Kentucky Author Forum/ Michael Pollan Interview

Kentucky Author Forum
http://kaf.louisville.edu/
Michael Pollan's new book, "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto."
Friday, January 11, 2008

Although this event is sold out, the audio interview is usually available at WFPL a few days later.
KET will usually air the KY Author Forum a month after an interview.

While some of the points seem to be repeated from his previous book, Pollan does advocate buying and preparing local fresh produce and avoiding industrial and highly processed "food-like substances."
(One example: cereal bars and "low fat" snack foods with added "nutrition")

Food for thought. (Sorry about the bad pun. And the book tour hype.)

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Eat & enjoy
Author Michael Pollan wants to change the way you think about food
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080109/FEATURES02/801090679/-1/rss

The straightforward solutions that Pollan advocates might not be popular with harried Americans accustomed to cheap processed food. Buy, cook and eat fresh foods instead of convenience "foodlike products." Shop where you can look the grower in the eye (farmers markets and the like). Read your labels and avoid unpronounceable ingredients.

The hidden costs of cheap food are becoming more apparent, Pollan points out, in the awareness of industrial agriculture's environmental effects and widespread obesity levels attributed to readily accessible fast food.

"Making better, fresher foods available more widely is a high priority and should be the focus of reformed agriculture policy on the state and federal level," Pollan said. "Right now, we are subsidizing junk food, and that should be changed."

'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.' (Book excerpt and audio from Morning Edition)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17725932

What an excellent interview Michael Pollan was. Having read all his books up until, but not yet "Omnivore's Dilemnia", it seemed that a couple essential points made were that...

Government subsidies of corn allow for things like $1 menus and oversized/yet low-cost pop...which leads to overeating/drinking of fast food.

It's as simple as "Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food." rather than an ever-changing fad diet cycle.

The long-time New York Times Magazine writer who launched a national conversation with his book The Omnivore's Dilemma continues to fuel the food dialogue in Kentucky Author Forum Presents, premiering this week on KET.

Michael Pollan, a University of California at Berkeley journalism teacher, showed in his best-seller that we are indeed what we eat -- and what we eat remakes the world.

The book has sparked public dialog about the American way of eating and the ecological and ethical dimensions of our food choices.

In his latest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, Pollan continues his thoughts on what to eat, what not to eat, and how to reclaim our health and happiness as eaters. He discusses these ideas with writer Michael Shnayerson.

Kentucky Author Forum Presents "A Conversation with Michael Pollan"
KET1: Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 9/8 pm CT
KET KY: Sunday, Feb. 17 at 10/9 am CT
(This interview will be at this site later. Other Online Videos are available now)
http://ket.org/arts/authorforum.htm

Also available now at WFPL - 89.3
Michael Pollan interview
(5 audio segments at about 11 minutes each)
http://wfpl.org/ky_author_forum.htm