june 2008 glamour: personal essay contest

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I hereby confess Glamour is one of my favorite magazines. It certainly contains many pieces I cringe at each month, but it covers the celebrations and plights of women across the world better than most. The June issue featured the winner of the magazine's annual personal essay contest. Andrea Coller writes a heartwrenchingly honest tale of her ongoing bout with cancer. Truly, only her unparalleled honesty keeps this essay from being depressing. It's short on heavy-handed inspiration, but her ability to speak of her struggles so honestly and unflinchingly inspires me more than any feel good story I've heard lately.

Don't take my word for it. One of the reasons I love Glamour is the six judges for the essay contest: Susan Choi, Asali Solomon, Laura Hillenbrand, Jennifer Weiner, Jane Smiley and Sara Gruen. I will take uninspired fashion coverage next to seeing these ladies in print, even as judges. The good clearly triumphs over the bad; I only wish I could pass along the same news about Coller's cancer struggles.

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