Author and former Louisville Courier-Journal food critic Ronni Lundy’s latest book is called “Victuals.” It’s a love letter to the food of Appalachia as much as it is a cookbook. The book highlights not only the long cherished recipes of the region, but the stories of the food and people who created them.
Lundy spoke with me about her book ahead of her appearance at Carmichael’s Bookstore this weekend.
You can listen to our conversation in the audio player above.
Lundy on how she describes her new book:
“What I tell people about it is it’s a series of essays about a literal journey that I took traveling across the Appalachian region for a year and a half interviewing people, but also a life journey that I’ve taken to understand where I come from.”
On why this project is so important to her:
“One thing that happens to Appalachians and the culture of Appalachia is that we’ve had our story and our voices taken away from us. We have had other people say who we are. We’re not allowed to say who we are ourselves. So, that's another really important part of this book for me, is that other people's voices shine through and come through it."
Lundy will appear at Carmichael’s Bookstore (2720 Frankfort Avenue) on Sunday, September 18 at 3 p.m. More information can be found here.