food journalism
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Jane Nickerson & Steak Diane
I came across this neat blog: The Lost Foods of New York City . In one post, the blogger wrote about the dish, Steak Diane. What the writer does not include is the reference to New York Times food editor Jane Nickerson being one of the first journalists to write about the dish. That fact is noted on this food history blog. Nickerson’s work is often overshadowed by Craig Claiborne at the NYT. He is given credit for including news in the food section in 1957 but Jane had been doing that since World War II. I will be presenting a paper about Nickerson’s career at the National Communication Association…
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Food Studies Presentation: Ohio Food Editor History
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Florida food writer Virginia Heffington
Last month, the Miami Herald cited a recipe from its 1960s food editor Virginia Heffington. Above is the book that Heffington wrote in 1968 when she was the Homemaking Editor of the Miami Herald. At that point she had been at the Herald for five years and had won a Vesta Award – the top recognition for food journalism. In the introduction to the book, she mentioned that she was a graduate of Iowa State in home economic journalism – an area that I am researching for my book. A librarian at Iowa State was helpful in tracking down information about Virginia. I also found an archive in Canada that…
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Eudora Garrison & Recognizing Food Editors
The work of newspapers food editors has long been devalued – especially those who wrote in the 1950s and 1960s. In the book The United States of Arugula, David Kamp refers to them dismissively as the “Jello-abusing women’s page ladies.” What is interesting is how often I now see the recipes of these women cited. For example, 1950s Charlotte Observer food editor Eudora Garrison’s recipe for a chicken salad sandwich was cited in Oprah Magazine. This blog cited one of Garrison’s cake recipes.
- Alice Richards, food journalism, Marian Manners, Mary Cullen, Mary Meade, Prudence Penny, Ruth Ellen Church
Food Writers & Pen Names
Several of the newspaper food writers in the women’s pages of newspapers used pen names such as Ruth Ellen Church (pictured above from when she was home economics journalism student at Iowa State University) who wrote under the byline of Mary Meade during her long career at the Chicago Tribune. This link shows that it was Virginia Harms who wrote under the byline of Alice Richards at the Milwaukee Journal. Here is a story about the use of two pen names at Los Angeles newspapers: Prudence Penney and Marian Manners. Mary Cullen was a food writing pen name in the Northwest. I am continuing to research this food writing trend…
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New Research Finds
I have completed two orders for new material about women’s page journalism and food journalism. From the Fales Library at NYU, I ordered a transcript of an interview between Associated Press food editor Cecily Brownstone and the great food writer Laura Shapiro. I am presenting a paper about Cecily at the National Communication Association Convention this fall. From the National Women and Media Collection, I placed a large order of copies from the papers of women’s page editor and later publisher Marjorie Paxson. It includes references to Paul Myhre, Edee Green and Jim Bellows. There was also a folder devoted to a food editors meeting.
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Green Bean Casserole & Food Editor Cecily Brownstone
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Food writer Prudence Penny
I have been researching syndicated food writer Prudence Penny who penned a column in the women’s pages of the Hearst newspapers beginning after World War I. (It was a pen name for several writers – at least one was a man.) Above is a photo of one of the writers of the Prudence Penny columns. It was taken in Seattle in 1939. It can be found on this blog. This blog post refers to a Prudence located in L.A. This blog includes several great references to the history of Prudence Penny.
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Food Studies Presentation: Ohio Food Editor History
