Jessica B. Harris
Jessica B. Harris (born March 18, 1948)[1] is an American culinary historian, college professor, cookbook author and journalist. [2]
Jessica B. Harris | |
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Born | Queens, New York | March 18, 1948
Alma mater | Bryn Mawr College Queens College, City University of New York New York University |
Genre | Nonfiction, memoir |
Subject | Culinary history, personal history, New York City, the 1970s and 1980s, African diaspora |
Notable awards | James Beard Award |
Website | |
www |
Early life
Jessica B. Harris, an only child, was born in Queens, New York in 1948.[3] Her family also had a summer home on Martha's Vineyard.[3] From 1953 to 1961, Harris attended the United Nations International School in New York City.[3] She graduated from the High School of Performing Arts when she was sixteen years old and went on to earn an A.B. in French from Bryn Mawr College (1968).[3] Her junior year at Bryn Mawr, Harris studied in Paris.[4] Following graduation, Harris returned to France to study at the Universite de Nancy for one year.[4] She then earned her master's degree from Queens College (1971) and a Ph.D. from New York University (1983).[5] In 1972, Harris traveled to West Africa to work on her doctoral dissertation.[6]
Career
In the 1970s, Harris worked as a journalist before becoming a food writer. She was book review editor at Essence and theater critic for New York Amsterdam News, the United States' oldest black newspaper.[3]
Harris is a member of the faculty in the English Department at Queens College/C.U.N.Y.[7] She hosts a monthly program, My Welcome Table, on Heritage Radio Network.[8] She has published 12 books.[9] Her primary subjects are the culinary history, foodways and recipes of the African diaspora. Harris was a 2004 winner of the lifetime achievement awards from the Southern Foodways Alliance[10] and a 2010 James Beard Foundation special award honoree.[11][12] Her most recent book is the memoir My Soul Looks Back (2017).[13]
Personal life
Harris resides in Brooklyn, Martha's Vineyard and New Orleans.[14]
Works and publications
- My Soul Looks Back, Scribner, 2017 - 244 pages
- The Martha's Vineyard Table, Chronicle Books, July 30, 2013 – 204 pages[15]
- Rum Drinks: 50 Caribbean Cocktails, From Cuba Libre to Rum Daisy, Chronicle Books, July 23, 2013 – 168 pages
- High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, January 11, 2011 – 304 pages[16][17]
- Beyond Gumbo: Creole Fusion Food from the Atlantic Rim, Simon & Schuster, February 25, 2003 – 400 pages[18][19][20]
- Iron Pots & Wooden Spoons: Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking, Simon & Schuster, February 3, 1999 – 224 pages[21][22]
- The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent, Simon and Schuster, 1998 – 382 pages
- A Kwanzaa Keepsake: Celebrating the Holiday with New Traditions and Feasts, Simon & Schuster, 1998 – 176 pages
- On the Side: More Than 100 Recipes for the Sides, Salads, and Condiments that Make the Meal, Simon & Schuster, 1998 – 176 pages
- The Welcome Table: African-American Heritage Cooking, Simon & Schuster, February 2, 1995 – 285 pages
- The World Beauty Book: How We Can All Look and Feel Wonderful Using the Natural Beauty Secrets of Women of Color, HarperSanFrancisco, 1995 – 211 pages
- Tasting Brazil: Regional Recipes and Reminiscences, Macmillan, 1992 – 285 pages
- Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Tastes Of A Continent, Simon & Schuster, 1991 – 240 pages
- Hot Stuff: A Cookbook in Praise of the Piquant, Atheneum, 1985 – 278 pages
References
- Damian Mosley, Interview with Jessica B. Harris, SFA Founders Oral History Project, December 28, 2005.
- "Literary Works and Beyond by Jessica B. Harris".
- Garner, Dwight (2017-05-09). "'My Soul Looks Back' Warmly Recalls New York's Black Elite in the 1970s". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
- "Jessica B. Harris | The HistoryMakers". www.thehistorymakers.org. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- "Education Makers - Jessica B. Harris". The HistoryMakers.
- Brown, DeNeen (2011-03-08). "Q&A: Jessica Harris on African American food and 'High on the Hog'". ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- "Queens College Department of English » Jessica Harris".
- "My Welcome Table by Jessica B. Harris". Heritage Radio Network.
- DeNeen Brown (March 8, 2011). "Q&A: Jessica Harris on African American food and 'High on the Hog'". Washington Post.
- "2004 Lifetime Achievement Award Winners: Nathalie Dupree and Jessica Harris". Southern Foodways Alliance. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
- "2010 James Beard Foundation Winners Announced". Kurman Communications. May 4, 2010.
- Dwight Garner (January 25, 2011). "What Africa Brought to the Table". The New York Times.
- Dayna Evans, "Do You Remember When Icons Could Preach and Boogie?", The Cut, May 9, 2017.
- Nadler, Holly (5 September 2015). "After Katrina: Jessica Harris reflects on the hurricane's 10th anniversary". The Martha's Vineyard Times. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- "Nonfiction Book Review: The Martha's Vineyard Table by Jessica B. Harris, Author, Susie Cushner, Photographer . Chronicle $35 (203p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4999-9". Publishers Weekly. February 19, 2007. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
- "HIGH ON THE HOG A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris". Kirkus Reviews. October 4, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- Grimes, William (2011-01-07). "Book Review - High on the Hog - By Jessica B. Harris". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
- "Nonfiction Book Review: BEYOND GUMBO: Creole Fusion Food from the Atlantic Rim by Jessica Harris, Author . Simon & Schuster $27 (400p) ISBN 978-0-684-87062-5". Publishers Weekly. February 17, 2003. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
- "Picks and Pans Review: Beyond Gumbo:Creole Fusion Food from the Atlantic Rim – Vol. 60 No. 19". People. 2003-11-10. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
- Garner, Dwight (2003-06-01). "COOKING". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
- "Nonfiction Book Review: Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons: Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking by Jessica B. Harris, Author Atheneum Books $19.95 (195p) ISBN 978-0-689-11872-2". Publishers Weekly. June 1, 1989. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
- "IRON POTS AND WOODEN SPOONS: Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking By Jessica B. Harris". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved July 15, 2017.