Estabrook will be on campus Oct. 14-15 with a keynote lecture at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, in Harriet Johnson Auditorium, Somsen Hall.
Estabrook is the author of “Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit,” WSU’s 2013-14 Common Book. Tomatoland explores the American consumers’ demand for a year-round supply of fresh tomatoes, detailing the human and environmental costs of the $5 billion fresh tomato industry. Tomatoland describes troubling cases of pesticide exposure and human trafficking; examines the business of commercial tomato production; takes readers to the laboratories of scientists working to develop new tomato varieties; and recounts the efforts of those working to improve both the taste of tomatoes and the methods by which they are grown.
Estabrook is a James Beard Award-winning journalist and former contributing editor at Gourmet magazine. He was the founding editor of Eating Well magazine and has written for the New York Times Magazine, Reader’s Digest, Men’s Health, Audubon, The Atlantic’s website, and the Washington Post. He serves on the advisory board of Gastronomica—The Journal of Food and Culture. His work has been anthologized in the Best American Food Writing series. He lives and grows tomatoes in his garden in Vermont.
The Common Book Project brings together a large community of readers in the discussion of a single work. The book will be adopted in a range of classes and in many sections of first-year composition. Tomatoland offers many opportunities for interdisciplinary inquiry and conversation. In addition, Estabrook’s exploration of migrant labor, human trafficking and environmental issues will offer a valuable contribution to WSU’s 2013-14 university-wide theme of “Civic Action.”
Estabrook will also visit WSU during spring semester 2014.
For more information, contact Professor Ann-Marie Dunbar or visit the Common Book website.
