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Wandering the Literary Field

by

Lauren Roberts

I have obviously been banging my head against the wall in frustration too much lately because for the ten days I have had the worst writer’s block I’ve ever experienced. It has to do, I think, with things being in flux at work and in my personal life. Reading and writing, both of which usually provide a sense of stability and ease, have felt more like elusive butterflies, flitting over a field of flowers, landing here and there, but never staying long on one blossom.

Rather than fight this or even try to understand it, I am just going to go with it. So here are several various pieces that were fun to write, but possess no common thread other than my short attention span.

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Reading Down Memory Lane
Are you are into nostalgia? If eBay’s success is any indicator, you probably are. Then check out American Dish: 100 Recipes from Ten Delicious Decades (Angel City Press; $21.95, hardcover; Citadel Press; $10.99, paperback), a delightfully delectable little book that looks at 20th century American culture through a culinary kaleidoscope, tracking societal changes and inventions as well as the recipes that came to exemplify each decade. It could be called a cookbook or a social history or even a humor book—and each would be right, though it would be more accurate to say it is all three (in one).

Author Merrill Shindler has spent his professional life in food. He hosts a radio show in Los Angeles about dining out, is a newspaper food critic and is co-editor of a dining guide in addition to being a wonderful writer. When he describes the twentieth century as a “hundred-year-long-all-you-can-eat buffet,” you know you are in for a feast.

And what a feast! Even the chapter titles are appetizing: “How Sweet It Was” (the 00s); “The Salad Years” (the 20s); “Victory and M&Ms” (the 40s); “The Bonfire of the Eateries” (the 80s); “Guilty Pleasures and Lean Cuisine” (the 90s). Each chapter begins with a overview of the changes that society experienced which, in turn, fueled the changes in the way we eat. In the chapter on the 1950s (interestingly titled “Ike and Onion Dip,”) Shindler starts thus: “It was a decade when people may have dressed seriously . . . may have driven serious cars . . .  may have lived in serious suburbs where they seriously practiced duck-and-cover drills . . . a serious President . . .his terribly serious Vice President . . . It was a decade of conformity and straight-arrow life-styles—which makes me wonder why the culinary habits of the decade were so absolutely . . . zany.”

Bill Bryson, in his new memoir, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, notes that Americans have never been as happy as they were in this decade. Little wonder. So much was new including the food: TV dinners, minute rice, frozen orange juice, the first diet soft drink (No-Cal Ginger Ale), Special K cereal and Cheese Whiz. Thanks to these and other food developments, the recipes that defined this decade included onion dip, beef stroganoff, fish sticks, Russian dressing, sloppy joes and tuna noodle casserole.

Reading through this book is like boarding a rollercoaster through time. Recipes for each dish are provided—and if you miss ice box cheese pie or chicken-fried steak or blackened redfish you’ll find it here. The directions are clear and concise, but it is Shindler’s personal take on each one that makes them more than just recipes. When speaking of Baked Alaska (a first decade recipe), he notes that it is “a rather overdone dish that smacked of high exoticism, railroad barons and meals concluded with a snifter of brandy” that in the making may end up “a molten mess.” He follows up with this comment: Good luck.

Yet even when he is having fun, he is admiring of the food. About carrot cake he notes: “Because it was made with carrots, it was perceived as being healthy and low in calories. It is not . . . But it sure does taste good.”

With a wonderfully quirky design, hand lettering and charming illustrations, this book deserves a place in the collection of anyone interested in food, food history, American culture or the twentieth century. Whatever you do with it—laugh, cook, reminisce—get it. It’s the perfect holiday gift for the food fan. 

 

Sharing My Love of Books
My stomach was fluttering as I waited for my escort. I had been briefed on what to expect, but the first time is always unnerving. And the fact that I was next to the last one to be claimed didn’t help to calm me. All I could do while watching others take off with their guides was smile nervously.

It was Guest Reader Day recently at a local elementary school, and I had been asked to join this annual event wherein prominent community members talk to students about books and reading.

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At last my turn came. My name was called, and I followed Daisy to her second grade classroom where I found about 20 students eagerly awaiting my appearance. I had planned to read from one of only three children’s books I own, Rip Squeak and His Friends and then answer questions, but as soon as we settled ourselves on the floor more than 15 hands shot into the air.

Questions poured out. What did I like to read? What kind of books did I have? How many books did I own? What did I read when I was their age? The questions came so fast that I barely completed one before two more voices spoke up. I had never felt so popular as I did at that time.

