I’m trying to get better at sharing information in a way that is direct, even though it’s hard for me: I’m a writer because I want to write, not because I want to concisely pass on information. But I need to share information! The push. The pull. I’m doing it all wrong again…! Tell, don’t show, when it comes to marketing!
Since the beginning of 2025, we’ve been having more or less monthly conversations with writers, editors, and academics about how they do their work. It is meant to be a way to make publishing and the work of making books (and more) transparent to anyone who finds them interesting and perhaps might want to write their own in the future. I lead the conversations but open up to questions so that it’s a sort of collaborative, live podcast.
Recent guests and their books.
We have two more on the docket before we go on a summer hiatus:
First up is Ariel Saramandi on Tuesday May 26 at 11 a.m. EST to discuss Portrait of an Island on Fire, a collection of essays on feminism, climate change, language, colonialism, and the politics of her home of Mauritius. I found so much overlap with Puerto Rico and am extremely excited to have the opportunity to discuss her work with her. This will be the last live Salon Series that is open to anyone who purchases a ticket. Going forward, these events and their archive will be members only.
On Sunday, June 21, at 11 a.m. EST, we’ll have a conversation with Eli Davies, author of The Spinster Cookbook: Culture, Politics and Pleasure in the Single Woman’s Kitchen. I’m so excited to talk to Davies about cooking, domesticity, martinis, and much more. From being mutuals on social media, I feel we share a kinship in a sort of thinking woman’s hedonism. All members will receive the invitation and Zoom link closer to the date; I’ll also notify the Tomato Tomato Discord in the Salon channel.
The next Food Essay sessions will take place each Tuesday in June at 11 a.m. EST. The Newsletter, Research & Organization, Self-Edit, and How to Create an Editorial Vision (free) workshops are now available as downloads.
More past guests.
Catch Up on Past Salons
Anna Sulan Masing
Chinese and Any Other Asian:
Exploring East and South East Asian Identity in Britain
Mayukh Sen
Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood’s First South Asian Star
Carina del Valle Schorske
Essayist, Translator, and Poet
Co-editor This Woman's Work
Layla Schlack
Writer, Editor, and Co-author Wine Pairing for the People
Pam Brunton
Between Two Waters: Heritage, Landscape, and the Modern Cook
Jill Damatac in conversation with Bettina Makalintal
Dirty Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family
Anya von Bremzen
Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking
Alice Driver in conversation with Melissa Montalvo
Life and Death of the American Worker:
The Immigrants Taking on America's Largest Meatpacking Company
“A Plant-Based Holiday”
Featuring Cookbook Authors Philip Khoury and Joe Yonan
“Is Cookbook Criticism Possible?”
Featuring Charlotte Druckman, Lesley Brenner, and Tim Mazurek
Anny Gaul
Nile Nightshade: An Egyptian Culinary History of the Tomato
Michael Shaikh
The Last Sweet Bite:
Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found
Amber Husain
Tell Me How You Eat: Food, Power, and the Will to Live
Liz Pelly
Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist
This YouTube playlist goes through all the previews that are public.