Me, My Hair, and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession

Me, My Hair, and I collects twenty-seven essays from women reflecting on their hair and what it reveals about their lives. The essays explore connections between hair and broader themes including family, race, religion, motherhood, culture, health, politics, and sexuality. Settings range from African American kitchens to Hindu Bengali weddings to Hasidic Jewish homes, creating both intimate and global perspectives. Throughout the collection, the writers reference cultural and historical figures including Jackie Kennedy, Lena Horne, Farrah Fawcett, the Grateful Dead, and Botticelli's Venus. The essays present hair as simultaneously a source of glory and frustration, tied to personal history, self-esteem, joy, and mortality. While acknowledging that many things in life matter more than hair, the writers explore how significantly a good hairdo can affect one's sense of well-being.