I’m a food and culture writer
from New York.

From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy, my weekly newsletter on food culture, media, and politics, has been mentioned by the New York Times, Vogue, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, New York Magazine, and more. It has over 30,000 subscribers.

The Atlantic has called it, “a one-woman magazine that mixes cultural criticism, food writing, and food-world interviews with personal meditations, recommendations, and recipes…”

The Nation has said, “Alicia Kennedy’s newsletter is an example of the kind of honest thinking we need about the future of the American food system.”

Harper’s Bazaar called me “a new type of food writer.”

My work has recently appeared in Vox, Slate, Bon Appétit, and Harper’s Bazaar. An essay I wrote for MOLD was selected by Mark Bittman for inclusion in Best American Food Writing 2023; past editions have featured my work in the “notable” section.

Beacon Press published my first book, No Meat Required: The Cultural History and Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating. It’s been covered at The Atlantic, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Eater, Hazlitt, and more. Col and Col, a Spanish publisher, has released a collection of my essays in translation titled Desde mi escritorio.

I regularly talk at universities, either through class visits or lectures, and have taught culinary tourism in Boston University’s masters of food studies.

What’s the Deal With This Newsletter?

From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy—my essays on subjects in food culture, politics, media, and more—come out on the first two Mondays of the month; The Desk Dispatch, a contributor essay, comes out on the third; and The Desk Digest, a collection of every post from the month, comes out on the fourth.

What Do Paid Subscribers Get?

Paid subscribers receive From the Desk Recommends…, collections of links, as well as giveaways and playlists, on the first Friday of each month; The Monthly Menu, chronicling my eating and cooking, on the second Friday; and take part in The Desk Book Club discussions on the third Friday. Paid subscribers also have access to commenting and The Desk Cookbook, an ongoing collection of pantry-driven, plant-based recipes.

Who Likes This Stuff?

San Francisco Chronicle, Vogue Australia, DigiDay, Food52, Business Insider, W, Good Beer Hunting, and TASTE Cooking have featured it, and the New York Times has referenced From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy.

The logo was illustrated by Kit Mills.