144 Food in Literature (with Ronica Dhar)

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson

History, Arts, Books

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2018

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Food, glorious food! We all know its power for nourishment, pleasure, and comfort -- and we’ve all felt the sharp pangs of its absence. How has this essential part of being alive made its way into novels, short stories, and poetry? Our guest Ronica Dhar, author of the novel Bijou Roy, joins us for a conversation about food in literature, as we select ten mouthwatering (and thought-provoking) examples. Bon appetit! Works and authors discussed include Kevin Young, Dr. Seuss, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, William Shakespeare, Beatrix Potter, Patrick O’Brian, Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, Beowulf, Elizabeth Alexander, Big Night (the film), Charles Dickens, Arnold Lobel, Russell Hoban, Lillian Hoban, Haruki Murakami, Lewis Carroll, Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Paddington Bear, Pippi Longstocking, and more. For our first discussion with Ronica, in which she chooses her favorite books, see Episode 35 - A Conversation with Ronica Dhar. What’s food without the means to buy it? For a draft of 10 great writers at work, see Episode 101 - Writers at Work (with Mike Palindrome). For more on Patrick O’Brian, see Episode 37 - Great Literary Duos. For a medieval feast, see Episode 108 - Beowulf (aka Need a Hero? Get a Grip!). EXCITING NEWS!!!! We are giving away a FREE History of Literature Podcast mug and a FREE copy of Ronica Dhar's book, Bijou Roy, to two lucky Patreon donors! Sign up now at patreon.com/literature to be eligible for this special bonus offer. If you'd like to purchase a mug instead, or just donate a fiver or two to the show, you can find out how at historyofliterature.com/shop. Learn more about the show at historyofliterature.com or facebook.com/historyofliterature. Contact the host at jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or on Twitter @thejackewilson. *** This show is a part of the Podglomerate network, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. We encourage you to visit the website and sign up for our newsletter for more information about our shows, launches, and events. For more information on how The Podglomerate treats data, please see our Privacy Policy. Since you're listening to The History of Literature, we'd like to suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows surrounding literature, history, and storytelling like Storybound, Micheaux Mission, and The History of Standup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podglamorate Network and LIT Hub Radio.
0:07.0	That evening for dinner, mother cooked spaghetti and meatballs with tomato sauce.
0:19.0	I am glad to see there will be enough for second helpings said father because spaghetti and
0:24.5	meatballs is one of my favorite dishes spaghetti and meatballs is a favorite
0:29.3	with everybody said mother Try a little spaghetti Gloria.
0:34.0	Mmm! say Gloria and tried the spaghetti.
0:38.0	Francis looked down at her plate and saw that there was no spaghetti and meatballs on it. There was a slice of
0:45.6	bread and a jar of jam. Francis began to cry. My goodness, said mother, Francis is crying.
0:54.0	What is the matter? asked Father.
0:56.0	Francis looked down at her plate and sang a little sad song.
1:02.0	She sang so softly that mother and father could scarcely hear her.
1:07.0	What I am is tired of jam.
1:15.0	Mm-hmm. That's a passage from Bread and Jam for Francis by Russell and Lily and Hoban.
1:21.0	And did you recognize the father's voice?
1:24.2	None other than Arnold Lobel, author of the frog and toad books.
1:29.1	Amazing.
1:30.1	I used to listen to that 1973 record over and over on the living room floor in my parents
1:36.0	house on the food blanket, the old Hungarian blanket that washed easily and protected our
1:42.4	carpet from the crumbs and spills of
1:45.0	gram crackers and milk after school, pancakes and maple syrup during Saturday
1:51.0	morning cartoons, and Johnny Cakes with Butter on Sunday nights.
1:56.0	How about you dear listener? Are you hungry? Intrigued, enlightened, or just in some kind of reflective mood.
	...

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