Preliminary Syllabus
Course Title: Thought for Food: The Craft of Food Writing Course Code: EGL 130 W Instructor: Chaney Kwak
Course Summary: “It seems to me,” writes M. F. K. Fisher in her book The Art of Eating, “that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others.”
We not only eat but also think about food several times a day. It’s no wonder that food writing is a popular art form that reflects our zeitgeist.
So let’s talk about food. Let us sing of the briny tang of oysters, the satisfying crunch of fried chicken, the exuberance of fresh tomatoes. Let’s put into words the joy of cooking, sharing, and savoring food—which is to say, let us contemplate what makes us human. We will learn from contemporary and canonical food writ- ing found in memoirs, novels, magazines, and online publications. We will try our hand at will workshop one-page excerpts of one another’s work in a supportive en- vironment. Drawing from a wide spectrum of fiction and non-fiction, the class will also introduce you to the business side of freelance food writing.
Equally importantly, you will also learn to be a better editor of your own work by participating in a supportive online workshop, in which we will provide construc- tive feedback on our classmates’ work.
Grade Options and Requirements: • No Grade Requested (NGR) o No work will be required; no credit or proof of attendance will be pro- vided. • Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) o Student must actively participate in discussions in order to receive cred- it. • Grades (A, B, C, D, Fail) o In this class, letter grades will be determined as follows: ▪ Reading discussions: 20% ▪ Short writing assignments: 20% (Choose 4 out of 5) ▪ Final writing assignment: 20% ▪ Workshop participation, including peer feedback: 40%
*Please Note: If you require proof that you completed a Continuing Studies course for any reason (for example, employer reimbursement), you must choose either the Credit/No Credit option or grades. Courses taken for NGR will not appear on official transcripts or grade reports. Preliminary Syllabus
Required Textbooks • Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Re- views, Memoir, and More by Dianne Jacob o Please get the latest version revised and updated in 2015 • Best American Food Writing 2017, edited by Holly Hughes • Additional readings will be posted on Canvas
Recommended Books Throughout the course I will recommend many books to read after the semester. But before our class begins you may want to check out the following titles: • The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher • Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton • Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Guest Speakers An editor of a national food magazine and a cookbook author will join us via video chat. You will have a chance to ask them questions about their work during a Zoom session.
Feedback At the end of the semester, the instructor will provide a thorough assessment and ed- its on your final class project, which will be a revision of one of the assignments. In addition, you will receive light feedback from your instructor on your assignment each week. You will be expected to learn from actively participating in group discussions about both your writing and the reading assignments. Preliminary Syllabus
Weekly Outline
Week 1: Getting Started • Introductions—why are we here? And what is food writing?
Week 2: Restaurant Reviewing • Reviewing in the age of Yelp: As we look at Jonathan Gold’s legacy, we question if restau- rant reviews matter in 2018.
Week 3: Recipes & Cookbooks • What do recipes say about the world we inhabit? We’ll look at beautifully headnotes that can stand on their own as essays.
Week 4: Profile • Let’s paint a portrait of someone as a culinary artist. We’ll discuss how to make interest- ing characters come alive in our writing.
Week 5: Research • Let’s get geeky, Kurlansky-style. What does the journey undertaken by an ingredient tell us about our world?
Week 6: Travel • Will you travel for food? How do you write about a faraway cuisine with accuracy and sensitivity?
Week 7: Memoir • Can a deeply intimate story resonate with readers? We question if a writer can turn the personal into the universal.
Week 8: Fiction • How do you tell truths without relying on facts?
Week 9: Workshop • Present your final project, which is a significantly expanded and revised version of one of your assignments so far.
Week 10: What now? • Revising, pitching, querying… Where do you want to go from here?