Tracie McMillan Speaks at BU Gastronomy on The American Way of Eating
by Emily Contois
No, you’re not in a Memorial Day Weekend time warp. I am indeed posting about an event that occurred in March in, ahem, May. I can tell you the boring story of what I was buried under when this fabulous event took place, or I can simply get to the heart of the matter — with lots of great photos by Lucia Austria no less.
Sandwiched between her book tour dates in California and Detroit, the Gastronomy program hosted Tracie McMillan on March 29 at Boston University for a lecture and book signing.
The oldest of three girls, Tracie grew up in rural Michigan. After working her way through NYU, Tracie began her writing career as managing editor at City Limits, where she also began writing on what interested her: the stories of how working families make a living.
Already an award-winning journalist, the now New York Times best selling, The American Way of Eating, is Tracie’s first book, which has earned a plethora of positive reviews from literary critics and food scholars alike. While summarized as a nonfiction project examining food and class in America, this is a work that addresses in a highly accessible way nearly every aspect of eating in this country.
The American Way of Eating contains inalienable truths of eating in America, among them:
- The true cost of our food, especially to farm workers paid a piece rate
- The true reason people eat at Applebee’s that has little to do with the food
- The truth that all Americans want to eat well
- And the fact that Hamburger Helper is expensive
The Gastronomy program was honored to host this important contributor to the ongoing discussion of how we can improve the American food system.
Learn More about The American Way of Eating
Emily is a current gastronomy student and graduate assistant, editing the Gastronomy at BU blog, January-August, 2012. Check out her research in food studies, nutrition, and public health on her blog, emilycontois.com.