 at the time of the 2010 census. The town is named after one of the original land owners, Herman Le Roy. The town lies on the southwestern edge of Monroe County. Within the town is a village of Le Roy. The Jell-O gelatin dessert was invented and first manufactured in Le Roy.
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Hyperbole and a Half is a webcomic and blog written and illustrated by Allie Brosh. Started in 2009, Brosh mixes text and illustrations in each post to tell stories from her childhood, general thoughts, and the challenges she has faced, particularly with mental health.
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Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More is a memoir and the debut book by Janet Mock, an American writer and transgender activist. It was published on 1 February 2014 by Atria Books. The book has been praised by Melissa Harris-Perry, bell hooks, Laverne Cox, and Barbara Smith. It debuted in 19th position on The New York Times Best Seller list for Hardcover Nonfiction. The book's original title was Fish Food. The memoir follows Mock's journey as a transgender girl and young woman in Hawaii.
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Aesthetica is a 2022 debut novel by American writer Allie Rowbottom whose first book was the 2018 memoir Jell-O Girls. Aesthetica was published by Soho Press. The novel follows Anna, celebrity Instagram influencer, who fifteen years after the height of her fame contemplates an experimental surgery, Aesthetica, which would return her face to its "natural" state.