Lena Dunham: Not That Kind of Girl annotated essay on Genius

To celebrate the paperback release of her essay collection, Not That Kind of Girl, Lena Dunham will use Genius to annotate one of the chapters, EW can announce exclusively. The annotated essay is available to read on LenaDunham.com. The paperback also includes two brand-new essays.

The chapter Dunham annotates is from the original edition — “‘Diet’ Is a Four-Letter Word: How to Remain 10 Lbs. Overweight Eating Only Health Food” — and her new notes reflect a change in attitude about eating and diet. Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll find when you visit the annotation:

Lena shares her true feelings about bad Midwestern pizza:

“It literally tasted like a quilt with sauce on it.”

And what she’s learned in the years since this phase of eating:

“People sometimes ask if I’m still as mental about food and the answer is no. A lot has changed in the last five years and I’ve learned an incredible amount about what I need to be healthy and happy. I work hard and I don’t have time to put my body through this kind of s—, and I also don’t have the mental space. I also think the dialogue around health and body positivity is changing in a really great way, even when it doesn’t exactly feel like it based on internet comments. Lastly, I want to thank my boyfriend for being a cool feminist who doesn’t subscribe to any commercial notions of what a woman should be. A loving partner isn’t what makes us love ourselves, but it sure can help us stay on the right path. Also, he once guessed my weight as 105 pounds. Bless his heart.”

Dunham’s brand-new essays included in the paperback are: “15 Lessons You’ve Learned From Being Recognized Regularly on the Street” (Sample lesson: “It’s really okay to cry in public. In fact, it makes for a great selfie with an anxious goth teen. Get on her level!”) and “True Punk,” in which Dunham writes about a friend who helped her over a creative block that sprung up with the pressure to be successful.

Visit LenaDunham.com to see the annotated essay, and pick up your paperback copy of Not That Kind of Girl today.

Lena Dunham: Not That Kind of Girl annotated essay on Genius

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