The Resource Guide for Food Writers

Whether you're writing about medieval food or salt, radishes or Balinese cooking, you'll find an organization, publication, Web site, or other aid for your research sandwiched between the covers of Gary Allen's Resource Guide for Food Writers. Allen's book is divided into three sections. The first lists sources, including food-related library collections, organizations, Internet newsgroups, 33 pages worth of periodicals (among them, Food Insects Newsletter, Garlic Times, and Hive Lights), and even more of food-related Web sites. From there Allen moves onto interview techniques (hint: "writers should be quiet during interviews"), culinary reference works, writing guides, recipe formatting, and food-writing courses and conferences. The book's final section lights on book proposals, markets, self- and Web publishing, agents, copyrights--even stock photography. One longs sometimes for some critical evaluation of the resources listed, but what the book lacks in assessment it makes up for in sheer volume of information. --Jane Steinberg