LESLIE KARST: Today is inauguration day and across the country emotions
are running high.
But they are not merely elevated: Right now—more than at any
time since the 1960s—those emotions seem to be at polar opposites, with half
the population experiencing euphoric ecstasy, the other half misery and
despair. Whether you support our new president or not, one thing that cannot be
disputed is that we have become a nation divided.
can the hamburger
heal our nation’s divide?
And this makes me sad. Because I believe that we, as a
country, are truly more connected than we are divided. The culture we share
runs deep, whether we’re from Macon, Georgia or from San Francisco, California.
But largely as a result of this bitter, divisive election we’ve just
experienced—and the compounding effects of social, print, and televised
media—we have come out of the event focused on our differences, rather than our
similarities.
I’ve therefore been pondering the question, what can we do
to heal this division? How do we encourage one another to instead focus once
more on those customs and traditions which connect us, unite us, as
Americans?
united we stand
Let me mention here that mystery readers and writers seem to be one group of people who, though we run the gamut of the political spectrum, are nevertheless united by our love of crimes, clues, clever sleuths, and the spinning of a good yarn. And this sense of solidarity across party lines is one of the things I love most about our community. But for the rest of the country, how can we heal this rift?
Well, I write culinary cozy mysteries, so my thoughts are never far from food and cooking. Not surprisingly, then, it came to me that what we eat connects us as a nation, perhaps more than any other activity. San Franciscans adore southern barbecue and Georgians love sourdough bread. And Americans across the country—no matter our race, religion, political party, sexual orientation, or cultural background—sit down together each Thanksgiving to share turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and pumpkin pie.
Well, I write culinary cozy mysteries, so my thoughts are never far from food and cooking. Not surprisingly, then, it came to me that what we eat connects us as a nation, perhaps more than any other activity. San Franciscans adore southern barbecue and Georgians love sourdough bread. And Americans across the country—no matter our race, religion, political party, sexual orientation, or cultural background—sit down together each Thanksgiving to share turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and pumpkin pie.
(Okay, so there may be some disagreement over whether it
should be green beans sautéed in olive oil and garlic or green bean casserole
topped with fried onions, but that’s the kind of spat I can live with.)
It has long been my belief that coming together at mealtimes
to sip some wine, swap stories, and learn what’s been going on in each others’
lives, is an essential part of what it is that makes us human. From the time of
the stone age, early Homo Sapiens would gather about the communal fire each
night for safety, stories, and food. And although this now often takes the form
of a pizza night in front of the TV, we still find comfort in our shared
breaking of bread.
So here’s my idea: Form an online group (such as a
community Facebook page) called “COME TO THE TABLE: RECIPES FOR A MORE
PERFECT UNION.” Readers would submit stories, photos, and recipes
demonstrating how much we share as a nation, and recounting incidents or events
when people of different cultures have come together and were united by food,
drink, or cooking.
It’s my hope that in this way, not only would folks get to
read some uplifting stories online about unity as opposed to divisiveness, but
the page would also bring together people of divergent cultures and beliefs.
An example: The time my wife, Robin, and I spent the
evening in a Navajo bar in some tiny town in New Mexico. We were the only women
and only white people in the bar and got some pretty strange looks when we
walked in, but it was the only place around where we could watch the World
Series. After a few minutes we went next door to McDonalds and brought a Big
Mac back for the bartender. Almost immediately the tension in the bar
dissipated and all the patrons wanted to come chat us up. It ended up being one
of the most fun nights I’ve ever had.
So what do you readers think of the idea? Would you
participate in an online forum or Facebook page like this? Please comment below
to let me know!
[I should note that I personally don’t have the time right
now to create and maintain such an online space, but I hereby throw the idea
out there for anyone who wants to take the idea and run with it!]
Leslie and her publisher are offering a copy of A MEASURE OF MURDER to one lucky commenter today--don't forget to leave your email!
A MEASURE OF MURDER, the second book in the
Sally Solari culinary mystery series, will be released February 7, 2017
(Crooked Lane Books):
Sally Solari is busy juggling work at her family’s Italian
restaurant, Solari’s, and helping plan the autumn menu for the restaurant she’s
just inherited, Gauguin. Complicating this already hectic schedule, Sally joins
her ex-boyfriend Eric’s chorus, which is performing a newly discovered version
of her favorite composition: the Mozart Requiem.
But then, at the first rehearsal, a tenor falls to his death on the church
courtyard—and his soprano girlfriend is sure it wasn’t an accident.
Now Sally's back on another murder case mixed in with a dash
of revenge, a pinch of peril, and a suspicious stack of sheet music. And while
tensions in the chorus heat up, so does the kitchen at Gauguin, set aflame
right as Sally starts getting too close to the truth. Can Sally catch the
killer before she’s burnt to a crisp, or will the case grow as cold as
yesterday’s leftovers?
“Engaging characters, terrific writing, and a savory blend
of musical and culinary erudition...polymath Karst sauces her plot without
masking its flavor. And she’s a dab hand with the red herrings.” Publishers Weekly starred review
Leslie
Karst is the author of the Sally Solari culinary mystery series,
published by Crooked Lane Books (Dying for a Taste, A
Measure of Murder). The daughter of a law professor and a potter,
Leslie has degrees in English
literature, law, and culinary arts. After graduating from Stanford Law School,
she worked for twenty years as a research and appellate attorney before turning
to mystery writing. Leslie now spends her days cooking, gardening, cycling,
singing alto in the local community chorus, and of course writing. She and her
wife and their Jack Russell mix, Ziggy, split their time between Santa Cruz,
California and Hilo, Hawai’i. Visit her online at http://www.lesliekarstauthor.com/
and at https://www.facebook.com/lesliekarstauthor/
.
