Julia replied in her trademark voice, “Because I think they like it!”
Imagine hearing Judith Jones, the book editor responsible for publishing Child’s legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking, tell that story and doing so in her best Julia Child impersonation. Damn, my life amazes me at times.
I sat with about fifty other women and three men at the McNally Jackson book store in SoHo last week listening to a panel of three women discuss and reminisce about the legacy of Julia Child.
The panel consisted of the aforementioned Judith Jones. Also present was the author of Julie & Julia - Julie Powell, and former food writer for New York Magazine - Amanda Hesser.
The moderator gave a rather lengthy introduction and kicked off the event by asking Amanda to tell us about her personal experiences with Julia Child.
Judith Jones
Julie Powell
Hesser was given the mic and she responded in a flummoxed way that she didn’t know she would be asked specifically about her experiences with Julia Child. She didn't really have any stories. Uh oh! Can I say....awkward moment?
Amanda recovered from the obvious stumble to recount her only tale of interacting with the great Julia. Hesser once had to pick Ms. Child up from the airport and she told Julia all about her two years learning to make French bread in France. Much to Amanda’s surprise, Julia in her contrarian way, told Amanda that everything she had learned was completely wrong. Guess those artisan bakers in France don’t know what they are doing!
Unfortunately, Amanda didn’t contribute much to the rest of the panel discussion. Which makes me wonder what the heck the person who booked the panel was doing. Or perhaps there was a breakdown in communication. It wasn’t Amanda’s fault but what a mortifying experience to have in front of an audience.
Julie Powell took the microphone next and in her slightly spastic, wildly gesturing manner started to explain that she never met Julia. She only knows Julia from cooking through the epic cookbook. Its funny, Julie Powell speaks exactly how she writes. If you’ve read her book, than you know exactly what I mean. She’s exuberant, over the top, with absolutely no sensor and she almost physically acts out her words. Julie credits Julia Child with inspiring her to find her voice as a writer and she proudly considers Ms. Child a feminist icon.
The highlight of the night was Judith Jones. Now 85 years old, I can easily say that they broke the mold when they made Judith. She has a lifetime of culinary knowledge, an impressive career as an editor for Knopf, she speaks thoughtfully and frankly I wish she was my grandmother. I could sit and listen to her tell stories about the old days for hours and hours.
Judith doesn’t seem her age. She is up on current trends, she told funny stories about Julia Child, she recounted reflective stories about French cooking and put the legacy of Julia Child in perfect perspective.
The key for Julia being so popular today, according to Judith, is that young people want the real thing. And Julia was the real thing. All 6’ 2” of her. I plan to read Judith’s memoir, The Tenth Muse soon because of one little fact -
Judith spent 3 1/2 years in France as a young woman. She would soon be leaving Paris for good and was sitting on a park bench thinking how much she loved Paris when she inadvertently got up and left her purse behind. She returned and it was stolen. In her purse was her passport, wallet and ticket back to the States. Judith decided it was a sign that she should stay in France. She quickly found gainful work and soon after met the man who would become her husband. Geez, lucky much?
Oh and if that doesn’t make you ooh and ahh......here is another dazzling factoid.
In 1950, while in Paris, Judith Jones pulled the French translation of The Diary of Anne Frank out of the reject pile and insisted it be published in English. Atta girl!
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