By Lexi Hill
Throughout this semester, we as a class read and discussed a huge number of texts that varied in genre. I enjoyed many of them, but one that really stood out to me was David Foster Wallace’s “Consider the Lobster”. On the surface, this article (originally published in Gourmet magazine in 2004) discusses the Maine Lobster Festival, but delves much deeper into analysis of the ethics of certain cooking methods and even includes detail about the anatomy of a lobster. Wallace’s complex text also led to a very interesting class discussion where I grew to appreciate the article even more after learning new things about it from the class.
Read “Consider the Lobster” here: http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2004/08/consider_the_lobster.html
In addition to in-class readings, I worked with many unassigned texts to complete original compositions. Of those works, my favorite was the “Go Fork Yourself” podcast. I listened to dozens of podcasts in my process of creating my own, and this one was quite memorable. Hosted by Andrew Zimmer of Bizarre Foods, this podcast is incredibly informative while simultaneously witty and easy-going. It was both enjoyable and helpful to my writing process.
Listen to “Go Fork Yourself” here: http://andrewzimmern.com/category/podcasts/
I too enjoyed the discussion in class regarding Consider the Lobster. It gave me so much to think about, especially given Wallace’s history of depression. Someone mentioned that it might be Wallace talking about how we don’t know the pain other people feel, and that Wallace may be talking about not just lobster suffering but human suffering. I found that thinking profound!
I also really liked your podcast share and can’t wait to check it out! Always been a fan of Bizarre Foods!