This past weekend, I attended an online literary festival held by 1455 Literary Arts. (1455 is a literary community that seeks to promote storytelling and creativity.) I’ve attended a few of their craft workshops and enjoyed it, so I was game for the festival, especially since the theme was Celebrating the Art of Storytelling.
Buckle my seatbelt! They had three sessions every hour from morning to night from Thursday (afternoon) to Saturday evening. Of course, I had to pick and choose but thankfully they’ve provided replay for each one. (I had to pace myself since I felt brain overload every evening.)
With so many sessions, I was still surprised by just how diverse the sessions were, especially how they included other modes of storytelling. While they dived into the expected topics from literary fiction, sci-fi and fantasy, historic fiction, poetry, along with non-fiction, they featured sessions about fashion and fiction, journalism, social advocacy, sports journalism, and culinary storytelling.
No matter the topic, their message was the same: We are all storytellers. Regardless if you’re using writing or another medium, you have a story to tell. And hence why the cooking session was pertinent to a literary festival.
I enjoyed the session, “Food Innovation: the Culinary Experience and Storytelling” because both speakers shared how their passion for food translates into a story of their heritage and their community.
Wendall Allsbrook, one of the speakers, came from the angle of how his butcher shop, Georgetown Butcher’s, is a place of connection. Having opened his shop at the end of 2019, he had patrons come from McLean, Virginia (where he used to work) to Georgetown because they valued him and his service. He even has patrons just stop by his shop to chat.
The other culinary speaker was Erinn Roth who operates Ms. Jo’s Petite Sweets, a bakery in Alexandria, Virginia. Her bakery specializes in “made from scratch, small batch Southern-inspired desserts with a French influence.”
Erinn’s radiant smile immediately caught my attention, especially as she sat in front of a bright red, orange, and yellow poppy painting. I knew she’d be infusing joy and passion in her session, and I wasn’t disappointed!
She lit up sharing how storytelling and food go together. In her family, they’d share about their heritage whenever they’d cook. Stories such as how their ancestors migrated from the East Coast to Mississippi, and how at night, they got separated on the wagon trails. In hindsight, Erin wished that she had listened more to their stories and talked less.
Now, she’s discovering that the culinary tradition of sharing family’s stories and life lessons has come full circle. When she baked a cake and gourmet desserts for her younger brother’s wedding, she recruited her nieces to help. Having their full attention, she passed down the history behind food, why she has to follow certain steps, and other lessons.
So it’s no surprise that she wants to expose others to the world through food as she enjoys giving the history behind pastries. Hey, I’m up for a profiteroles lesson especially if it includes a tasting.
(Side note for those who enjoy culinary storytelling, Erinn shared about a documentary on Netflix, High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.)
Erinn’s passion for food, passing down family history, and bonding through culinary experiences got me excited about how food can bond us together. And how we tend to share stories as we cook and eat. Think of the many anecdotes that are often shared at Thanksgiving and Christmas, whether during preparation, eating, or cleaning up. Storytelling is part of the holiday tradition.
After listening to this and many other sessions over the weekend, I grew more passionate about the impact of storytelling. How no matter what occupation you are in, telling stories is vital to connecting with each other. It’s the vehicle God created and used to transcend language, culture, and understanding so we can connect with him and with each other.
Hence, I challenge you to share your story of you and your gifts however it’s expressed. Maybe through social media, a podcast, blog, newsletter, vlog, or while cooking and sharing a meal with family and friends. Sometimes we don’t want to share our story for whatever reason, but if you’re hesitant, remember that God has someone who needs to hear it. Because your story is unique and can help connect, answer, encourage, or educate someone!
This week, share in Comments or tag me in your social media feeds (@SarahsoonWriter on Facebook, @Sarahsoon38 on Instagram), how you shared your story.
Happy Storytelling!
Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash