Julia Child Letters

CRussel · 09-21-2011, 02:32 PM

I've just been reading As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto by Joan Reardon. It's fascinating for anyone who has read or followed the public Julia Child.

I find myself liking Julia more, and less, at the same time. She was a strong woman who changed the way we eat and think about food, and she did a lot of good things. But she was also a homophobe, and I'm having trouble with that aspect of her.

None-the-less, I strongly recommend the book if you have an interest in food, in post-WWII Europe or the US, in Julia as a person, or in the publishing industry. Or just want a good read about a real person, warts and all.

Edit: Oh, and it's only $3.99 from Amazon, don't know about other sources.

Phogg · 09-22-2011, 02:08 PM

I love pretty much any good cooking writer.

The thing IMHO that made Childs such a lasting icon was that her natural speaking voice fell into the same range as most men's falsetto. The classic scene on the old Cosby show where Bill teaches his son to carve the Thanksgiving turkey while mimmicking Julia's voice is typical of horseplay in many kitchens for two generations.

She is missed.

jgaiser · 09-22-2011, 10:27 PM

Picked it up. Thanks.

I've been cooking for more than 50 years, starting at about 12 helping Mom start dinners. I now cook "professionally", though not at any level that anyone would really call cooking (pizza cook in a small locally owned pizza parlor). Love cooking books. Love cookbooks.

CRussel · 09-23-2011, 12:47 AM

This book has been a big (and pleasant) surprise here. Neither my wife nor I really expected much from it, but it has been fascinating and quite compelling.

rkomar · 09-24-2011, 03:15 AM

I haven't read the book, but I've read collections of letters by other people, and each one ended up being surprizing and compelling to me. I always go into them dragging my feet, and end up wondering what I was thinking when I was avoiding them. The public/private, humorous/serious, audacious/humble, generous/malicious aspects of those conversations _are_ fascinating. It will be interesting to see if, in the future, compendia of tweets can rival letter collections for plumbing the depths of humanity. I think yes, but probably not as often (even assuming they are as easy to preserve).

09-21-2011, 02:32 PM	#1
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,296 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	Julia Child Letters I've just been reading As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto by Joan Reardon. It's fascinating for anyone who has read or followed the public Julia Child. I find myself liking Julia more, and less, at the same time. She was a strong woman who changed the way we eat and think about food, and she did a lot of good things. But she was also a homophobe, and I'm having trouble with that aspect of her. None-the-less, I strongly recommend the book if you have an interest in food, in post-WWII Europe or the US, in Julia as a person, or in the publishing industry. Or just want a good read about a real person, warts and all. Edit: Oh, and it's only $3.99 from Amazon, don't know about other sources. Last edited by CRussel; 09-21-2011 at 02:33 PM. Reason: added price

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09-22-2011, 02:08 PM	#2
Phogg PHD in Horribleness Posts: 2,320 Karma: 23599604 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In the ironbound section, near avenue L Device: Just a whole bunch. I guess I am a collector now.	I love pretty much any good cooking writer. The thing IMHO that made Childs such a lasting icon was that her natural speaking voice fell into the same range as most men's falsetto. The classic scene on the old Cosby show where Bill teaches his son to carve the Thanksgiving turkey while mimmicking Julia's voice is typical of horseplay in many kitchens for two generations. She is missed.

09-22-2011, 10:27 PM	#3
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,283 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	Picked it up. Thanks. I've been cooking for more than 50 years, starting at about 12 helping Mom start dinners. I now cook "professionally", though not at any level that anyone would really call cooking (pizza cook in a small locally owned pizza parlor). Love cooking books. Love cookbooks.

09-23-2011, 12:47 AM	#4
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,296 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	This book has been a big (and pleasant) surprise here. Neither my wife nor I really expected much from it, but it has been fascinating and quite compelling.

09-24-2011, 03:15 AM	#5
rkomar Wizard Posts: 3,054 Karma: 18821071 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633	I haven't read the book, but I've read collections of letters by other people, and each one ended up being surprizing and compelling to me. I always go into them dragging my feet, and end up wondering what I was thinking when I was avoiding them. The public/private, humorous/serious, audacious/humble, generous/malicious aspects of those conversations _are_ fascinating. It will be interesting to see if, in the future, compendia of tweets can rival letter collections for plumbing the depths of humanity. I think yes, but probably not as often (even assuming they are as easy to preserve).

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