Eating your words — food writing seminar
I was feeling overwhelmed by food. Not eating it. I’m doing research for a food writing course that I’m teaching at Western University in January and I could write a book with the information that I’m amassing.
Food writing can touch so many genres: reviews, reporting, narrative, memoir, profiles. Food writing also draws on so many life experiences — sex, philosophy, biology, anthropology, sociology…
I went to a food writing seminar on the weekend to help clear the haze and find direction.
Called Eating Your Words, four writers, with four very different perspectives spoke about food:
Ian Brown, a feature writer for the Globe and Mail told elaborate dramatic stories of food and memories; Margaret Webb spoke about the politics of food writing. Author of Apples to Oysters. A Food Lover’s Tour of Canadian Farms (www.margaretwebb.com) she stressed the importance of knowing where your food comes from and sustainable agriculture.
Corby Kummer, notably the author of author of The Pleasures of Slow Food, talked about editing and the importance of reading your work out loud; Michael Symons from Australia has written One Continuous Picnic: A History of Australian Eating and A History of Cooks and Cooking. Michael talked about the history of food — there’s over 3,000 years of it to be exact.
After they all spoke, I asked a very non-technical question: “what is your favourite meal.” Here is my favourite response:
Ian Brown begins to tell an elaborate story gesturing with his hands and contorting his face for emphasis. He was on an anniversary dinner with his wife when they recognized some friends. Ian hugged the woman and began to feel warm, very warm. “I never thought I had any feelings for her, at least that way, but yet I was getting really hot.” But as he turns around, he notices his linen suit jacket is on fire. As he looks up, four waiters are running towards him with glasses of water. Ian begins doing the running man, slowly. The crowd of foodies are busting a gut laughing.
“For me, great food is about memories, nostalgia and connection with family.” The flaming jacket will certainly stick out in my mind.
Then it dawned on me: stop trying to make this food writing course about what it should be and focus on what food means to you. Thanks Ian for reminding me of that. By the way, his favourite meal is steak and kidney pie.
Melanie