New River Community and Technical College is offering a new three-week writing course exploring food heritage with author Belinda Anderson starting Saturday, Nov. 5.
“The memories we have of food traditions and the stories we tell about food gatherings are part of our legacy,” Anderson said.
The “Writing Your Food Heritage” workshop is designed so participants will finish the course with writing they can share with their families at Thanksgiving. Students in the class will also learn how to include others in developing food heritage stories – from recording family reunion memories to descriptions of Grandma’s beans and cornbread.
Amelia Brekeller, who has taken several of Anderson’s writing courses, wrote about her grandmother’s restaurant, describing the starchy smell of her grandmother’s stiff white jacket and the smells of apple pie baking and soup simmering. Brekeller was a co-owner of a German delicatessen in Long Island, New York.
“I felt embraced by all the warm odors,” Brekeller said. “Food is meaningful in many ways. You can often remember food better than conversation,”
Brekeller described Anderson’s writing courses saying, “She is able to bring things out of people that have been dormant in them.”
The “Writing Your Food Heritage” workshop will meet on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. for one hour starting Nov. 5. Students can attend the class either through an internet conference call connection or by phone. Because this is an audio-only class, high-speed internet is not required. Class meetings will include lecture, time for questions and participant sharing, and group e-mail follow-up as needed.
Anderson was named a Master Artist by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. She is a past winner of the Just Uncommonly Good (JUG) award from West Virginia Writers for her mentoring of other writers. Anderson is the author of four books and is listed on the first literary map of West Virginia, published by Fairmont State University.
Tuition for the class is $75, and registration is required by Oct. 20. Participants will be emailed the conference call number and access codes after registering and paying for the class.
Visit www.newriver.edu/community for information on upcoming classes or to register for the workshop or contact Gloria Kincaid (304-793-6101, gkincaid@newriver.edu).
Learn more about Anderson and her work online at http://www.BelindaAnderson.com.
