Earlier this Spring, in the midst of reading The Man Who Ate Too Much, I was forced into an intermission when my Libby loan expired and was unable to be renewed. Desperate for more of the inspiring and at times heartbreaking life story of James Beard, I went back to reread an earlier essay by the author John Birdsall, which was originally published in Lucky Peach, “America, Your Food is So Gay”. It’s a great taste of the opus that would come from his research on one of the most important people in America’s food history.
It also feels like a fun time to share this piece, as much of the food and hospitality industry is currently bombing social media with their evidence of attendance at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards1.
A strange confluence happened while making my way through the pages of The Man Who Ate Too Much during a time when I repeatedly filled my noise-canceling headphones, as I was gardening and operating a leaf mulcher, with the sounds of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. It is a haunting ride of an album for me, right from the opening track “AMERIICAN REQUIEM”.
Considering these two works side by side, I found myself ruminating on this thought: Both Beard and Beyoncé, two people who represent communities historically marginalized in American culture, have managed to establish themselves not just from pure determination to create, but also by popular vote of consumption from the mainstream, as a voice of what is American.
In his writing and recipes, Beard embodied the influence of French cuisine while he claimed many traditionally European dishes as American. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter explores both the influence and confines of genre in music, redefining in a fierce act of reclamation what is country music—considered by many to be the most American of all genres.
Beard was a queer man who felt it necessary to keep his true self hidden as a culinary authority to a largely homophobic society. He portrayed the carefully crafted public image of a perpetual bachelor over the lifetime he spent establishing his voice as the "Dean of American Cookery". Forty years after he passed away with his secrets, Beyoncé stands strong in her public image as a black woman, serving us more of her truth and power with each album she creates.
Admittedly, these ideas of mine root in undoubtedly personal observations as a woman on the margins. I am childless, which also makes me an outlier according to the societal assumptions that all women are intended, and wish, to be mothers.
It was the absence of the obligations of raising a family throughout my thirties that allowed me to abandon my early career path in pursuit of the craft of butchery. I had to assert myself, working harder to be better, in order to establish myself in a field traditionally dominated by men, but in doing so, I found the voice you’re reading here today.
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Whether or not I have planted a seed of consideration in your mind, I do recommend a deep dive into both works. I also enjoyed a number of interviews and reviews at the time of Cowboy Carter’s release that explored Beyoncé’s collaborations and exploration of the influence of black artists in the roots of country music.
In its epic tracklist, which is intended very much to be listened to as a concept album experience from start to finish, Beyoncé presents influential artists such as Linda Martell, the first Black woman to perform solo at the Grand Ole Opry, and several up-and-coming female country singers side by side with known American icons like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, while covering The Beatles and sampling The Beach Boys.
If you’re listening, “SPAGHETTII” is a real mind bender, but “YA YA” is my jam.
You might also enjoy…
I am eager to read The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America. I’ve known about this project for years, and as a devotee of Judith Jones and the influence she has had on American food as an editor of many of our greatest cookbooks (including the work of Julia Child and James Beard), I can’t wait to read it. In the meantime, “My Lunches with Judith Jones, the Queen of Cookbooks”, an essay by author Sara Franklin about building her relationship with Judith, was an absolutely gorgeous teaser of a read.
“Spark Bird” by Emily Raboteau, is a story of bearing witness to New York’s endangered bird species in Harlem. The essay was an unexpectedly moving read that I found my way to via Emily’s contribution to #1000wordsofsummer 2024. And yes, I am writing more than 1000 words a day right now and am once again so grateful for this project, led by the incredible
, as motivation.***
Some of you have let me know that my words, and the experiences I’ve shared since launching this newsletter, have made you feel seen. Perhaps you feel less alone. This kind of feedback keeps me going. As I am trying to wrestle my personal writing practice into some sort of regular pace, I thought I’d share some words that made me feel seen:
Writing still feels like creating a bunch of chaos piles in my head and then barfing them out every few weeks, and that’s OK. -Author Jane Marie, via Day 11 of #1000wordsofsummer 2024
I try to remind myself on the regular that showing up, with as much frequency as the pace of my ideas and work will allow, is the goal.
As always, thanks for reading and just being here.
XX,
Heather
I was thrilled to learn that three cookbooks which have been favorite additions to my library over the past year were the recipients of JBF Media Awards, including; Tenderheart by Hetty Lui McKinnon, Start Here by Sohla El-Waylly, and Slow Drinks by Danny Childs (photographed by his wife and partner Katie). It’s an honor to shout out Danny’s achievement in particular, as he has encouraged my own writing and I’m proud to call him a friend here in Philadelphia.
You can find these and other books that Hungry Heart recommends in my Bookshop.org affiliate shop. If you buy your books via the link, I get a little something for it. A girl’s gotta make some dough, even if her husband bakes the bread.