Literary Arts Feasting on Mark Bittman’s Call to Eat Ethically

Portland, September 20th. At a special Literary Arts presentation, during the celebration of Oregon’s bounty, Portland Feast,  Mark Bittman spoke passionately about what’s wrong with what we eat. Bittman is fiercely political when it comes to food. He links the high consumption of meat to global warming and criticizes the typical American diet. Bittman covers food policy, cooking, and eating as an opinion columnist for the New York Times, where he is also the New York Times Magazine’s lead food writer.

The Literary Arts event  featuring Bittman was at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and was presented in association with FEAST Portland, Whole Foods, Lewis & Clark College, and the Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts. One of the sponsors of the event, Lewis & Clark College, hosted a  reception in advance of the lecture. Literary Agent, Betsy Amster, is the wife of Lewis & Clark President, Barry Glassner, and member of the Literary Arts Board.

During his recent appearance on OPB’s Think Out Loud which was taped in front of a studio audience at Literary Arts, Bittman  explained, “Many of the things we eat do not promote good condition and they are not nourishing. Therefore they are not defined as food.”

For to learn more about Mark Bittman’s concept of eating ethically, here’s a link to his website: http://markbittman.com/

From Literary Arts:

Literary Arts is a community-based nonprofit literary center located in downtown Portland, with a 28-year history of serving Oregon’s readers and writers. Our programs include Portland Arts & Lectures, one of the country’s largest lecture series; Oregon Book Awards & Fellowships, which celebrates Oregon’s writers and independent publishers; and Writers in the Schools, which hires professional writers to teach semester-long creative writing workshops in Portland’s public high schools. We also host guided discussion groups around great works of literature through a program called Delve.

Our Mission

To engage readers, support writers, and inspire the next generation with great literature.

Our Programs

Portland Arts & Lectures brings the world’s most celebrated writers, artists and thinkers to our community. In addition to live events that are broadcast statewide on OPB radio, the program connects readers and writers of all ages with classroom visits and workshops.

Writers in the Schools hires professional writers to teach in Portland’s public high schools for semester-long residencies that span the curriculum, reaching 2,600 students each year. Students share their work at community readings across the city, online and in print anthologies.

Oregon Book Awards & Fellowships celebrates Oregon’s writers. The program promotes Oregon’s literature and provides financial support to writers and independent publishers. The Oregon Book Awards Author Tour connects writers and readers throughout the state with readings, workshops and school visits.

Delve: Readers’ Seminars offers the opportunity to explore great books with an experienced guide in the company of other dedicated readers. Seminars are lively, in-depth discussions led by local scholars.