On Seeing, A Journal. #313

August 6th, 2019

There is no shortage of food writers in America. Just about every magazine and newspaper, however local, has someone critiquing restaurants or reviewing cookbooks. But Michael Pollan is above and beyond that crowd in every way. A combination of anthropologist, philosopher, and attentive eater, he looks at what we eat, how we eat, and deciphers the meaning of our food.

Pollan is a Professor of Journalism and Non-Fiction Writing at both Harvard and the University of California at Berkeley. He is the author of nine books, including The Botany of Desire, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food, as well as many essays for The New York Times and The New Yorker.

As part of my ongoing Above and Beyond project that singles out the best and brightest of our time, I invited Pollan to the studio for portraiture and interview.

Click on the arrow to watch and listen (8 minutes and 27 seconds).

The participants in this project have been selected for their exceptional achievements; they include scientists, authors, playwrights, designers, musicians, artists, philosophers, etc.

For your interest, the complete library for all of the weekly On Seeing missives can be found here.