12 Sep Ivan Shaw – Condé Nast
Ivan Shaw is The Corporate Photography Director for the Condé Nast Archive. Mr. Shaw discusses the changes to high fashion publishing and the rise of new cultural currents, aesthetics, and players.
Recent Posts Across the Commons
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Nasir Anderson (he/him) wrote a new post on the site Shaping the Future of New York City 2 hours, 12 minutes ago
Affordable Housing ReflectionI was delighted to hear Jamie Rubin discuss affordable housing and his role in NYCHA. I valued the honesty with which he discussed his […]
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Eight bites, Her Body and Other Parts by Maria Machado- ReflectionNathalia Melecio Professor Meaks WS 10200 March 12, 2025 What does the title ‘Eight bites’ means or symbolizes, along with its repetition in the story? The introduction of this phrase in the text, first occurs when the protagonist mentions her mother’s eating habits, commenting that she used to always take eight bites from her plate, making an emphasis on her normal figure. A behavior that she is trying to implement, because of the discomfort of her size. Through the reading she reflects on having a toxic relationship with food, by finding herself hungry after eight bites, her inability to keep up with the diet causes her frustration, and negative self talk. The repetition of “eight bites” may symbolize a cyclical process. In the context of the story, the protagonist appears to be caught in a loop of re-experiencing trauma, desire, or conflict. First developed in early childhood by witnessing and later appropriating her mother’s eating disorder, then establishing standards for body image.‘After, I finished what was in the pot on the stove and I was so angry I began to cry’. Now, this dilemma seems to be rooted in unhappiness with her body image. Which makes her rely on surgery; surgery that all her sisters have done. Her changing body becomes a battleground for her identity, Which creates a void, and surfaces issues within herself, which she pretends to be satisfied by losing weight through this medical procedure, ‘finally’ coming back to her old self/body before giving birth. However this discomfort is produce by other factors.The protagonist’s dissatisfaction with her body is, in part, driven by her perception of her sister’s body and life, reflecting generational trauma, at the same time mirroring her insecurities, by acknowledging their ‘acceptable’ figure based in social standards, good relationships with their daughter, and also their happiness in general, their own perception, in which they are described throughout the story as happy and satisfied. Which creates this type of standard and pressure to align her physical appearance with them, to achieve a better inner and outer self-concept, an illusion of comfort. “Will I ever be done, transformed in the past tense, or will I always be transforming, better and better until I die?.” This question suggest the possibility of an unending, maybe unachievable pursuit for perfection or progress. It illustrates how the main character is caught in a never-ending loop of trying to improve herself—both physically and in terms of her sense of value—and is uncertain of whether she will ever find happiness or closure. This narrative becomes a way of understanding how identity problems and body dissatisfaction are frequently inherited, sustaining cycles of trauma, insecurity, struggle, and socially constructed beauty standards. The story implies that body image dissatisfaction is a deeply rooted and frequently repeti […] “Eight bites, Her Body and Other Parts by Maria Machado- Reflection”
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“Do you hate my body, Mom?” she says. ”
Excerpt FromHer Body and Other PartiesCarmen Maria MachadoThis material may be protected by copyright. Dear Reader, The story of “Eight Bites” is a somber, complex story that goes over the issue of body image in today’s society, especially for women. The narrator, who appears to be fat, is someone who isn’t happy with their body due to societal expectations. Her mother isn’t the same way as she is, which makes her question why her body is the way it is. She grew up with strict expectations of maintaining a certain body shape, and this is seen through her mother only consuming eight bites which also explains the title of the story. After having a child, Cal, the child appears to be just like her mother. Fat. The narrator went through with the surgery to adjust herself to conform to societal standards and the definition of “pretty”. During this process, the only person who opposes this idea is her daughter, Cal. The narrator doesn’t seem to be negatively affected by the surgery as much as her daughter. She feels proud of her journey until her