Friday from the Archives: “Collard-Kraut and Blueberry BBQ: Discovering Vivian Howard’s Corner of the South” an interview and essay by Sally F. Lawrence from NCLR 27 (2018).
Since this week is all about food here in the USA, we’re pulling out a piece about one of North Carolina’s recent foodie favorites. Kinston’s Vivian Howard joins a long line of North Carolina food storytellers. Long time NCLR writer and friend Sally Lawrence interviewed Howard when her first cookbook, Deep Run Roots, debuted in late 2016.
It’s one thing to be able to create, parse, and recreate a recipe for the page, but Lawrence delves into Howard’s writing background as the more interesting part of the cookbook. “Part of being a fine creative nonfiction writer is noting “the telling detail” – that special, often missed little moment or comment or thing that helps reveal a person’s character adding complexity, depth, and meaning to a scene,” Lawrence writes. “Just as Vivian knows when to add some lemon zest to bring out the brightness of a dish, she’s able to spot that certain something that brings a character into focus.” She even found one of Howards’ NCSU writing professors to corroborate that talent.
Lawrence asks, “Any favorite how-to-write books? And if not, any advice for aspiring memoir writers?” to which Howard replies, “I can’t imagine reading a “how-to-write” book, mostly because it would make
me question my instincts. But, I am a believer that in order to write well you need to read a lot. However, I choose to read outside my chosen genre for fear I might mimic or absorb an author’s particular style
or voice. I guess I’d tell someone who’s writing a memoir to evoke their own voice in every sentence, and to make sure that although the stories themselves are personal, the themes are universal.”
Those familiar with Howard’s journey away from Kinston to New York City and back again, which may mirror their own journeys out and back, get a sense of why Lawrence asks, “Do you see food ways as an aspect of culture that is now getting more recognition?” Howard responds, “Absolutely. I think with the transient nature of life today, people want to feel a connection to something and often the food you ate at home is one of the few tangible, recreatable things you can take with you. I think people recognize and relate the food they eat as a way to define who they are more than ever before.”
The early 2020’s were difficult for Howard, both personally and professionally, but her writing continues to bring voice to Eastern North Carolina foodways. Lawrence concluded with “Through cooking and through caring about what was going on outside of her world, here is a young woman discovering herself and her heritage. Sometimes vulnerable, sometimes puzzled, but always learning and experimenting, she emerges from her show and book with a strong sense of self and an insightful take on the connection between cultural values and food. By valuing her region, she came to value her voice – a rich, nuanced combination of down-home vernacular, urban chef professional, and exuberant, irrepressible Vivian.”
Read the entire essay in the 2018 issue on ProQuest or order it for your collection.
