“It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others,” M.F.K. Fisher writes in the Art of Eating. The best food writing is not just about what’s on the plate but, like all good literature, deals with language, psychology, and the most pressing issues of the day. In this course, the instructor and guest lecturers—Betty Fussell, Francis Lam, Fabio Parasecoli, Sam Sifton, and other leading food writers—guide students in their exploration of the gastronomic essay, memoirs, travelogues, short stories, poetry, blog posts, and restaurant reviews. Each week, students write short exercises that build toward several longer pieces of memoir or fiction. The diversity of food writing is explored through a reading list that includes Grimod de la Reynière, Claudia Roden, Brillat-Savarin, Bill Buford, Jessica Harris, Michael Pollan, Mark Kurlansky, and David Foster Wallace.