MODERN FOOD WRITING: A Four Week Study with Carey Polis

This 4-week class will explore recent articles, cookbooks, recipes, and newsletters to attempt to answer the very big question of “what is the state of food writing in 2025?”

Class will meet on September 29th, October 6th, October 13th, and October 20th.

MODERN FOOD WRITING will be a fun and lively discussion seminar with a small class enrollment. There will be reading homework drawing from an amazing variety of food-writing sources (some of which are noted below). All levels of food knowledge are welcome, the only prerequisite is curiosity and interest about the subject matter.

A full syllabus will be e-mailed after enrollment, and links and hand-out of the reading will be provided. All “textbooks” will be available from Bold Fork at a discount to class members.

One scholarship slot will be made available to a student with a deep interest in food writing. Please email events@boldforkbooks for more information.

Week 1: The State of Restaurant Criticism
How much does restaurant criticism from major outlets (and elsewhere) matter in 2025?

Week 2: The Personal Food Essay/Memoir
How is food used as a vehicle to share personal stories? When is it successful and when does it fall flat?

Week 3: The Large-Scale Food Feature
What makes a long-form piece stand out? What lists actually matter? What makes a big important story in 2025?

Week 4: Influencing + Substacking + The Future
How much does writing even matter when it comes to “selling” recipes and expertise in general? And where do we go from here?

ABOUT CAREY POLIS
Carey Polis is freelance food editor, writer, and consultant. She has spent her 18-year career working at the intersection of digital media and food, and was formerly the digital director of Bon Appétit. Carey has also worked with The Washington Post, Washingtonian, Kitchn, Food52, The James Beard Foundation, and more. She has a MA in Food Culture & Communications from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Bra, Italy (yes, it's a real thing) and a BA from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two sons, where she enjoys cooking, reading fiction, and eating way too much cheese.