For many of us, food is one of life's great pleasures. But what happens when that joy gets taken away, and can we get it back?

When Mallary Tenore Tarpley lost her mother at eleven years old, she wanted to stop time. If growing up meant living without her mom, then she wanted to stay little forever. What started as small acts of food restriction soon turned into a full-blown eating disorder.

Mallary shares her story in a powerful new memoir titled Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery. The book blends Mallary's own compelling story with her research about eating disorders. 

Mallary teaches journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. Before that, she spent 10 years living in Florida, including working at the Tampa Bay Times, where she and Dalia were both cub reporters. Dalia recently caught up with Mallary to discuss the book.

Mallary will return to the Sunshine State on her book SLIP tour. Catch her on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, at Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, in conversation with the city’s poet laureate, Gloria Muñoz.

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