A Slice of Life is a collection of contemporary food writing that readers can really sink their teeth into: one that examines the ineluctable link between nourishment, literature, and society. Represented here are some of the world's best known writers, many of whom--like Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, and Anthony Bourdain--are well known for their alimentary musings, while others, like Roland Barthes, Umberto Eco, and Susan Sontag are better known for their writings in other genres; all speak eloquently on the nature of food, language, and the adaptability of social customs.

Organized into chapters that address descriptions of actual meals, autobiographical memories, the cultural spectacle of eating, the concept of want, the celebration of good food, and the philosophical, spiritual, ethical aspect of food, author Bonnie Marranca has cooked up a tempting meal of writings that reflect on how the consumption of food—or the lack of it—takes on larger social significance. Charles Simic eulogizes tomatoes and questions bioengineering, Wole Soyinka delves into the nature of fasting, Umberto Eco declaims on in-flight dining, and Emily Prager reminisces, in an original essay, about Swedish food and the rejuvenating possibilities of a trip to Ikea--among others.

Garnishing the feast are Marranca's tantalizing introduction and Betty Fussell's meditation on the essential connection between food, existence, and the putting of pen to paper. A Slice of Life is a banquet that readers will savor through its many courses.