the hub magazine - cool books- mar/apr 2011

High on the Hog

In High on the Hog, Jessica B. Harris establishes “a historical context for each development in the evolution of black cuisine,” reports William Grimes in the New York Times (1/9/11).

The book, says William, is “a lively if wayward account of how African slaves, thrust into a strange land, carried with them the taste memories, cooking techniques and agricultural practices of their homelands and transformed the way Americans ate.”

It’s a complex and impressive story: “In the South, slave tastes defined the cooking repertory in a wide arc that extended from the rice and seafood belt of the Carolinas to the Creole and Cajun Lands of Louisiana. Elsewhere, blacks brought new flavors and dishes to white America in restaurants and markets … As the United States expanded westward, they extended their reach, working as cooks on the chuck wagons that accompanied the great cattle drives … ”

As a result, “unsuspecting white Americans learned to appreciate African-derived spices and pungent flavors, to regard Southern dishes like gumbo and fried chicken and red beans and rice as part of the national heritage, to elevate macaroni and cheese to a place high in hipster heaven.”

Along the way, Jessica presents a “cast of characters whose names deserve wider renown,” such as Lena Richard, who had a televised cooking show before Julia Child. Most important, she “treats her subject as an evolving story, because “after more than 300 years, black American cuisine is still vital and thriving.”

Allan Metcalf has written a whole book about “OK” and how it is “not just America’s greatest word, but ‘its greatest invention,’” reports Roy Blount Jr. in the New York Times (11/20/10).

Part of OK’s appeal is visual: “O and K make a more satisfying and distinctive mark than, say A and C,” Allan writes. “O is a satisfying oval, all curves; K is all straight lines, a collection of sticks. The combination is stark and striking.”

It also sounds good, “two long vowels, O and A, separated in the middle by a quick K. Nearly every language in the world not only has these three sounds but allows them to be combined in that sequence.”

And it’s fun to say: “O is round not only on the page but also within the mouth, and K is the side-of-the-tongue-on palate click that serves as an oral wink.” There are so many ways to say it, too: ohhhh-kay, mmm-kay, hokay, and, of course, okey-dokey.

Above all, Allan sees OK as “the embodiment of down-to-earth pragmatism … the voice of tolerance,” and a “modern American cornerstone.”

Lastingness

How creative types change as they grow older is the subject of Lastingness, by Nicholas Delbanco, as reviewed by Brooke Allen in the New York Times (1/23/11). Specifically, why is it that some creatives, such as Matisse, Monet, Thomas Hardy and Picasso, seem to “gain momentum and occasionally even peak in old age?”

One explanation is that “the aesthetic of old age involves a slimming down and stripping away. In Monet’s case, failing eyesight forced him to paint with “an inward-facing coherence that outstripped mere accuracy.” Shakespeare’s later plays “are less sequence-bound or yoked to plausibility. It’s as though the peerless artificer has had enough of artifice.”

Nicholas observes that, for younger artists, “it’s the reception of the piece and not its production that counts. But to the aging writer, painter or musician, the process can signify more than result; it no longer seems as important that the work be sold.”

This could simply be a result of the “specter of mortality,” or a “shifting of perspective and values brought about by age.”

As Carl Jung wrote: “We cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning; for what was great in the morning will be little at evening, and what in the morning was true will at evening become a lie.”



	MARCH / APRIL 2011


	Cool Books

	High on the Hog In High on the Hog, Jessica B. Harris establishes “a historical context for each development in the evolution of black cuisine,” reports William Grimes in the New York Times (1/9/11). The book, says William, is “a lively if wayward account of how African slaves, thrust into a strange land, carried with them the taste memories, cooking techniques and agricultural practices of their homelands and transformed the way Americans ate.” It’s a complex and impressive story: “In the South, slave tastes defined the cooking repertory in a wide arc that extended from the rice and seafood belt of the Carolinas to the Creole and Cajun Lands of Louisiana. Elsewhere, blacks brought new flavors and dishes to white America in restaurants and markets … As the United States expanded westward, they extended their reach, working as cooks on the chuck wagons that accompanied the great cattle drives … ” As a result, “unsuspecting white Americans learned to appreciate African-derived spices and pungent flavors, to regard Southern dishes like gumbo and fried chicken and red beans and rice as part of the national heritage, to elevate macaroni and cheese to a place high in hipster heaven.” Along the way, Jessica presents a “cast of characters whose names deserve wider renown,” such as Lena Richard, who had a televised cooking show before Julia Child. Most important, she “treats her subject as an evolving story, because “after more than 300 years, black American cuisine is still vital and thriving.” OK Allan Metcalf has written a whole book about “OK” and how it is “not just America’s greatest word, but ‘its greatest invention,’” reports Roy Blount Jr. in the New York Times (11/20/10). Part of OK’s appeal is visual: “O and K make a more satisfying and distinctive mark than, say A and C,” Allan writes. “O is a satisfying oval, all curves; K is all straight lines, a collection of sticks. The combination is stark and striking.” It also sounds good, “two long vowels, O and A, separated in the middle by a quick K. Nearly every language in the world not only has these three sounds but allows them to be combined in that sequence.” And it’s fun to say: “O is round not only on the page but also within the mouth, and K is the side-of-the-tongue-on palate click that serves as an oral wink.” There are so many ways to say it, too: ohhhh-kay, mmm-kay, hokay, and, of course, okey-dokey. Above all, Allan sees OK as “the embodiment of down-to-earth pragmatism … the voice of tolerance,” and a “modern American cornerstone.” Lastingness How creative types change as they grow older is the subject of Lastingness, by Nicholas Delbanco, as reviewed by Brooke Allen in the New York Times (1/23/11). Specifically, why is it that some creatives, such as Matisse, Monet, Thomas Hardy and Picasso, seem to “gain momentum and occasionally even peak in old age?” One explanation is that “the aesthetic of old age involves a slimming down and stripping away. In Monet’s case, failing eyesight forced him to paint with “an inward-facing coherence that outstripped mere accuracy.” Shakespeare’s later plays “are less sequence-bound or yoked to plausibility. It’s as though the peerless artificer has had enough of artifice.” Nicholas observes that, for younger artists, “it’s the reception of the piece and not its production that counts. But to the aging writer, painter or musician, the process can signify more than result; it no longer seems as important that the work be sold.” This could simply be a result of the “specter of mortality,” or a “shifting of perspective and values brought about by age.” As Carl Jung wrote: “We cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning; for what was great in the morning will be little at evening, and what in the morning was true will at evening become a lie.”


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