daughter calls her and asks whether she hates her body to which she breaks down and hangs up. At this point, her daughter serves as a reminder of her former self and the way she used to view herself. It was truly upsetting for me to read this, as her daughter feels like her body isn’t worth loving after the person who gave her the body started getting surgery to change it. Was it all worth it? Is she truly happy after getting the surgery? She also encounters a ghostly figure in her home, a figure that is described as something in deep pain but hidden from everyone else but her. This figure serves as a reminder to the narrator of her old self, and how it will always follow her no matter what she does to change herself. It symbolizes the narrator’s guilt and regret that follows after the surgery, and that nothing is happiness and “pretty”. The narrator, in Eight Bites, is someone who may be happy and pretty on the outside, but deep down, she experiences feelings of pain, regret, and guilt. Growing up, she had always been taught to put on a mask and conform to societal standards. It’s clear that there’s only one definition of “pretty”, and that is skinny. She may be a pretty girl on the outside now, but what about that true side of her that remains unresolved? It won’t ever return. This image reflects a happy “perfect” woman in the mirror, who aligns with all societal expectations. However, deep down, she has some unresolved conflicts with herself. The broken mirror symbolizes how the old her, the true her, will never be able […] ““Do you hate my body, Mom?” she says. ”” -
Gabriel Elias Martinez (He/Him/) wrote a new post on the site Shaping the Future of New York City 10 hours, 5 minutes ago
Gabriel Martinez- Week #5 (Education) CUNY Chancellor ReflectionHearing CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez speak about his journey to becoming the chancellor and the difficulties he faced, e […]
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Dahialis Regalado (she/her) wrote a new post on the site DD's Site 11 hours, 12 minutes ago
When will our bodies be enough for us?
Eight bites was a hard read for me because I personally have an eating disorder. When I was younger, I wouldn’t eat much and I was fixated with being really thin. Then, growing up I would compare myself to my mother and her sisters. Their bodies with more curves than mine, hips that looked elegant and beautiful, something I thought I never had. So, eight bites, the way Machado explored this character, was beautiful but traumatizing. Because when will our bodies ever be enough for us? Why do we let these images of the perfect body get to us? Why don’t we love ourselves enough? What is it that we can’t see? Again, many questions, that I know many answers to. But, it’s all insecurity. It’s easy to make a woman insecure and that sounds disgusting, but as nasty as that sentence is… it’s real. Especially nowadays, with trends on social media, feeling insecure is so easy when everyone has so many expectations of what you should look like. And if you have it near you, within your circle, it’s even harder. “I could not make eight bites work for my body and so I would make my body work for eight bites”. One of the most pure and heartbreaking lines I’ve ever read. Even when her daughter was yelling at her in frustration, you can hear that it was from a place of love, care and concern. She just wanted her mother to love herself. But, it’s hard to love one’s self. When you have sisters who support said eating habits, you grow up eating the way your mother did, and you adjust to that lifetsyle.. . it’s difficult to grow out of it. I loved this writing though. We often bring ourselves down to society’s expectations of us and lose ourselves along the way. And sometimes by the time we realize what we’ve done to ourselves, the most damage we’ve created is non-reversible. “I’m sorry,” I will repeat. “I didn’t know.” Most of the time we don’t know or we do but we hide it so deep within our minds because we believe that’s what best. I thought her daughter was trying to dig her out of a whole, but her mother’s regrets, guilt, hurt her more than anything. Begging for her mother to love herself, love HER, and not go through with the surgery was too much to bear. Hurt people hurt people and sometimes it’s too late too look back and fix it. She ruined herself, her identity, her body, her relationship with her daughter, but she thought it would make her happier. And I don’t know if it truly satisfied her. Deep down I think she knew it was wrong. But, we still do the things we know aren’ good for us. […] “When will our bodies be enough for us?” -
Joseph Pentangelo wrote a new post on the site Semantics and Pragmatics (Spring 2025) 11 hours, 12 minutes ago
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