Eat My Words: How to Break into Food Writing

(EGL 318 W)

Not too long ago, food writing seemed limited to a select few connoisseurs. Today, however, food bloggers are getting book deals, amateur cooks have found success as essayists, and journalists such as Michael Pollan, author of the popular Omnivore’s Dilemma, have even gotten President Obama’s attention. Indeed, food and those who write about it are experiencing a renaissance. But just because the field has broken wide open, it’s not necessarily easy to spin that steak dinner you enjoyed last night into a story that editors will want to publish. It takes hard-nosed reporting and distinctive storytelling to succeed as a food writer. This course will teach you all of these skills and more.

Students will learn what it takes to master diverse styles of food writing, from restaurant reviewing to recipe development and culinary travel narration— and in the process they’ll even hone their taste buds. By the end of the course, each writer will be able to craft a stellar pitch, and they’ll be ready to write that killer food story once the pitch is accepted.

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Camas Davis, Freelance Writer; Editor

Camas Davis worked as an editor at Saveur for several years before becoming the food and drink editor and restaurant reviewer for Portland Monthly magazine, an award-winning city magazine based in Oregon. She is now a freelance writer and editor in Portland. She has also edited and contributed to publications as diverse as National Geographic Adventure, Popular Mechanics, and GQ.