With the teacher’s direction, I read the book, complete with various character’s voices and gestures for the adventures of the friends—Rip and Jesse, the brother and sister mice, Abbey the cat and Euripides the actor-frog, It was an incredible experience sitting there barefoot on the floor surrounded by these young faces watching and listening with eagerness and anticipation. The joy was overwhelming. These young readers are at the beginning of their lifetime journey. In a way I envy them the literary treasures that await them. But that day they gave me a treasure too, that of reconnecting to reading as it was to me at their age. A special adventure. A magical time. It was a gift beyond words.

 

Book Clubs and Book Selections
Though I’ve been a reader since childhood, I’ve never been a member of a book club. I think it’s because I’m rather a stubborn cuss, preferring to choose the books I want to read rather than follow a group’s pick. In addition, I rarely read fiction—which most book clubs seem to prefer.

However, I have been re-considering my opinion since I came across what I consider a brilliant suggestion: choosing a theme for each month’s reading instead of a book. Members can then read their choice of book—fiction or nonfiction—and bring it and their thoughts on the theme to the meeting.

Sounds weird? I’ve been giving this a lot of thought and I don’t think so. Let’s say, for example, that “food” was the theme. What kinds of books could that encompass? In nonfiction, possibilities include Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal; Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health; Toast: The Story of a Boy’s Hunger; Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community; What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained; and Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World. Food in fiction can be found in, among others, Double Shot and Fudge Cupcake Murder (two mystery series); Like Water for Chocolate; How’s the Squid?: A Book of Food Cartoons; Chocolat; and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents.

Given just these books listed above, the discussion could roam over sexism, racism, cultural challenges, humor, relationships, socio-economic choices, government controls, business ethics, personal values and choices, the role of shame in women’s lives, obesity and perception, childhood food memories, food and love, societal expectations and diets, American history and the science of food.

It's true that it could also, as a friend pointed out, turn into a series of book reports rather than a vibrant discussion. That is a possibility, but I think this is an idea worth exploring. One way to limit the risk that it wouldn’t work is to narrow the topic. Instead of food, perhaps food within the family might work. Or each person could bring a synopsis of her or his book and several questions that the book raised in her mind for discussion. However it might be approached, I think this is an idea worth pursuing.

Volume Hunting
The cost of books is rising. It used to be—not all that long ago—that hardcovers were commonly priced at $25. Now $30 is not unusual, and some are even $35. But there are alternatives and these are worth considering if your book-buying habits are exceeding your book-buying budget.

Thrift stores. They are probably best for commercial fiction though other subjects can be found there as well. If you are quick, you can even find the occasional valuable book such as the $100 volume a friend of mine found for $15.

Garage sales. These are wonderful if you don’t mind driving around on Saturday mornings. You are more likely to find a greater variety of subjects here than in thrift stores, and the owners are generally willing to deal. But these are “if you find them” situations so you may waste time looking.

Annual nonprofit book sales. Used book sales are an excellent place to find hundreds, even thousands of books. You are unlikely to find a rarity for a dollar anymore, but you will find an astonishing range of good books at terrific prices.

Used book stores. Stores range from the low-priced and impossibly cluttered to the high-quality, neatly categorized (but still well-priced) outlets.

The best deal of all, though, is the public library, an institution for which I harbor considerable affection. Hundreds of thousands of print and audio books are there. And they’re all free with your library card which is itself free! (Note: Shopping is possible here too. Libraries are often cleaning out their shelves to make room for new arrivals and sell their castoffs as well some of their donations. Happily, many of them are priced at only a dollar or two.  

So see, there is no economic excuse for not reading and for not having books in your home.

 

Literacy: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Do you enjoy reading? If so, thank your parents and your teachers. You are literate. A surprisingly large proportion of the U.S. adult population is not.

More than two million functionally illiterate people are unable to read, write and communicate in English, and to compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society. They simply can’t do the things most of us take for granted: filling out job applications, writing checks, reading prescription instructions.

Public libraries often have adult literacy programs working to change that. They offer free assistance to any adult aged 16 or older who is not in school and wants help with basic skills such as reading, writing and math. Potential learners initially meet with a staff member for an informal and unstructured assessment about their goals, their time commitment possibilities, their preferences for tutors and their work and personal interests.

Most libraries have a list of learners waiting for tutors. If you can read, you can tutor. Training is free, and the libraries have extensive materials for the tutors to use. Why not call today—and give someone the gift that keeps on giving?


Almost since her childhood days of Mother Goose, Lauren has been giving her opinion on books to anyone who will listen. That “talent” eventually took her out of magazine writing and into book reviewing in 2000 for an online review site where she cut her teeth (as well as a few authors). Stints as book editor for her local newspaper and contributing editor to Booklist and Bookmarks magazines have reinforced her belief that she has interesting things to say about books. Lauren shares her home with several significant others including three cats, 800 bookmarks and more than 1,000 books that, whether previously read or not, constitute her to-be-read stack. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 

 
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