Yesterday I bought the book As Always, Julia, which details the friendship Julia Child had with Avis Devoto through letters. Avis was her pen pal and literary mentor. In addition, it tells the story of the evolution of Mastering the Art of French Cooking from its inception to its publication.
Julia's letters to Avis reveal the trials and rewards of "translating the genuine taste of French cooking into American cooking."
One of the reasons I am so interested in this book, published in 2010, is that it focuses on the importance of letters in the form of "snail mail"....becoming obsolete in our current times. Letters that are handwritten and sent on stationary with a postage stamp require time, thought and a bit of money.
How different our communications would be with one another if we slowed down a bit, and took the extra time to send a card or letter to someone! This book captures the evolution of a deepening friendship through letters. The same type of book (I would argue),couldn't be written from email correspondence, as that type of communication is hasty and often not very thoughtfully written.
Julia working with her mentor/teacher Max Bugnard
in 1955.
Julia's letters to Avis reveal the trials and rewards of "translating the genuine taste of French cooking into American cooking."
One of the reasons I am so interested in this book, published in 2010, is that it focuses on the importance of letters in the form of "snail mail"....becoming obsolete in our current times. Letters that are handwritten and sent on stationary with a postage stamp require time, thought and a bit of money.
How different our communications would be with one another if we slowed down a bit, and took the extra time to send a card or letter to someone! This book captures the evolution of a deepening friendship through letters. The same type of book (I would argue),couldn't be written from email correspondence, as that type of communication is hasty and often not very thoughtfully written.
Julia working with her mentor/teacher Max Bugnard
in 1955.
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