The Art and Craft of Food Writing

“Food writing offers a unique lens into so much of the world,” says instructor Georgia Freedman. “Food is a big part of how we show love, how we share and celebrate our cultures, how we connect with our community. When we write about a meal, or even just one ingredient, we can use that initial bite to explore a wide variety of topics: We can look at the history of the food and the culture it came out of, examine the dynamics of the group of people sitting around the table, or use the flavors to dive into our own memories.”

In this five-week online course, we’ll use food as a lens for exploring and describing the world around us. We’ll examine different styles of food writing—from blogs and cookbooks to personal essays and food-focused memoirs—and read the work of some of today’s best food writers. In class, we'll take time to get in touch with our senses and learn to describe the foods we eat. Then we’ll consider how our personal stories and histories are informed by the food around us (and how our backgrounds inform our opinions about those foods). At-home exercises will offer a way to stretch our writing muscles, and in-class workshop sessions will provide opportunities to ask for guidance and receive supportive and constructive feedback on our work. Lastly, we’ll identify and begin working on passion projects, taking the first steps toward stories, blogs, books, or essays that can give our work direction long after the course has ended.

This course will give you the skills you need to write confidently about food—whether you’re a budding food writer hoping to turn your passion into a career, a cook planning to produce your own cookbook, or a fiction writer looking for new sources of inspiration and ways to add texture to your narratives.

About The Writing Salon's Remote Classes

Due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, The Writing Salon is running all classes in a remote learning format. You will be able to participate in live class meetings via Zoom videoconference. To attend classes, you'll need a phone, tablet or computer and access to the internet. You can participate in the class from wherever you'd like, whether on your living room couch or in your office. Before your class meets, you'll receive an email from The Writing Salon with more information about Zoom and your remote class. If you have any questions about remote learning, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@writingsalons.com.