Food Writing Exercises: Writing the Senses...

Jan 4, 2012 by

"There are three important apples that have changed the world," one of my former students said when Steve Jobs passed away: The one that Eve ate in the Bible, the one that inspired Newton's theory of gravity, and finally the Apple brand that Steve Jobs created. I always loved that insight (which was something she'd heard somewhere, in all honesty, but was great nonetheless). In fact, I'm writing this blog post (and experiencing gravity) on an Apple product right now. Because of its rich presence in literature and history, apples are a great food to use for a sensory writing activity because it's so laden with meaning and metaphor. So, today I used it in our food writing class as a writing prompt, and I thought I'd share the activity here on our website....

read more

When delicious food meets delicious writing…...

Oct 25, 2010 by

My talented friend and fellow M.F.A. graduate Rashaan Meneses recently wrote "Like Fish to Ginger" a lovely and haunting story about a Thai immigrant and the complex chemistry of food and romance. Read the first few paragraphs here, then click on the link for more. It's a beautiful read. The only downside is that now I'm dying for a bowl of curry... Like Fish to Ginger By Rashaan Meneses Before I set out to make my mark in Los Angeles, I chased Sunee. We met in a steamy noodle house in the Dusit District of Bangkok where I elbowed my way from dishwasher to sous chef. Sunee worked as hostess. Both seventeen, she knew exactly what she wanted, and it wasn’t me. Like with a delicate soup, I had to know when to stir...

read more