XVII Pacific Science Congress Book

This is a collection of lovely short autobiographical essays and diary entries which sharply bring forward details of the author’s childhood and young adulthood. Reading MFK Fisher I always feel like I’m with an exceptionally aware and intelligent friend. She is known as a “food author” and this book has many vivid descriptions of meals. But it’s the intelligence of her writing as a woman, an observer of people, and conveyer of lessons learned in her full and graceful life that most makes me appreciate her. For instance, she tells of her uncle’s admonishment after she told him she didn’t care whether her omelet be made with mushrooms or asparagus. ‘He said “You should never say that again, dear girl. It is stupid, which you are not. It implies that the attentions of the host are basically wasted on you. Let him believe, even if it is a lie…that it matters to you…and even that he does. All this,” my uncle added gently “may someday teach you about the art of seduction, as well as the more important art of knowing yourself.” …And I don’t believe that since then I have ever said, ‘I don’t care’ when I am offered a choice …as Uncle Evans pointed out, I either care or I’m a dolt, and dolts should not consort with caring people.”