Matthew G. Frank
Matthew Gavin Frank is the author of “Barolo” (The University of Nebraska Press), a food memoir based on his illegal work in the Italian wine industry, and “Pot Farm” (The University of Nebraska Press / Bison Books), about his time working on a medical marijuana farm in Northern California. His new book, “Preparing the Ghost: An Essay Concerning the Giant Squid and the Man Who First Photographed It” is forthcoming from W.W. Norton: Liveright. His poetry collection, “The Morrow Plots,” is available from Black Lawrence Press/Dzanc Books. His poetry book, “Sagittarius Agitprop” is available from Black Lawrence Press/Dzanc Books. His new poetry book, “Warranty in Zulu” is available from Barrow Street Press. He is also the author of the chapbooks “Four Hours to Mpumalanga” (Pudding House Publications), a poetry sequence about his initial visit to his wife’s homeland in rural South Africa, and “Aardvark” (West Town Press), a poetry sequence that strangely engages the alphabet.Recent work appears in The New Republic, Field, Epoch, The Huffington Post, Crazyhorse, Indiana Review, The Iowa Review, The Poetry Foundation, North American Review, Pleiades, The Best Food Writing and The Best Travel Writing anthologies, Creative Nonfiction, Gastronomica, Plate Magazine, and others.
To research “Barolo” Frank spent six months in Barolo, Italy (pop. 646), living out of a tent in the garden of the local Pittatore farmhouse.Through the Pittatore family, he was able to secure work picking wine grapes for famed vintner Luciano Sandrone.Through Sandrone, Frank developed relationships with the region’s families, restaurateurs, butchers, vintners, local foodstuffs, odd markets, and circus-like atmosphere in experiences both gustatory and death-defying.
Matthew Gavin Frank was born and raised in Chicago.Bitten by the food, wine, and travel bug, he left home at age seventeen, embracing the vagabond lifestyle that often lent itself to work in the restaurant industry.He ran a tiny breakfast joint in Juneau, Alaska, worked the Barolo wine harvest in Italy’s Piedmont, sautéed hog snapper hung-over in Key West, designed multiple degustation menus for Julia Roberts’s private parties in Taos, New Mexico, served as a sommelier for Chefs Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand in Chicago, and assisted Chef Charlie Trotter with his Green Kitchen cooking demonstration at the Slow Food Nation 2008 event in San Francisco.He returned to academia and received his MFA in Poetry and Creative Nonfiction from Arizona State University.He taught creative writing to undergraduates in Phoenix, Arizona, and poetry to soldiers and their families near Fort Drum in upstate New York on the Canadian border.
Frank is the recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship, an Artist’s Grant to the Vermont Studio Center, the Sonoran Prize for Poetry, and numerous grants from the Virginia G. Piper Center for the Creative Arts.Presently, he teaches creative writing at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.
His current favorite dessert recipe is Revisionist Caprese Salad: Basil Ice Cream, Mozzarella Syrup, Oven-Dried Sweet Tomato, and Tomato Rock Candy.
Matthew Gavin Frank was born and raised in Chicago. Bitten by the food, wine, and travel bug, he left home at age seventeen, embracing the vagabond lifestyle that often lent itself to work in the restaurant industry. He ran a tiny breakfast joint in Juneau, Alaska, worked the Barolo wine harvest in Italy’s Piedmont, sautéed hog snapper hung-over in Key West, designed multiple degustation menus for Julia Roberts’s private parties in Taos, New Mexico, served as a sommelier for Chefs Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand in Chicago, and assisted Chef Charlie Trotter with his Green Kitchen cooking demonstration at the Slow Food Nation 2008 event in San Francisco. He returned to academia and received his MFA in Poetry and Creative Nonfiction from Arizona State University. He taught creative writing to undergraduates in Phoenix, Arizona, and poetry to soldiers and their families near Fort Drum in upstate New York on the Canadian border.
Love the website, love you. Congrats–your cv is looking better every time I hear about you! Also, who came up with the Mozerella Syrup?
Thanks, Meghan! The mozzarella syrup idea was a gift from a buffalo dream… Can’t wait to see you at AWP Denver! (Are you bringing the baby?)
Your website looks great. I cannot beleive you are so skinny. I was always under the impression you food impreasarios were all a little on the meaty side?
Douw,
It’s no accident that all the photos are shot from the sternum up.
Matt, I want to come to Denver, definitely. We’ll have to see how things play out, moving, job hunt, babysitters etc!
I found this residency, thought you (or your fans!) might be interested.
CULINARY WRITING FELLOWSHIP
http://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships/
—
The Duncan Eat-Write Fellowship Fellowship will be awarded
to an author writing a cookbook or work of fiction or
nonfiction that involves a love of food or healthful eating.
This Fellowship provides a residency in the Writers’ Colony
Culinary Suite equipped with full test kitchen. This Fellowship
will be awarded on a rolling entry basis, so applicants are
encouraged to apply early. Final application date for entry
to be postmarked is September 10, 2009. Fellowship
applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable $35
application fee.
Brinson,
Wow. Sounds like a fabulous Fellowship. I must check it out! Thanks for the heads-up.
M
I love you Matt Frank!!!
Love you too, SV!
Hi, Matt, I thoroughly enjoyed the excerpt of “Barolo” on the “On the Table” site. When are you coming to Berkeley? Lots of foodies and lots of great bookstores. I’d be glad to help with pre-planning (although I’m guessing you have a publicist). Karen
Amazing, truly excellent information. This blog is really awesome. I bookmarked this and may return again.
Thanks, Monte! So glad you enjoy it.
Aloha!
Just finished your book this evening. Thank you! It was a real fun read and I wished the whole way through that I was there with you. (Except when it was cold and you were sleeping in an effin tent!)
I love that you “followed your bliss” and went balls out to do what you wanted/needed to do. I wish I were that brave. What an experience. You made me feel like I knew the characters myself. I read “Passion on the Vine” right before your book (I am a little Italy obsessed at the moment!) and didn’t like it so much so I was happy that your book was enjoyable and fun. Grazie!!
Grazie mille, Donna! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
What an honorable publication
Good meeting you at STAX and at the 4 Way Soul Food restaurant in Memphis. Now back home in Phonix and after visiting your site I gotta read your book!!
Thanks, Ted! Great meeting you too.
Thanks for stopping by the Dancing Dog today! It was great meeting you and hope to see you later at the library – if not drive safe.
Octavia at the Dancing Dog Cafe
Great meeting you too, Octavia!
I’d like to bring a copy of Barolo on holiday with me to read, where can I buy a copy? Am I being stupid? I can’t spot where it says it’s available.
thanks
D
Big Dave,
You can find Barolo on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.co, etc. Also, you can go through the press website here: http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Barolo,674189.aspx
Thanks!
Matt
Thanks for the salad recipe….
Yum!!!
I just got “Sagittarius Agitprop” and came here to read more about Matthew G. Frank. Great blog!!!
Hi Matthew,
I love the excerpt from Pot Farm that was on Weekly Breakdown. Best of luck with the book.
From a Mendocino hippie,
Katie Norton
http://www.fictionaut.com/users/katie-norton
Thanks so much, Katie!