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Friday, June 20, 2008

20 Miles West of St. Louis

I have this thing for the lower Midwest. Maybe it's the Ozarks. Mountains formed from sea creatures. Places where you can visit the Pre-Cambrian. I remember a friend once telling me Arkansas's a girl who doesn't know she's pretty

And then there's Missouri, a state with towns named Hannibal and Half Way and Fair Play. When we pulled over for lunch at a Taco Bell along I-40, we noticed some locals  lining up in front of a bank for a buffet-style lunch being served by . . . Mennonites. I saw a woman in a tightly fitting white bonnet. How cool is that? 

For some reason (complete and absolute mental exhaustion?!) I'm not running to my notebook every two seconds to scribble down the name of a restaurant or a type of firecracker, but I wish I were.

This post doesn't really have a point, in case you were wondering, except to say that I've been reading the new issue of River Styx and it's their best ever. I don't have it right here next to me (cuz I'm actually writing in our hotel room bathroom so I don't wake up my mom or my kids), but if you like food writing, this is a good time to start a subscription. 

4 comments:

Maggie May said...

Mennonites are fascinating to me.

living beyond the time of your world is a feat to be admired.

Karen J. Weyant said...

Julia Kasdorf's poetry comes from the Mennonite way of life. Her work is beautiful!

Joannie Stangeland said...

Food writing! Thanks for the tip. I'm on my way.

Martha Silano said...

I didn't know Julia Kasdorf was a Mennonite; I love her poetry.

Yes, the new River Styx issue is all about food. Poems, fiction, and recipes from contributors. It's subtitled "A Readable Feast." Happy reading!