Skip to main content

Writers We Meet

| By | Food,RecRead,Staff Picks

Many authors are thought of as introverts. Think J.D. Salinger and his reclusive nature after the huge success of The Catcher in the Rye; Emily Dickinson, who rarely left her Amherst, MA home and communicated mostly through letters; Cormac McCarthy’s avoidance of publicity and even Henry David Thoreau’s reflective time in the woods on the shores of Walden Pond. And this is not necessarily without reason. Successful writing often requires concentration and solitude – necessitating a peaceful, quiet spot to focus.

I am definitely in this camp when I am in a writing groove. But I also welcome the chance to network and mingle with readers and other writers. For me, this is one of the greatest perks of writing books – meeting people. Book signings, festivals, speaking events and author appearances are all fantastic opportunities for discussion, discovery and contemplation. On my recent book tour for my last book, The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook, I had the good fortune to meet two fellow authors whose work has really resonated with me.

The first was Michael Farris Smith, who has written several novels, works of short fiction and essays. Two of his books have been made into films, Desperation Road and Rumble Through the Dark. Smith is from Mississippi and the deep south that he knows so well factors as the setting for much of his work. I sat next to him at a Book Festival in Harrisburg last October where he later spoke at a Great Gatsby-themed event about his book, Nick, which is the fascinating backstory of one of the novel’s main characters, Nick Carraway.

Since we were both manning our respective book signing areas for about two hours, we were able to have some good discussion about our backgrounds, writing style and the path that had gotten us to where we are now. Writing can often be a discouraging profession. Actually, profession is a very strong word, as very few writers can make a living just writing books. Most of us have other jobs, such as teaching, consulting, freelancing or even working in retail. This was one topic we talked about at length – even Smith, an award-winning author whose books have been developed into screenplays and graced “Best of” lists has struggled with this.

He also told me a bit about his book Nick and I was thrilled to have him sign a copy that I purchased. With a setting that goes from WWI France to post-war New Orleans, the plot surmises that Nick Carraway was a WWI American soldier who tries to deal with his PTSD and a lost love by avoiding his parents and hometown by spending some time in New Orleans once he returns to the U.S. His descriptions of the horror of trench and tunnel war battles and a pre-Prohibition New Orleans are vivid and historically accurate. Later I heard him speak more about the book at length – how he devised and developed the idea to focus on the character of Nick Carraway, who even though a Great Gatsby main character, doesn’t typically get as much attention as Jay Gatsby or Daisy Buchanan. It was a fascinating ending to learning more about his writing and research process.

A month later I had the honor of meeting Arnold Myint, chef and author of the cookbook Family Thai when doing a cooking segment for Seattle’s KING 5 television station. Myint was slated to go on ahead of me to promote his cookbook and we had a chance to talk and learn more about each other. He also helped me quite a bit with my food set-up which was so kind and generous. A witty, charismatic and friendly personality, Myint’s talents run deep. Not only is he a James Beard Award–nominated chef, recipe developer, TV personality, and cooking content creator, but he is also a former competitive figure skater and performs as drag queen Suzy Wong.

I was eager to get my hands on a copy of his cookbook, and since I do cookbook reviews for BookPage, was able to review it for a recent issue. Much more than a cookbook, Family Thai is essentially a love letter to Arnold’s mother, the late Patti Myint, who founded and ran the very popular International Market Restaurant in Nashville, bringing a slice of Thai culture to the Music City. This combination of heartfelt self-discovery and dedication to his mother takes this unique cookbook to the next level. Full of family stories, experiences and references to Thai culture, Family Thai is a cookbook that exudes care, artistry and love. It was a true privilege to meet Myint and learn more about his fascinating backstory.

I hope to continue to cultivate and forge relationships with writers across all types of book genres, aligning with my desire for life-long learning and exploration.

More by Michael Farris Smith:

More about Chef Arnold Myint and Thai Food: