Episode 35 with Rev. Dr. E-K Daufin
On Fat And Faith
– Rev. Dr. E-K Daufin
Show Notes & Full Transcript. And a review of Rev. Dr. E-K’s book below.
*Hello wonderful listener, Sophia here! Want to know what Rev. Dr. E-K Daufin would put on a billboard? Be sure to check out the bonus content on Apple Subscriptions or Patreon. My dearest wish is to also offer an honorarium to my guests, centering and supporting marginalized voices in this space. So, as you’re able, please consider subscribing to “Some Extra Fat Joy: 10 Qs” where each guest answers 10 unexpected questions.*
Rev. Dr. E-K Daufin (she/her) is here to share aspects of her new book, “On Fat and Faith: Ending Weight Stigma in Yourself, Your Sanctuary and Society.” Like the book, this conversation spans generations and explores intersectionality through her lived experience. She also shares a tapping technique and accompanying affirmations.
Rev. Dr. E-K Daufin is the Visionary Social Change Artist 2023 Award Winning Author. She earned Doctorate and Master’s degrees at The Ohio State University in multimedia, cinema and visual sociology. Her undergraduate degrees are in communication, theatre, and French from the historically Black Morgan State University. Dr. Daufin has decades of experience as an award-winning scholar, university tenured full professor; ordained, multireligious minister; artist; “edutainer”; and community activist.
She has melted in sweat lodges and bayous, caroused with 5-foot Sandhill Cranes in Colorado, been wedged in Anasazi ruins and ancient Mayan caves. She has served in leadership roles with the National Association for Fat Acceptance; Association for Size Diversity And Health; Popular Culture Association Fat Studies, Black Studies, and Poetry areas; feminist, People of Color, health, ecology and journalism education organizations. Her work has been in ESSENCE magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Montgomery Advertiser, the Associated Press, as well as on CNN, New York, Los Angeles, and Alabama Public Radio/TV and other media.
Please check out the book website, head to Amazon to purchase the book, facebook, and subscribe to her edutainment and poetry YouTube channels.
This episode’s poem is from Cole Arthur Riley’s @BlackLiturgies Instagram page.
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A Fat Joy Podcast Book Review
On Fat and Faith: Ending Weight Stigma in Yourself, Your Sanctuary and Society
Written by Rev. Dr. E-K Daufin
Respectfully reviewed by A. Cavouras
Book Summary
The journey that is On Fat and Faith begins with a clear invitation – if you are here and believe in stopping injustice to our collective minds, bodies, and spirits – this is a book for you. Readers are promised a book of great strength and learning, and E.K. does not disappoint.
Delivering what’s in the title, unflinchingly and with a vibrant, intersectional lens, the stories that made Rev. Dr. E.K. Daufin start in her early childhood. Slowly revealing the complex early life that led eventually to her becoming the feminist scholar and multi-religious minister that she is today, the stories are heart-wrenching.
The first chapters of On Fat and Faith bring together experiences of her early life as a fat child striving for acceptance at home and in her private Catholic school, skillfully interwoven with analysis of poverty, misogynoir, and patriarchy. Rev. Dr. E.K. Daufin calls out the abuse and silencing she suffered at the hands of her family, school and society, and later on in academia.
The later chapters highlight her role in Health At Every Size (HAES) which she joined over a decade ago and the profound influence her work has had on the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH). Finally, Rev. Dr. Daufin shares her principles for a “…weight neutral, Divine Feminine honoring, intersectionally equitable, Partnership Society.”
At times, this book deviates from conventional structures, challenging what I know from academic and colonist-dominated spaces and took me on a complex journey that felt as though it had no clear destination. In the end I was wrong. Unequivocally, this book is a path I wanted to follow and a journey I was grateful to take.
What’s Special About This Book
This book is FULL of words and quotes that will fill your soul up with all that you need to build your own Fat-positive self and help all see the world in a truly different light. I personally love that you could pick this book up and flip to any page in any chapter and be rewarded with Rev. Dr. Daufin’s insight, acceptance, and love.
Of special note is the ability to connect with her and explore more resources available through her website OnFatandFaith.com
Beautiful Lines for Your Heart, Your Mirror, or Your Twitter
Rev. Dr. Daufin is a person who tells it like it is, and her words are the real deal on speaking truth to power. Here are some impactful quotes on the power of language, self-identity, and radical acceptance:
From Chapter 1
“Still, it is time to undo the bitter aftertaste the word Fat leaves in our mouths. It is time to turn the taste of the world “Fat” into the succulent juices of your favorite food.”
From Chapter 3
“I don’t call my body an “it.” She is alive and female. Her pronouns are her/she, like the Hershey milk chocolate she is.”
From Chapter 6
“Regarding age, I use the term “spicier” rather than older or aging. The Western world is criminally in love with youth and vicious about growing older, especially for women.”
End Note
No matter your faith or set of beliefs – from something specific to nothing at all – you will feel the power from On Fat and Faith and emerge from its pages grateful for the time you spent immersed in her world.
Respectfully reviewed by A. Cavouras
a.cavouras@gmail.com