Food and Wine Writing

To convey the textures of food accurately and concisely you need passion, certainly, but also some basics of journalism. This class will take you through the foundations of food and wine writing, whether for reviews, essays, articles, or books. You’ll learn how to find the right angle for a story, how to write an enticing lead, and how to structure an article so it holds together and flows easily. As you master these journalistic techniques, you’ll also develop your own voice. We’ll also cover the nuts and bolts of the business of writing, like where to market your work, how to pitch a story, and how to ask for money. There will be reading assignments and an opportunity for students to write a food and a wine article, both of which will be critiqued in class by the group.

Session 1:
Day: Tuesday, March 13, 20, 27; April 3, 10, 17, 2012
Time: 4 p.m.—5:30 p.m.
Fee: $120 (six sessions)
Instructor: Sam Gugino

OR

Session 2:
Day: Tuesday, April 24; May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2012
Time: 4 p.m. — 5:30 p.m.
Fee: $120 (six sessions)
Instructor: Sam Gugino

Sam Gugino ran two critically successful restaurants before becoming restaurant critic for The Philadelphia Daily News in 1986. He was food editor at the San Jose Mercury News, where his columns were named best-in-the-nation by the Association of Food Journalists. He wrote four books, including Cooking to Beat the Clock, named one of the top ten cookbooks of 1999, by Amazon.com. Sam has written for The New York Times and was nominated for a James Beard Journalism Award in 1997, and has been a contributing editor at Wine Spectator magazine since 1996.