New Episode: Food, Memory, and Healing: A Journey Through the Middle Place
Published 11 months ago • 1 min read
In this issue, we sit down with Mallory Tenore Tarpley as she opens up about her journey through eating disorder recovery and what she calls “the middle place”—the often overlooked space between acute illness and full recovery. Her memoir, Slip, offers an honest look at how healing is rarely linear and how perfectionism can quietly sabotage progress.
Highlights from our conversation:
Mallory’s eating disorder began after the loss of her mother at age 11
She wrote Slip to give voice to those in the “middle place”—people who are improving but not yet fully recovered
Her recovery unfolded in small, manageable steps, such as adjusting the order she ate foods before exploring greater variety
Writing became a tool for understanding emotional patterns and recognizing the roots of relapses
To include a wide range of experiences, she surveyed more than 700 people and conducted 175 in-depth interviews
“A slip doesn’t have to equal a slide”—Mallory reframes slips as learning moments rather than setbacks
As a parent, she focuses on teaching her children that “all bodies deserve respect”
She created a special flower-shaped mirror for her daughter with character traits written on each petal
Ongoing therapy and support from a dietitian continue to be essential to her long-term recovery
Slip is available wherever books are sold and explores themes of grief, identity, motherhood, resilience, and healing