Food, Memory, and Nonfiction

Ever since Proust famously took his bite of tea-soaked madeleine, food, memory, and emotion have been indelibly linked in writing. In this class, we’ll explore why food—both its absence and presence—deserves careful attention in memoir and nonfiction. Whether in the form of a conversation around a table, an interaction around cooking, the taste of a specific dish or even the impact of tempting smells, food has a place in the generative process as well as in the finished product. Through short excerpts from memoirs such as A Moveable Feast (Ernest Hemingway), Educated (Tara Westover), Kitchen Confidential (Anthony Bourdain) and Julie and Julia (Julie Powell) and food-related writing exercises, we’ll analyze how food can drive your plot forward and offer details revealing important themes and character traits. Come prepared to hone your craft to food’s sensory and emotive potential.