Fern Talks & Eats • Oct 3, 2014 Fern Talks & Eats is a party, a performance, and a moveable feast. The centerpiece of the evening is a series of stories told by FERN writers. Like a progressive meal, each story unfolds from a different stage, paired with a thematically related dish specially prepared by … Read more
Seedstock • August 5, 2014 Over the past few years, journalist Tracie McMillan has carved out a space to talk about food in a way that isn’t discussed all that much in the mainstream media, namely, how it relates to the lives of working-class and poor people. Best known as the author of “The American Way of Eating,” … Read more
Georgetown University Library • Apr. 3, 2014 I delivered the Ellen Catherine Gstalder Memorial Lecture at Georgetown University, at the invitation of Georgetown Library Associates and The Hoya. Entitled “Beyond Foodies,” the talk covered the link between social justice work and concrete concerns like food, and explored those themes with regard to my work.
The Hoya • March 28, 2014
When journalist Tracie McMillan set out to write about poverty through the lens of hunger, she had no idea that her ideas would spark a national debate on the relationship between food and class in America.
In her widely acclaimed book, “The American Way of Eating,” McMillan argues that fresh and healthy food should be thought of as a social and public good.
I can often be a whiner. But right now I’m feeling silent on that front, because the fall has been pretty amazing. I have had the incredible luck to be overwhelmingly busy with work, including reporting for two features that I’m actually excited about — big news for any freelancer. (Keep your eyes out for my byline, fingers crossed, in the New York Times Magazine and National Geographic.)
But I’ve also been privileged enough to be traveling to talk about The American Way of Eating and why having a frank conversation about food and class is important in today’s America. Here’s a quick recap below, mostly to give a shout out to the wonderful, generous people who’ve been hosting my writerly self all across the country (and generously helping me cover living expenses in the process)!
If you’re looking for some summer reading, #AWE got a couple nice shout-outs recently: Molly at Word, the best little neighborhood bookstore in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, says “it’s a great investigative tale even if you’re not a sucker for The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Salt Sugar Fat.” Feel free to grab a copy of the book and … Read more
The Sidney Hillman Foundation • April 23, 2013
The Sidney Hillman Foundation announced today the winners of the 2013 Hillman Prizes, awarded to journalists whose work highlights important social and economic issues and helps bring about change for the better.
I’m sure this guy meant well, but: Seriously? You email someone you’ve never met to tell them their work is a waste of time? And what, precisely, qualifies you to issue this verdict? Sheesh, internet. Dear Tracie: Your [sic] a teriffic [sic] writer,but I’m afraid you wasted a year of your life toiling in minimum … Read more
Michael Ruhlman • July 25, 2012
One of the curious things about doing a semi-ridiculous reporting project—say, leaving behind your life to go work undercover as a farm worker, Walmart produce clerk, and Applebee’s kitchen wretch—is that near-strangers confront you with grand, existential queries. Like: What’s the most important thing you learned?
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