Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger by Lisa Donovan

Lisa Donovan : I get my battery replenished by sitting in a quiet room by myself for as many hours a day as I can, so sheltering in place definitely suits my introverted self and gives me a level of comfort I wouldn’t have on a stage. Monday, Donovan spoke to ArtsATL from her home in East Nashville to discuss the zen of baking, what diners can do to avoid being complicit in the exploitation of restaurant workers and the hospitalitarian (yes, that is a word) in Alabama she considers a master of the art form.ĪrtsATL : As someone who thrives on solitude and serenity, has doing your book tour while sheltering at home been a relief? In advance of her virtual talk at the Atlanta History Center at 7 p.m. then honor those women straight into abjection” disparities in business lending (between white, male, small business owners and everyone else) and what it took to find her footing in an industry where the prototype of success is a man standing with tattooed arms crossed over his chest. And destined to turn even more heads are her no-holds-barred perspectives on male chefs who “build restaurant empires on stories of their mamas and grandmamas. Her new memoir, Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger (Penguin Press), examines the corporatization of restaurants, the cult of celebrity chefdom and the rise of investors willing to spend millions of dollars on the front of house while arguing away their dishwasher’s health insurance plan.ĭonovan’s essay for Food & Wine magazine, “ Dear Women: Own Your Stories ,” received a James Beard Award in 2018. Undaunted by the long hours, low wages and tradition of paying her dues (in time and intellectual property) as she worked her way up, Donovan walked away at the peak of her career when her request for a raise - from $15 an hour - was denied. Lisa Donovan is a self-taught chef whose Southern-style pastries fueled her rapid rise at some of Nashville’s best-loved eateries - including Margot McCormack’s Margot Café and Bar, Tandy Wilson’s City House and Sean Brock’s Husk.

Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger by Lisa Donovan