We Are What We Ate: 24 Memories of Food, A Share Our Strength Book

by Mark Winegardner (Editor)

From Paul Auster on a Provençal onion tart to Lorrie Moore on a Chinese take-out Christmas dinner, these delectable essays by well-known american writers explore the meaning of food in our lives and our culture. With contributions by Julia Alvarez, Madison Smartt Bell, Gish Jen, Bobby Ann Mason, Richard Russo, Lee Smith, and many others.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 1998

About the author

Mark Winegardner (born November 24, 1961) is an American writer born and raised in Bryan, Ohio. His novels include The Godfather Returns, Crooked River Burning, and The Veracruz Blues. He published a collection of short stories, That's True of Everybody, in 2002. His newest novel, The Godfather's Revenge, was published in November 2006 by Putnam. His Godfather novels continue the story of the Corleone family depicted in Mario Puzo's The Godfather.

According to a press release from Putnam: In a major acquisition, G. P. Putnam's Sons Executive Editor Dan Conaway secured North American rights to The Godfather's Revenge, the capstone to the Corleone family saga, which began with Mario Puzo's landmark novel and was carried forward in Winegardner's 2004 New York Times bestseller, The Godfather Returns. The Godfather's Revenge was written by Winegardner, based on Puzo's original characters.

"It's staggering to contemplate the legacy of the Godfather films and novels," says Dan Conaway. "They have had a deeper, broader and more lasting impact on the fabric of contemporary culture than has any other such franchise in the past 50 years.

It's fitting, then, that The Godfather's Revenge overlays the resonant mythology of the Corleone family onto the most vexing real-life mystery of our age, with a storyline that explores the role organized crime may have had in the assassination of a charismatic young President." [1]

Reviews

[Johanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I would have been more interested in these essays if they were about people I knew or even gave more background of the writers. What I most gathered from these writings was that I was interested in writing my own essay about food perhaps because none of their stories particularly resonated.

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I may have been enticed by the premise but the book contained such bad writing/editing that I could not bear to finish it.

I am actually a big fan of personal essays and "stream-of-consciousness" writing but, as someone who has studied professional writing and editing for publication at a post-secondary level, I can tell you that "steam-of-consciousness" writing is not usually literally just how it came out: It is tightened at various points in the process in order to pull the reader along. A good editor will help the writer trim to achieve that perfect balance.

Also, as a naturally curious person (trivia fan) and an ADHD-er, I love sidebars. Yes, Digress! Tell me these cute little fine details that ground a story further! Only, they didn't ground the story. In fact, they became so numerous that the stories became completely lost. Again, a good editor will would have trimmed them - not necessarily in frequency but in length to keep the story in focus - or had the author lengthen the story in contrast.

There were also a fair number of poor grammar choices, ranging from run-on sentences to overly complex or disjointed sentences. While it is important to use these structures in a work, they are like seasoning in a dish: too little leaves it bland but too much overpowers and can even make something indigestible. Everyone can read good writing but not everyone can read bad writing; the poor structures left me re-reading paragraphs over and over to understand the content (a shame from someone in the 96th percentile for reading comprehension!).

While some of the blame can lay on the writers' shoulders, as any writer self-edits prior to submission as a part of professional image, the "buck stops" with the editor (and truly Winegardner's work in the book was the worst: he could not edit his own work). In the end, there are much better books on food and eating.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really funny so far and the introduction is just like my childhood.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some essays more than others, but mostly I enjoyed the underlying concept: how food memories are tied up with culture and identity (personal and beyond).

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

some good stories, some not great. read for a basic food science class.

[Danielle Haig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich, interesting collection of food essays, all for a good cause. A worthwhile read.