In the preface to Eating Words (W.W. Norton, $35), Ruth Reichl says, “We are living in the golden age of food writing.” This spruce anthology, edited by Sandra M. Gilbert and Roger J. Porter, will confirm that assertion. It features the most inclusive selection of food writing that I have encountered. Of course (and thank goodness!) authors like Michael Pollan, Julia Child, and M.F.K. Fisher all make appearances here, but there are also selections from writers not typically identified with culinary literature. Wendell Berry talks to us about the pleasures of eating and connecting to the world. Seamus Heaney’s poem “Oysters” will evoke unexpected feelings for an invertebrate—think David Foster Wallace’s Consider the Lobster, which, as it happens, is also featured here. Erica Jong’s thoughts about the introspective onion will move you to tears. Whether you are new to food literature or are a frequent consumer, your hunger for food lit will be satisfied here.
