M.F.K Fisher

[srhcb]

I haven't seen any of these before.

Here's what it says in the preface:

"A Stew or a Story" collects more than fifty articles not republished in book form, gathers the gems not found in the dustbin, but in the magazines difficult to track down in periodical indexes, or in early "women's magazines".

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In that case it definately goes on my Want List.

SB (would like to read every word MFKF ever wrote )

[Carrot Top]

I finished "A Stew or a Story" today.

To those who are only interested in reading MFKF on food, be forewarned that there is a lot of writing here that is not about food.

There are five main sections, each with essays or stories within. Fiction; Personal Gastronomy; Food, Wine, and Other Potables; Places and People; Seasons and Celebrations.

I most loved the fiction section, but must admit to a huge bias lately in term of preferring to read about people than about food.

Personal Gastronomy was good classic MFKF showing her stuff, which is not inconsiderable. I did find myself skipping forward, though, as if at a meal that was just too filling, too rich.

Food, Wine, and Other Potables I mostly scanned.

Places and People the same . . . it was a lot about travel.

Seasons and Celebrations was a bit more to my taste.

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I found the book at the library, but would buy it if it were in front of me at the bookstore, regardless of the skipping and scanning that happened in this reading. It was very interesting to see how she wrote of other things.

[Meanderer]

Now now folks, calm thy'sels. Her mean streak is smaller than mine, and probably part of her appeal for me over all these years. I'll have to pull the quote that brought it to the fore.

I think we need a pronunciation guide for "Chexbres". If it were Basque, its a much softer sound than it looks, for example. Oh darn. Google discovers that its the name of a community in Switzerland.

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"The name Chexbres comes from a town we lived near, and far back it meant goat. It is pronounced Cheb, with just a little touch of the r, but no x and no s. It was an appropriate name, because Dilwyn Parrish did look like an especially beautiful goat." From "M.F.K. Fisher, A Life in Letters, Correspondence 1929-1991." This letter was written in February of 1974.