On May (2025) 🗓
Catch up on everything, in case you missed some posts.
I have never advertised the fact that I’m available for editorial consultation, but folks have found this out on my website and it’s been really enjoyable to have some nitty-gritty, focused conversations with other writers on what they want their publications, careers, and books to look like.
We talk about what they can do to better communicate their projects, grow their audiences the right way, and I get really transparent about my own experiences in a way that I can’t do publicly. I’ve even shared my screen to go over my two different sold book proposals. If this is something you might be interested in booking… do so here. (It’s a discounted rate for individuals from what I charge brands or others seeking my insight.) The 25% off code for paid subscribers is the same one that I share for all workshops.
Onward from that into what went up last month and what you can expect in June:
May Writing
“From the Desk Recommends... Fighting the Algorithms” / “On Francis” / “The Monthly Menu: I ❤️ Barbajuans” / “On Food Media” / “How Do We Define a National Cuisine?” / “Plant-Based Is Not a Trend—Yet” / “On Conversation” / “On Having a Vision”
May Events
‘We’ve Won a Certain Kind of Argument’: The Desk Salon Series & Book Club with Pam Brunton (audio, video, and text) / I talked to Dirty Kitchen author Jill Damatac for Archestratus
May News
For the Eater app, I created a list of my favorite martinis (chosen from places available in Eater’s global guides). There are other lists by folks in food, too! Excuse my screenshot, but…!
I started teaching my class “The Food Essay” in BU’s graduate program in gastronomy—it’s been really exciting to get deep into essays and read the students’ fantastic work.
Forthcoming in June
The Desk Salon Series invites Jill Damatac with guest-host Bettina Makalintal / writing on narratives, different approaches to food writing, and the promised essay on aesthetics and consistency that I keep pushing / notes on lunch (my favorite meal) and how I teach, separately / the Desk Book Club reads Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing by Anya von Bremzen
May Snapshots
I have never wanted to download an app for a magazine before, but can't wait to visit all your recommendations.
If you ever find yourself in Malmö I know the perfect martini you need to try!!