Koans-My Story Of Anorexia

My teenage daughter, Emma, and I are currently working on our second film together, KOANS, a video poetry short telling the story of my mother, Janet Gilmore's life long struggle with anorexia/bulimia. Our script is edited from my mom's essay/journal on living with the disease that was retrieved from a trashcan before her death in 2002. Weaved throughout is my mother’s short "mood" poetry that she used to express her state of being and yearning for health/peace.

I shared this poetry with Emma the Summer of 2017 when she was 15 and she surprised me by creating illustrations to poems that particularly spoke to her. My mother passed at 70 when Emma was 6-months old. The poetry and illustrations have been a profound connection between a grandmother and granddaughter who only met once and inspired the film along with the aim of my mother and myself to support awareness of the impact of eating disorders and connect those suffering to support.

This 5-minute version contains 5 of her mood poems, read by individuals who have personal connections to the subject.