New Book Coming

While this blog is titled Midwest Maize, after my first book of food history, it will have to do for future food history and Midwest-oriented books, as I can’t quite imagine starting a new blog with every book.

Which is why I’m using it to introduce my next book: Pigs, Pork, and Heartland Hogs: From Wild Boar to Baconfest. The book won’t be out for a couple of months, but it is already on Amazon, with a few reviews and the option of pre-ordering. So in case you thought I might have stopped studying after I wrote about corn, I didn’t.

Pigs were once known as cornfields on legs, because the easiest way to get pigs to market was to feed it to pigs and then let the pigs walk to market. So the connection between pigs and corn in the Midwest dates to the earliest settlement of the region. However, the history of humans and pigs dates back a lot longer than that–current estimate is 12,000 years of association. So there are a lot of tales of pigs through history, from the Celts inventing bacon to the Etruscans leading herds by playing trumpets. But the book isn’t all history. There are visits to farms and interviews with experts ranging from swine technicians to butchers and chefs to waste management specialists. There are some iconic regional recipes. And there are lot of the kinds of fun facts that make food history so enthralling.

On top of entertaining folks, I’m hoping this book will contribute to closing the gap between what people think about food and how it actually gets to us. There are a tremendous number of really good, decent, dedicated people working very hard to make sure you don’t starve. Come and meet a few of them in my books.

You can check it out here: Pigs, Pork, and Heartland Hogs.

2017 Eric Hoffer Award

The Eric Hoffer Awards for 2017 were announced yesterday. This is an award designed to recognize exceptional writing from small, academic, or independent publishers that don’t usually get the attention that the big publishing houses get. While Midwest Maize didn’t get the top prize, I was awarded an Honorable Mention, which, given the thousands of books submitted, is still gratifying.

Printers Row Lit Fest

This weekend—June 11 and 12, 2016—is the annual Printers Row Lit Fest, sponsored by the Chicago Tribune. Millions of books will be on display and for sale, both old and new, plus there will be authors and celebrities on hand, giving talks, signing books, and enjoying what looks to be a beautiful weekend (sunny and 90 degrees).

Also on hand are a wide range of writers groups and literary associations. Among the many organizations represented at the event will be the Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance (booth 217, not far from the food and dining tent). This organization celebrates and promotes the culinary traditions of the Heartland. I’ll be at their booth on Saturday, from noon to 2pm, signing copies of my book—but possibly more important is that Catherine Lambrecht, founder of the organization (as well as being a founding member of Chicago’s top foodie chat site, LTHforum.com), will be on hand all weekend, sharing about the organization’s goals and some of its projects (including giving awards at state fairs in the Midwest for heirloom recipes). So definitely come and learn more about the Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance—and if you’re there while I’m there, stop by and say “hello.”

If you’re interested in knowing more about the Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance but might not have the chance to come to the Lit Fest, you can learn more at their website. http://www.greatermidwestfoodways.com/ But do hope to see some of you at the fair.

Midwest Maize on Sale on Amazon

I’m not certain why — perhaps we’re nearing the end of the first print run — or maybe it’s because I’ve been getting more newspaper and radio interviews lately, so demand has gone up — who knows — but for some reason, Midwest Maize has been put on sale on Amazon, and the price is so low, if you manage to escape paying shipping, it’s less than what I pay with my author discount.

So if you were thinking about buying the book, this is the time. I have no idea how long the sale will last — maybe just until the 17 books Amazon now says they have on hand are gone. But this would be a good time to get the book if you were thinking about it.

MIDWEST MAIZE: How Corn Shaped the U.S. Heartland