Food, Myth, and Memory

Notes from a generative writing workshop

This weekend, I attended a wonderful creative writing workshop hosted by Chestnut Review, titled Food as Memory, Myth, & Inheritance. One of my favorite things about attending such workshops is that the facilitator typically shares relevant writing samples, which are always brilliantly selected, evocative, and inspiring. I’m sure it would be unethical to share all of the gorgeous food writing that this weekend’s workshop facilitator read aloud to the group, but here is just one example that I loved.

Throughout the session, participants listened, learned, and responded to writing prompts that helped us link food with memory (among other things). I began a few pieces that I was very excited about and also made note of some topics I’d like to tackle later on. Earlier today, I revisited one idea and came up with the following prose poem (for now):

Grandma’s Famous Jell-O

In those days, a recipe called for citrus gelatin flecked with shaved carrot, but my grandmother had none so she suspended a can of mixed vegetables inside a wobbly raspberry dome. No, this was only rumor — really, it was strawberry and green beans. In fact, it was blueberry and broccoli, cherry and egg, calf’s blood and ripe fig…

My grandmother labored for days over a hot oven dripping with melted peppermint sticks and swarming with flies. She burned sugar and tongues, spread salmon and rhubarb pâté on stale bread, poured rancid milk into broken glassware. She showed up for Christmas dinner with rotten teeth and a handful of fire ants.

Who was she? Nobody really knows.

But there was the Jell-O.

It was a lot of fun. I’m eager to return to my idea list, revisit the shared readings, and sign up for more workshops in the future!