Walt Whitman once wrote that we humans contain multitudes, and in keeping with Whitman, I believe my life's work is to try to expand the known while seeking the new—in the classroom, on the page, and in the world. When I spend myself with heat and energy, I am a teacher, activist, writer, and editor. When I seek stillness and beauty, I am a reader and cook. And when I wish to connect—as E. M. Forster wrote, “Only connect”—I am a mother, spouse, friend, and collaborator. Welcome to my site.
The Great Courses
“Jennifer Cognard-Black is truly an inspiring teacher. ”
In the 10 lectures of “Books That Cook: Food and Fiction,” Professor Cognard-Black takes you on a tour of culinary literature, from Proust’s evocative madeleine and the voracious hunger of fairy tales to the intersection of recipes with storytelling and how best to consume food films.
In 24 lectures, Professor Cognard-Black traces the American short story from its earliest examples of mythic and whimsical work to more realistic and experimental stories by modern maestros, teaching you how to interpret but also how to write such tales, transforming your life into original stories of your own.
In these 24 lectures, Professor Cognard-Black explores the versatility and expressiveness of the essay genre across numerous centuries, offers stimulating writing prompts, and provides advice on how to write compelling and insightful essays that people will read.
Books that Cook:
The Making of a Literary Meal
“This book will delight foodies, food historians, anthropologists, cookbook enthusiasts,
and any literature fans who like to eat.”
EDITED BY JENNIFER COGNARD-BLACK AND MELISSA A. GOLDTHWAITE
With a foreword by Marion Nestle
Whether a five-star chef or beginning home cook, any gourmand knows that recipes are far more than a set of instructions on how to make a dish. They are culture-keepers as well as culture-makers, both recording memories and fostering new ones.
Organized like a cookbook, Books that Cook: The Making of a Literary Meal is a collection of American literature written on the theme of food: from an invocation to a final toast, from starters to desserts. All food literatures are indebted to the form and purpose of cookbooks, and each section begins with an excerpt from an influential American cookbook, progressing chronologically from the late 1700s through the present day, including such favorites as American Cookery, the Joy of Cooking, and Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The literary works within each section are an extension of these cookbooks, while the cookbook excerpts in turn become pieces of literature—forms of storytelling and memory-making all their own.
Each section offers a delectable assortment of poetry, prose, and essays, and the selections all include at least one tempting recipe to entice readers to cook this book. Including writing from such notables as Maya Angelou, James Beard, Alice B. Toklas, Sherman Alexie, Nora Ephron, M.F.K. Fisher, and Alice Waters, among many others, Books that Cook reveals the range of ways authors incorporate recipes—whether the recipe flavors the story or the story serves to add spice to the recipe. Books that Cook is a collection to serve students and teachers of food studies as well as any epicure who enjoys a good meal alongside a good book.