Susanne Antonetta
Encyclopedia
Susanne Antonetta is an American
poet
and author
. Susanne Antonetta is the pen name for Suzanne Paola, whose best-selling work is Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir (ISBN 1-58243-116-7). In 2001, Body Toxic received recognition as a 'Notable Book' from the New York Times, and for making Amazon.com
's list of top ten memoir
s for that year. An excerpt of "Body Toxic" was published as an essay called "Elizabeth" and later recognized as a 'Notable Essay' for 1998 by Best American Essays. She has published several prize-winning collections of poems, including Bardo, a Brittingham Prize in Poetry
winner, and the poetry books Petitioner, Glass, and most recently The Lives of The Saints. She currently resides in Washington with her husband and adopted son.
Paola was raised among the New Jersey Pine Barrens, which she later used as the setting for Body Toxic (and the haunt of the Jersey Devil
), in one of the most environmentally
contaminated counties in the United States. Paola's memoir merges her personal and familial sagas with historical accounts, politics
, and environmentalism
. Body Toxic depicts an American
family in the midst of what the author perceives as the wreckage of the American dream
.
Paola writes about how the poison
ed landscape of her New Jersey childhood devastated her body, causing cardiac arrhythmia, seizures, severe allergies, and sterility
. She recounts the story of the Radium Girls
, details aspects of the frequent nuclear
and industrial waste
debacles in New Jersey, and relates these events to her family and neighbors.
Paola's memoir disputes attribution of her afflictions to genetic
vulnerability, random chance, or recreational drug use. Vignettes depicting colossal man-made environmental disasters are woven into her story, accenting the recurrent medical catastrophes she endured, including endometriosis
, rampant thyroid
tumors, a quadruplet pregnancy (sans fertility drugs) that ended in miscarriage
, numerous growths on her liver and ovarian cysts that necessarily had to be removed, all embedded in a time line repeatedly punctuated by manic-depression
. Ironically, the latter condition was treated with psychotropic drugs, some of which are derived from the very same dye chemicals dumped, sometimes recklessly, into the environment of southern New Jersey.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Susanne Antonetta is the pen name for Suzanne Paola, whose best-selling work is Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir (ISBN 1-58243-116-7). In 2001, Body Toxic received recognition as a 'Notable Book' from the New York Times, and for making Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's list of top ten memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
s for that year. An excerpt of "Body Toxic" was published as an essay called "Elizabeth" and later recognized as a 'Notable Essay' for 1998 by Best American Essays. She has published several prize-winning collections of poems, including Bardo, a Brittingham Prize in Poetry
Brittingham Prize in Poetry
The Brittingham Prize in Poetry is a major United States literary award for a book of poetry chosen from an open competition.The prize, established in 1985, is sponsored by the English Department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is selected by a nationally recognized poet, The winner is...
winner, and the poetry books Petitioner, Glass, and most recently The Lives of The Saints. She currently resides in Washington with her husband and adopted son.
Paola was raised among the New Jersey Pine Barrens, which she later used as the setting for Body Toxic (and the haunt of the Jersey Devil
Jersey Devil
The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many variations...
), in one of the most environmentally
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
contaminated counties in the United States. Paola's memoir merges her personal and familial sagas with historical accounts, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, and environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
. Body Toxic depicts an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
family in the midst of what the author perceives as the wreckage of the American dream
American Dream
The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each...
.
Paola writes about how the poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ed landscape of her New Jersey childhood devastated her body, causing cardiac arrhythmia, seizures, severe allergies, and sterility
Infertility
Infertility primarily refers to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception. Infertility may also refer to the state of a woman who is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term...
. She recounts the story of the Radium Girls
Radium Girls
The Radium Girls were female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with glow-in-the-dark paint at the United States Radium factory in Orange, New Jersey around 1917....
, details aspects of the frequent nuclear
Nuclear material
Nuclear material refers to the metals uranium, plutonium, and thorium, in any form, according to the IAEA. This is differentiated further into "source material", consisting of natural and depleted uranium, and "special fissionable material", consisting of enriched uranium , uranium-233, and...
and industrial waste
Industrial waste
Industrial waste is a type of waste produced by industrial activity, such as that of factories, mills and mines. It has existed since the outset of the industrial revolution....
debacles in New Jersey, and relates these events to her family and neighbors.
Paola's memoir disputes attribution of her afflictions to genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
vulnerability, random chance, or recreational drug use. Vignettes depicting colossal man-made environmental disasters are woven into her story, accenting the recurrent medical catastrophes she endured, including endometriosis
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a gynecological medical condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the ovaries. The uterine cavity is lined by endometrial cells, which are under the influence of female hormones...
, rampant thyroid
Thyroid
The thyroid gland or simply, the thyroid , in vertebrate anatomy, is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, below the thyroid cartilage...
tumors, a quadruplet pregnancy (sans fertility drugs) that ended in miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
, numerous growths on her liver and ovarian cysts that necessarily had to be removed, all embedded in a time line repeatedly punctuated by manic-depression
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
. Ironically, the latter condition was treated with psychotropic drugs, some of which are derived from the very same dye chemicals dumped, sometimes recklessly, into the environment of southern New Jersey.
Partial bibliography
- Bardo, 1998 (winner of the Brittingham Prize in PoetryBrittingham Prize in PoetryThe Brittingham Prize in Poetry is a major United States literary award for a book of poetry chosen from an open competition.The prize, established in 1985, is sponsored by the English Department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is selected by a nationally recognized poet, The winner is...
, published by University of Wisconsin PressUniversity of Wisconsin PressThe University of Wisconsin Press is a non-profit university press publishing peer-reviewed books and journals. It primarily publishes work by scholars from the global academic community but also serves the citizens of Wisconsin by publishing important books about Wisconsin, the Upper Midwest, and...
)
External links
- Bookreporter.aol.com - Body Toxic Chapter One (excerpt)
- Gelmans.com - 'Woman Looks Back At Her Toxic N.J. Youth', Candy J. Cooper (February 20, 2002)
- NYTimes.com - 'Poison: The author recounts how she was shaped by a girlhood that was, quite literally, toxic', reviewed by Michael PollanMichael PollanMichael Pollan is an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. A 2006 New York Times book review describes him as a "liberal foodie intellectual."...
, New York Times (June 24, 2001) - SpiritualityandPractice.com - Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir, reviewed by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
- TidePool.org - Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir, reviewed by Christian Martin (2001)