Hi Molly! I think this might be the first time I am writing to you though I’ve read both your books and followed Orangette and your Insta for years!
This is super nerdy but I am curious to know more about the paper you sent Mollie, on “interdependence and individuation as symbolized by food/nurturing” or something close to that if I could read Mollie’s trademark handwriting correctly. I loved your meditations on individuation and Winnicot’s “good enough mother” in The Fixed Stars — I was reading it shortly after becoming a mother for the first time in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic — and I’m interested to hear more of your always insightful thoughts on this topic as it relates to food/nurturing.
At risk of TMI, and inspired by your own vulnerability, I will share a little more about my interest in this topic. In brief: I enjoy cooking and enjoy eating delicious food even more, but feeding *myself* (as opposed to eating foods made for me by others) has always been challenging for me. Not in a body image sort of way but just in an absent minded “where did the morning go and now I’m still wearing only underwear and have only eaten half of a hard boiled egg but I needed to leave the house 10 minutes ago” kinda way. Now that I just became a mother for the second time in December 2021, my long-standing struggle with this has only been exacerbated and I’ve begun exploring what my deal is in journaling, therapy, etc. I want my kids to see me taking care of myself (not only them) to model for them individuated self-care…and I also just plain want to reliably make myself tasty sandwiches.
And of course if it has been too long and you don’t recall any details of your paper to share, no worries! I know I certainly wouldn’t be able to tell you about my own college papers these days either. In any case thank you for your post and new newsletter!
Molly, I just want to say that the magic Mollie Katzen held for you is the very same magic you have always held for me. When I stumbled upon A Homemade Life in Powell's books when I was 13, it was like a whole other world suddenly opened up. YOU made that happen for me. I hung on to every word of the book, every word of Orangette (yes, I actually went through the archives in their entirety), and slowly but surely, you taught me how to cook. We've met in person twice, once at Delancey when I was maybe 14 (and quite literally begged my aunt to drive me to Ballard from Issaquah just to eat there) and once at Powell's when Delancey the book actually came out. Both times I felt absolutely starstruck and I have no idea what I said but I do know that you were incredibly kind and encouraging, and you held the exact same type of welcome warmth for me as you write about today. Hope you know you're a hero to many.
This was so relatable in so many ways and made me nostalgic for those pre-internet/social media days when we swooned over our celebrity heros differently and regularly sent letters to people we cared about.
I remember thumbing through Mollie's lovely handwritten cookbooks in my first "real" house my sophomore year of college in the mid-90s, trying to decide what to cook with my roommates and learning how to shop at the food coop down the street. The food coop was my intro into food politics - weighing the ethics of buying soy milk in a plastic container or cow's milk in a glass bottle, learning how to put the tare on a reusable container at the bulk bins, etc.
If I'd had the chance to meet Mollie, I would have very earnestly done something similar to you (I remember my friends and I passing a note to Ani DiFranco at a concert, not sure if we gave an address for a reply). But it's such a good reminder now that we're older about what kindness means and how can we help those sweet 20-somethings find their way.
Not too long ago, at our local farmers’ market in Kensington, Ca, someone pointed out that Mollie Katzen was shopping there too. I was starstruck for a moment and felt somehow wiser for deciding to get my vegetables there too.
All I can think of is how much I'd love to be the exact amount of noteworthy as a writer/public figure such that I would a) inspire a young reader to send me their college paper, and b) have the time to read and respond.
I had a similar experience with Molly Katzen around 2012, and she has remained as lovely as ever! I was at Book Passage in the SF Ferry building with my mom (a wonderful, wonderful bookstore) and we ran into Molly Katzen sitting at a pile of books with her author friend. At the time, I was a high school junior and writing a food blog, something that was read exclusively by supportive friends and family and more of a space for me to be creative, but nonetheless I gave her the link and lo and behold that night I found she had made a lovely, supportive tweet supporting my blog! I was flummoxed. She is a generous, admirable woman and gosh what an honor it was to be seen by her like that!
In my "youth" I felt I had invented a recipe of pasta with broccoli and I sent it with a note to Julia Child and "gave it to her" - oh youthful naivety. I never expected any answer but Julia sent me an encouraging postcard thanking me - typed, with her own signature at the end. I still blush for that but treasure that card.
I love this. I have a rule that if I read something that I've really loved, that's changed my thinking in some way, I write to the author. About 80% of the time, I get a reply. Writers are people too! As are cookbook authors. Who doesn't want to feel seen? Thank you for sharing your story of being seen.
Hi Molly! I think this might be the first time I am writing to you though I’ve read both your books and followed Orangette and your Insta for years!
