The Story of Corn
Now in paperback for the first time, The Story of Corn is Betty Fussell's mesmerizing account of the extraordinary grain that built the New World. In a form as uniquely hybrid as its subject, it blends history and myth, science and art, anecdote and image, personal narrative and epic to tell the story of this amazing crop and the people who for centuries have planted, eaten, worshipped, processed, and profited from it.\ \ In an authoritative, wise, and wholly original...
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This interweaving of folklore, history, and science tells the seven-century story of the importance of corn in the Americas. New York Times Book Review Fussell . . . is totally and passionately in love with corn, and she treats it the way Cecil B. DeMille treated a Bible story-with zest and romance and hordes of gorgeously costumed extras.
1A babel of corn2Seeds of life3The daily round4Flesh and blood5The sacred round6Closing the circle
\ Los Angeles TimesFussell . . . can get away with phrases like 'the sexiness of corn' without sounding loopy. The way she writes about it, it is -hypnotic, alluring, sustaining, and not a little bit mysterious.\ \ \ \ \ New York Times Book ReviewFussell . . . is totally and passionately in love with corn, and she treats it the way Cecil B. DeMille treated a Bible story-with zest and romance and hordes of gorgeously costumed extras.\ \ \ The New York TimesPutting this book down is as hard as leaving an ear of fresh buttered corn half eaten.\ \ \ \ \ Publishers WeeklyFussell ( Food in Good Season ) documents the history of corn on many levels in this well-researched book. As food, fertility symbol, genetic marvel, and subject of ancient myths, corn is one of the oldest food staples and a truly American food source. And because the author covers so much material, it's best to approach The Story of Corn bit by bit to avoid being overwhelmed. While it's fun to read about the history of popcorn (popcorn poppers dating back to A.D. 100 have been found in Peru), it's downright fascinating to read about what corn meant to native North and South Americans. Apparently corn was used in everything from funerals to birth rituals; corn images are embedded in the Hopi language. Fussell even tracked down a retired moonshiner to find out how corn was used to make corn whiskey and its more socially acceptable cousins, bourbon and Peruvian chicha . The author, descended from Nebraska farmers for whom corn was a mainstay, weaves her family's history into the larger saga. And along the way, she unfortunately consorts with some rather highfalutinok language (``The migration of my ancestors was across continents, up and away from the earth navel of fallen man. My own journey had been down . . . into the darkness of seeds and roots to find my dead mother and her mothers . . . in the womb not of Eden but of Mother Earth''). But the volume is otherwise so absorbing and well written that she's easily forgiven. Photos not seen by PW. (July)\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalLike a modern variety of Zea mays , this book is a sophisticated hybrid, a skillful blend of history, science, art, and anthropology. Written in a lively and nontechnical style, with 150 photographs and 100 line drawings, it is an accessible, handsome volume. Fussell, food journalist, historian of foodways, and author of cookbooks, including the highly recommended Food in Good Season ( LJ 9/15/88), is known as a likeable and knowledgeable writer. These qualities are evident in this tour de force about corn, covering every aspect of this important commodity and offering an extensive bibliography. Anyone reading all or a substantial portion of this book will never pass a cornfield again in quite the same way. Recommended.-- Richard Shotwell, Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, Mass.\ \
