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From YouTube: Michael W. Twitty at Arlington Public LIbrary
Description
An excerpt from Michael W. Twitty's talk at the Arlington Public Library on Feb. 7 2019. Mr. Twitty is the author of The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South. The full program will air on Arlington TV and the Library's YouTube channel.
A
So
when
I
got
when
I
received
the
James
Beard,
Awards
first
was
food
writing,
and
that
was
the
only
reward
I
expect
to
receive,
and
there
are
people
in
that
room
who
said
who
put
in
print
that
I
did
not
deserve
a
voice
in
the
food
world,
did
not
have
a
voice,
a
voice
in
the
world
of
southern
food.
That.
A
That
I
wasn't
people
who
told
me
when
we
were
trying
to
shop
the
book
around
we're
in
that
audience.
He
told
me
America
is
not
ready
for
you.
This
is
it.
This
isn't
yours
to
write,
you're,
just
Jewish
stuff,
this
gay
stuff
you
to
complicate
it
you're,
not
in
a
bubble,
you're,
not
a
box.
We
can't
market
you.
This
is
impossible
to
market
impossible.
Nobody
will
ever
read
this
book.
There's
be
a
waste
of
everybody's
time,
good
luck
or
better.
Yet
can
you
amend
your
identity?
Can
you
take
your
cape
off?
Can
you
do
this?
A
Can
you
do
that
you're,
not
being
gay,
and
you
just
make
us
comfortable,
just
be
a
black
author?
Why
can't
help
that
right,
cuz
I
am
but
to
tell
you
I'm
gonna
stay
black
and
die
before
I
change.
The
thing
I
thought
my
grandmother's
favorite
last
day,
blackened
I
love
that
but
I
told
him
I
told
him
I
said:
are
you
kidding
me?
A
America
is
Olympics
were
impossible
and
how
dare
you
take
that
one
thing
away
from
me
so
I
would
I
let
it
go
so
when
I
got
up
there,
I
really
I
mean
I
wore
those
clothes
for
a
reason,
because
if
I
lost,
my
answer
still
had
my
back.
If
I
won,
I
was
gonna,
show
them
how
and
when
they
poked
when
they
said
food
writing
I.
A
You
know,
I
couldn't
deal
I
thought
the
chair
literally
and
then,
when
I
got
the
book
of
the
year,
I
was
like
okay,
whoever
is
very
nice
apple,
clap
for
him,
and
then
the
more
details
and
I
was
I
knew.
It
was
me,
and
my
I
looked
at
Tony
trip
tomorrow,
north
of
the
jemima
CO
and
she
flipped
out
and
I
flipped
out,
and
it
was
really
validating
and
I
want
to
tell
you
if
you're
an
author,
if
you're,
creative
and
people
have
told
you
put
roadblocks
up
to
you,
please
don't
ever
fear
those
roadblocks.