Eat This Poem

Many poets love food and many foodies love poetry. So a cookbook that includes recipes and poems seems like a natural combination—a most delightful one in Nicole Gulotta’s new Eat This Poem: A Literary Feast of Recipes Inspired by Poetry.

Gulotta’s book evolved out of her blog of the same name. I discovered the blog some years ago and was delighted by the recipes, the poems, and the photos. I sent in some poems and soon “Blueberry” appeared with Nicole's recipe for blueberry buckwheat pancakes. Eventually, Nicole began blogging about her dream of doing a book. Eat This Poem is the realization of that dream.

I like the size of this book (6 x 9, 205 pages) and its French flaps which make it easy to mark your place. I like the artwork that appears throughout. I like the symmetry of the unusual organizational plan: five sections each broken down into five parts. Each part begins with a poem by such poets as me (!), Mary Oliver, Louise Gluck, Jane Kenyon, Billy Collins, and Philip Levine. Each poem is followed by a brief and excellent commentary, and then by three recipes.

The author likes fresh food, natural organic products, and out-of-the-ordinary recipes such as Mushroom and Brie Quesadillas, Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potatoes, Pear and Manchego Grilled Cheese, and Strawberry Birthday Cake.

Gulotta has studied poetry and traveled extensively sampling and studying different cuisines. Her love of poetry and good food is evident in this wonderful cookbook which is deliciously priced at only $18.95—currently on sale at Amazon at $10.47.

Eating Poetry

I love literary food blogs. So I am very pleased that food blogger and writer Nicole Gulotta recently featured my poem, Blueberry, at her site, Eat This Poem. The site is fairly new but already includes an impressive list of poets, such as Jane Hirshfield, Li-Young Lee, Louise Gluck, and Jane Kenyon. You will find a delicious variety of poets and poems at the site.

But wait! There's more. Nicole includes a thoughtful discussion of each featured poem, stunning photos, and an appropriate recipe with a mouth-watering photo of the prepared dish. My poem is accompanied by a recipe for Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes, a recipe inspired by Nicole's memory of her grandmother.

Please pay a visit to the feature. Then also, if you're on Facebook (and who isn't?), go there and Like the Eat This Poem page. You can also subscribe to Nicole's email newsletter at the website.


Here are a few other literary food blogs to check out:

Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup.

Jonelle Galloway's The Rambling Epicure.
While at The Rambling Epicure, be sure to check out the ongoing feature, Food Poetry.

Not a blog but the online journal, Alimentum, is another good place to visit. Considers previously unpublished food poetry.

Fashions, Features, and Farmers

Here you see the latest addition to my wardrobe. I recently purchased business cards from vistaprint.com. To create those, I uploaded my book cover. If you've used vistaprint, you know that once you place an order for one item, you start receiving offers for other items. I try hard to resist, but I was helpless when it came to the free t-shirt offer. I felt like I had to have it. I'm glad I capitulated. I am now a human billboard. The shirt came within days, the brand is Anvil, and the quality is nice. I like the way the cover is imprinted on the cloth. It's very light, not that heavy rubbery stuff you sometimes get on customized t-shirts. My only issue is that I ordered a man's size medium and it's a bit too big for me. No shrinkage as it's pre-shrunk. But guess what. All is not lost. This morning I received another offer for a free t-shirt, so I am going to reorder but this time in small.

In related news, my article, "How to Get Your Poetry into Their Hands," which appeared in the 2010 Poet's Market, is reprinted in the 2011 edition, again edited by Robert Lee Brewer. My article title should have the word "Book" inserted after the word "Poetry." I don't know why it was omitted and I wish that it hadn't been as the piece is not about getting your poems into the hands of readers; it is about getting your book into the hands of readers. The article contains a number of suggestions, some based on my own experiences and some gleaned from the several poets and publishers I interviewed for the article. If I'd had an opportunity to revise, I would have added more about social networks. And I would have suggested getting a t-shirt! But I'm delighted that the article is getting some more mileage and I am grateful for the editor's faith in the article.

I am also very grateful to children's author and fellow blogger Jama Rattigan who has beautifully featured my poem, Blueberry," at her lovely blog, Alphabet Soup. Jama loves words, books, food, and poems. Each Friday's post is devoted to a poem. Please check out this feature, not just for the poem but also for the beauty of the photos that Jama has selected to enhance the feature. I've been told that people in many places have already headed for the nearest farmstand.

Speaking of farms, I learned the other day that a blueberry farmer from Minnesota posted the same poem on the farm's Facebook page. If you're in Minnesota, be sure to stop by the Gierke Blueberry Farm. And if you've ever been there, please let me know.

BTW: The very first issue of my new monthly Poetry newsletter will go out tomorrow. So if you haven't yet signed up and still want to, now is the time. Hop on over to the sidebar and use the easy sign-up form. Be sure to confirm when you get the email notification. If you fail to confirm, you will be "suppressed" and there will be no newsletter for you! Sign up and then confirm. Easy.



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