Chef, author, culinary educator, television personality and artist Jacques Pépin at M.F.K. Fisher's Last House on March 26, 2022.
The Fourth Annual Last House Writing Contest for Emerging Writers celebrates author M.F.K. Fisher, who resided in her 'Last House' on Audubon Canyon Ranch's Bouverie Preserve in Sonoma Valley.
Emerging writers of all ages are invited to submit original, unpublished essays or short stories that examine hunger — its many forms and how we satisfy, ignore, or otherwise address this most basic and fundamental force of human existence.
"People ask me: Why do you write about food, and eating and drinking? The easiest answer is to say that, like most other humans, I am hungry. But there is more than that. It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the other. So, it happens, that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it and the hunger for it…and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied….and it is all one." M.F.K. Fisher from The Gastronomical Me.
Grand prize of $500!
Deadline for entries: 5/17/2023
Forbes
January 6, 2023: M.F.K. Fisher, the maverick feminist who first made writing about food a full-sensory experience decades before the phrase food porn caught on, is subject of a new documentary from Bay Area-based filmmaker Gregory Bezat that’s featured at this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Never heard of her? Well, watching this compelling film should convince you to do a deep dive into her considerable body of work.
Winter 2023: In 1942, as World War II ravaged much of the globe and those on the home front endured widespread rationing of basic necessities, author M.F.K. Fisher published How to Cook a Wolf, which offered advice on how to eat well in spite of the challenges. Fisher’s book was so successful that in 1951, with the conflict long ended and the United States enjoying the fruits of postwar prosperity, she updated How to Cook a Wolf for another edition. It gave Fisher a chance to add a few thoughts about why, in the midst of hard times, it’s important to think about the finer points of the dinner table.
Originally published as “M.F.K. Fisher Taught Americans How to Nourish Bodies and Souls” in the Winter 2023 issue of Humanities magazine, a publication of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The M.F.K. Fisher Literary Trust is thrilled to announce the premiere of Gregory Bezat’s documentary, The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher. The film will premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival with in-person screenings on October 11th and 13th, 2022. Virtual screenings may also be available.
“Weaving together archival interviews with Fisher, select readings from her oeuvre, endearingly expressive photographs, and commentary from eloquent admirers such as Alice Waters and Jacques Pépin, the film brings its subject fully to life as a person of depth, knowledge, and appetite. A flavorful and respectful appreciation, The Art of Eating also serves as an affirming primer on how to acquire worldliness and make it a way of being.” -from the festival website
September 13, 2022: Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) in partnership with the M.F.K. Fisher Literary Trust announces its 2022 winners of the LDEI M.F.K. Fisher Prize recognizing excellence in culinary content that broadens the understanding of food and culture.
June 29, 2022: Winning submissions are announced for the third Annual Last House Writing Contest hosted by Audubon Canyon Ranch, a Northern California conservation organization and steward of iconic American writer M.F.K. Fisher’s “Last House” in the Sonoma Valley.
The Independent
June 22, 2022: Thirty years after her death, Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher’s indulgent and witty work is as comforting as ever. Leonie Cooper explains why the oft-overlooked American author is deserving of continued celebration
The Press Democrat
May 19, 2022: The 90-minute tour gives visitors a glimpse into Fisher's life, work, and the views she enjoyed. The two-room house, located on the 500-acre Bouverie Preserve in Glen Ellen, is the focus of a monthly tour program led by Audubon Canyon Ranch, which stewards the preserve.
KRCB/Northern California Public Radio
April 24, 2022: Clark Wolf welcomes Kennedy Golden, daughter of M.F.K. Fisher. They talk about Fisher’s life, her legacy, her writing and her last years at Last House in Glenn Ellen.
Sonoma Index-Tribune
April 6, 2022: According to M.F.K. Fisher’s daughter Kennedy Golden, Susie Allen, Kennedy and her husband Vinnie made lunch for Jacques Pêpin’s visit to his late old friend’s home in Glen Ellen. Kennedy said, “Our goal was to have something that guess who might have served. I believe we hit it out of the park. Fresh French baguettes from Les Pascals Patisserie in Glen Ellen made into Railroad Sandwiches.
New York Times
February 18, 2022: Since the days of the Greeks, writers have been consumed by their meals. But are we writing about food — or is food a metaphor for something less palatable?
A compelling article by Ligaya Mishan, featuring a section about M.F.K. Fisher.
October 29, 2021: Friends and fans of M.F.K. Fisher and film gathered (adhering to City of San Francisco COVID-19 recommendations) for a magical afternoon at San Francisco's famed Foreign Cinema to benefit the restoration, repair, and maintenance of M.F.K. Fisher's Last House and the completion of filmmaker Gregory Bezat's latest project, The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher. Generous supporters raised nearly $15,000.
Panelists Included:
Gregory Bezat, Filmmaker
Alice Waters, Chef, Restauranteur and Author
Kennedy Golden, Educator, M.F.K. Fisher's Daughter
Jerry DiVecchio, Food and Wine Writer
Clark Wolf, Moderator