This is super nerdy but I am curious to know more about the paper you sent Mollie, on “interdependence and individuation as symbolized by food/nurturing” or something close to that if I could read Mollie’s trademark handwriting correctly. I loved your meditations on individuation and Winnicot’s “good enough mother” in The Fixed Stars — I was reading it shortly after becoming a mother for the first time in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic — and I’m interested to hear more of your always insightful thoughts on this topic as it relates to food/nurturing.
At risk of TMI, and inspired by your own vulnerability, I will share a little more about my interest in this topic. In brief: I enjoy cooking and enjoy eating delicious food even more, but feeding *myself* (as opposed to eating foods made for me by others) has always been challenging for me. Not in a body image sort of way but just in an absent minded “where did the morning go and now I’m still wearing only underwear and have only eaten half of a hard boiled egg but I needed to leave the house 10 minutes ago” kinda way. Now that I just became a mother for the second time in December 2021, my long-standing struggle with this has only been exacerbated and I’ve begun exploring what my deal is in journaling, therapy, etc. I want my kids to see me taking care of myself (not only them) to model for them individuated self-care…and I also just plain want to reliably make myself tasty sandwiches.
And of course if it has been too long and you don’t recall any details of your paper to share, no worries! I know I certainly wouldn’t be able to tell you about my own college papers these days either. In any case thank you for your post and new newsletter!
This is beautiful . I really enjoyed it. Also, how great to see the comment from Mollie Katzen here!!
Molly, this means so much to me. And the admiration is completely mutual. I still have our correspondence, all these years later. xo
Molly, I just want to say that the magic Mollie Katzen held for you is the very same magic you have always held for me. When I stumbled upon A Homemade Life in Powell's books when I was 13, it was like a whole other world suddenly opened up. YOU made that happen for me. I hung on to every word of the book, every word of Orangette (yes, I actually went through the archives in their entirety), and slowly but surely, you taught me how to cook. We've met in person twice, once at Delancey when I was maybe 14 (and quite literally begged my aunt to drive me to Ballard from Issaquah just to eat there) and once at Powell's when Delancey the book actually came out. Both times I felt absolutely starstruck and I have no idea what I said but I do know that you were incredibly kind and encouraging, and you held the exact same type of welcome warmth for me as you write about today. Hope you know you're a hero to many.
This was so relatable in so many ways and made me nostalgic for those pre-internet/social media days when we swooned over our celebrity heros differently and regularly sent letters to people we cared about.
I remember thumbing through Mollie's lovely handwritten cookbooks in my first "real" house my sophomore year of college in the mid-90s, trying to decide what to cook with my roommates and learning how to shop at the food coop down the street. The food coop was my intro into food politics - weighing the ethics of buying soy milk in a plastic container or cow's milk in a glass bottle, learning how to put the tare on a reusable container at the bulk bins, etc.
If I'd had the chance to meet Mollie, I would have very earnestly done something similar to you (I remember my friends and I passing a note to Ani DiFranco at a concert, not sure if we gave an address for a reply). But it's such a good reminder now that we're older about what kindness means and how can we help those sweet 20-somethings find their way.
Not too long ago, at our local farmers’ market in Kensington, Ca, someone pointed out that Mollie Katzen was shopping there too. I was starstruck for a moment and felt somehow wiser for deciding to get my vegetables there too.
All I can think of is how much I'd love to be the exact amount of noteworthy as a writer/public figure such that I would a) inspire a young reader to send me their college paper, and b) have the time to read and respond.
And …. “The Jolly Postman”…… what a super book for kids and adults ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I had a similar experience with Molly Katzen around 2012, and she has remained as lovely as ever! I was at Book Passage in the SF Ferry building with my mom (a wonderful, wonderful bookstore) and we ran into Molly Katzen sitting at a pile of books with her author friend. At the time, I was a high school junior and writing a food blog, something that was read exclusively by supportive friends and family and more of a space for me to be creative, but nonetheless I gave her the link and lo and behold that night I found she had made a lovely, supportive tweet supporting my blog! I was flummoxed. She is a generous, admirable woman and gosh what an honor it was to be seen by her like that!
I met her once - I cannot remember where or how. She is so warm and lovely!
Love this! I had to pull out her books. Ah the feel of her penmanship. Like an old friend.
lol Griffin and Sabine, almost forgot about that entirely. Thank you for this lovely piece.
In my "youth" I felt I had invented a recipe of pasta with broccoli and I sent it with a note to Julia Child and "gave it to her" - oh youthful naivety. I never expected any answer but Julia sent me an encouraging postcard thanking me - typed, with her own signature at the end. I still blush for that but treasure that card.
I love this. I have a rule that if I read something that I've really loved, that's changed my thinking in some way, I write to the author. About 80% of the time, I get a reply. Writers are people too! As are cookbook authors. Who doesn't want to feel seen? Thank you for sharing your story of being seen.
So lovely.