Essay 1
THE TOPIC:
Explore the intersection of personal narratives and scientific discourse in the context of food, cooking, and sustainability. Utilize “How to Cook a Planet” by Nicole Walker and at least two of the Food Matters essays: “Why I’ve Never Learned How to Cook” by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, “You Can’t Run Away on Harvest Day” by Barbara Kingsolver, “Liver and Opinions: Why We Eat What We Eat and Despise the Rest” by Mary Roach, and “Eating the Hyphen” by Lily Wong. Additionally, incorporate insights from one to two other credible sources related to the theme.
As you compose your essay, consider the following points:
How personal narratives, such as those in Brodesser-Akner, Kingsolver, Roach, and Wong’s essays, shape our understanding of food, cooking, and cultural identity. Consider how the authors’ experiences and perspectives influence their narratives.
The role of science and scientific discourse, as discussed in Walker’s “How to Cook a Planet,” in the context of food production, climate change, and sustainability. Discuss how scientific information impacts our food choices and environmental awareness.
The connections and tensions between personal narratives and scientific data in the context of food and cooking. How do personal experiences align with or challenge scientific findings? Are there instances where personal stories offer unique insights into the larger issues discussed in scientific discourse?
The implications of the narratives and scientific discourse discussed in your essay for individuals’ food choices, cultural practices, and environmental consciousness.
You might conclude by reflecting on the broader significance of understanding the interplay between personal narratives and scientific discourse in the context of food and cooking.
Remember to incorporate evidence and examples from the selected essays and your database sources to support your arguments and analysis throughout the essay. Cite your sources properly following the MLA 9 citation style,
Main question/argument: To what extent do personal narratives align with or challenge scientific findings, and can personal stories offer unique insights into the larger issues discussed in scientific discourse within the context of food and cooking?
With this prompt in mind, write a well-constructed essay that makes an original argument (The thesis should be debatable and include a line of reasoning) and analyzes each of the texts, using details to support your argument. Be sure that your writing explains how and why the details presented in the text() contribute meaningfully to your essay’s over-arching, debatable thesis.
Additional Research:
For the Final Draft of your Essay 1, you will reference “How to Cook a Planet” by Nicole Walker and at least two of the Food Matters essays:
“Why I’ve Never Learned how to Cook” by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
“You Can’t Run Away on Harvest Day” by Barbara Kingsolver
“Liver and Opinions” by Mary Roach
“Eating the Hyphen” by Lily Wong
In addition to the two texts above, you must incorporate into your essay one to two other sources in a substantive way to support your points:
1-2 researched articles: You must research and find 1-2 credible researched source(s), such as scholarly articles, substantive news articles, books or chapters from books, or other well-respected pieces of nonfiction or literature.
THE SPECIFICS:
Page length: The rough draft should be a minimum of three pages. It need not include all required sources. (The final draft of your essay should be a minimum of 5 pages (not including the works cited page), double-spaced.)
You must cite ALL sources in parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page both the final and rough drafts (Food Matters source entries are listed below. Feel frr to copy and paste them into your Woks Cited page)..
The thesis should respon directly to the prompt, be debatable, and include a line of reasoning.
Format: MLA 9 format (see Purdue Owl (online resource) for assistance with MLA 9). Double-spaced, 1inch margins, 12 pt., Times New Roman font.
Works Cited Page:
Works Cited
Brodesser-Akner, Taffy. “Why I’ve Never Learned How to Cook.” Food Matters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader, edited by Holly Bauer, 3rd ed., Boston, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2021, pp. 124-29.
Kingsolver, Barbara. “You Can’t Run Away on Harvest Day.” 2007. Food Matters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader, edited by Holly Bauer, 3rd ed., Boston, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2021, pp. 150-59.
Roach, Mary. “Liver and Opinions: Why We Eat What We Eat and Despise the Rest.” 2013. Food Matters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader, edited by Holly Bauer, 3rd ed., Boston, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2021, pp. 114-23.
Walker, Nicole. “How to Cook a Planet.” 2017. Food Matters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader, edited by Holly Bauer, 3rd ed., Boston, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2021, pp. 244-55.
Wong, Lily. “Eating the Hyphen.” 2013. Food Matters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader, edited by Holly Bauer, 3rd ed., Boston, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2021, pp. 54-57.
