The Mad Feast: An Ecstatic Tour Through America's Food (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781631490736)

Following his critically acclaimed Preparing the Ghost, renowned essayist Matthew Gavin Frank takes on America's food. In a surprising style reminiscent of Maggie Nelson or Mark Doty, Frank examines a quintessential dish in each state, interweaving the culinary with personal and cultural associations of each region. From key lime pie (Florida) to elk stew (Montana), The Mad Feast commemorates the unexpected origins of the familiar. Brazenly dissecting the myriad intersections between history and food, Frank, in this gorgeously designed volume, considers politics, sexuality, violence, grief, and pleasure: the cool, creamy whoopie pie evokes toughness in the face of New England winters, while the stewlike perloo serves up an exploration of food and race in the South. Tracing an unpredictable map of our collective appetites, The Mad Feast presents a beguiling flavor profile of the American spirit.

Author: Matthew Gavin Frank
ISBN-10: 1631490737
ISBN-13: 9781631490736
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Language: English
Published: 11/09/2015
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.90lbs
Size: 9.30h x 7.20w x 1.40d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 08/31/2015
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2015 pg. 109
Entertainment Weekly 11/06/2015 pg. 63
Library Journal 11/15/2015 pg. 100