Episode Summary: Dana Goodyear – "You Are What You Eat"

Podcast: The Moth
Host: Dan Kennedy
Episode Title: Dana Goodyear: You Are What You Eat
Release Date: November 19, 2013

Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Moth, Dana Goodyear, a renowned staff writer at The New Yorker and author, shares her deeply personal and thought-provoking journey into the extreme facets of the American food movement. Recorded live in New York during the New Yorker Festival, Dana's story, titled "You Are What You Eat," delves into the intersections of personal identity, professional integrity, and the often unsettling world of culinary extremism.

Embarking on a Career at The New Yorker (02:52 - 05:30)

Dana begins her narrative by recounting her initial experiences upon joining The New Yorker in 1999 at the age of 22. She paints a vivid picture of the magazine's austere environment:

"Nobody made eye contact in the halls. Nobody spoke in the elevator. Nobody spoke above murmur at all, if it could be avoided." (03:10)

A pivotal moment occurs when Malcolm Gladwell approaches her cubicle with a strict directive:

"He said that he never again was going to use the word I in one of his stories." _(03:30)

This encounter underscores the magazine's commitment to an objective and elegant writing style, free from personal bias or first-person narratives. Dana adopts an alter ego, referring to herself as "somebody" in her pieces to conform to these standards.

Transition to Food Writing in Los Angeles (05:31 - 09:45)

Seeking new challenges, Dana relocates to Los Angeles to immerse herself in the burgeoning food movement. Here, her writing undergoes a significant transformation. David Remnick, the magazine's editor, encourages her to incorporate her presence into her stories:

"We like it. But you need to be a presence in these stories." _(07:15)

This shift allows Dana to engage more personally with her subjects, providing what she describes as "vicarious pleasure for the reader." Embracing this newfound freedom, she begins to explore the more extreme and unconventional aspects of foodie culture, delving into topics such as raw milk smuggling, entomophagy (eating insects), and the consumption of various organ meats.

Navigating Personal Challenges and Professional Boundaries (09:46 - 12:30)

Amidst her intense work in Los Angeles, Dana faces significant personal challenges, including her pregnancy. To maintain her professional momentum and continue tackling controversial subjects, she chooses to keep her pregnancy concealed:

"I started to write about some of the crazier aspects of foodieism... I kept it quiet." _(10:30)

Her commitment to her work leads her to participate in extraordinary food experiences while heavily pregnant, such as having "ox penis soup" and "frog fallopian tubes" for lunch. Her dedication underscores the lengths she goes to in order to uncover the depths of the food movement.

Confronting the Ultimate Taboo: Cannibalism (12:31 - 15:00)

Dana's exploration reaches a chilling crescendo as she encounters discussions around cannibalism within the food community. Influential figures like Anthony Bourdain make provocative statements about tasting human flesh, pushing the boundaries of culinary exploration.

"Anthony Bourdain said at a food festival that he would taste human flesh." _(13:20)

Simultaneously, she interacts with individuals who push the limits of locavorism—consuming locally sourced foods to the extreme—such as entrepreneurs making cheese from human breast milk and chefs preparing dishes from human organs.

Faced with the ethical and emotional weight of these practices, Dana grapples with the possibility of consuming her own placenta, a symbol of her body's creation and her child's existence.

The Climactic Decision: Consuming Her Placenta (15:01 - 19:00)

As Dana's pregnancy reaches its final stages, the practical and ethical dilemmas culminate in an intense personal crisis. Four days after her child's birth, a placenta cook arrives at her home to process her placenta for consumption. Dana vividly describes the moment:

"It was the most intimidating piece of meat I've ever seen." _(16:40)

The cook's transformation of the placenta into a symbol of life profoundly impacts Dana:

"Right here, this is where your baby lived. It was actually beautiful." _(18:10)

This profound realization shifts Dana's perspective, highlighting the deep personal invasion that consuming one's own organs would represent. The emotional weight and ethical considerations lead her to make a definitive choice:

"I decided that I couldn't. This was too far. This was too far into the story. I could not write about it." _(19:00)

Conclusion: Balancing Personal and Professional Integrity (19:01 - End)

Dana reflects on the delicate balance between personal involvement and professional storytelling. She acknowledges the ongoing struggle to determine how much of herself should be incorporated into her writing.

"I know that I will continue to struggle with this question of how much of me belongs in my writing." _(21:00)

Ultimately, she establishes a personal rule to maintain this balance:

"I can write about eating and I can write about myself, but I can't write about eating myself." _(21:30)

Through her narrative, Dana Goodyear offers a profound exploration of identity, ethics, and the transformative power of storytelling within the intense and often controversial realm of food writing.

Final Thoughts

Dana's story is a poignant reflection on the intersections of personal experience and professional exploration. Her journey into the extreme aspects of the food movement serves as a metaphor for the broader human quest for understanding and the ethical boundaries we navigate in pursuit of knowledge and narrative truth.

Notable Quotes:

• “Nobody made eye contact in the halls. Nobody spoke in the elevator. Nobody spoke above murmur at all, if it could be avoided.” (03:10)

• “He said that he never again was going to use the word I in one of his stories.” (03:30)

• “We like it. But you need to be a presence in these stories.” (07:15)

• “Anthony Bourdain said at a food festival that he would taste human flesh.” (13:20)

• “Right here, this is where your baby lived. It was actually beautiful.” (18:10)

• “I can write about eating and I can write about myself, but I can't write about eating myself.” (21:30)

Dana Goodyear's "You Are What You Eat" is a testament to the challenges of maintaining personal integrity while pushing the boundaries of professional inquiry. Her story invites listeners to contemplate the ethical dimensions of consumption and the profound ways in which our choices define us.