The Vegetarian Crusade on Heritage Radio

Earlier today I called in to discuss The Vegetarian Crusade with Linda Pelaccio on her wonderful program, "A Taste of the Past." The episode has been archived, and is available at the station's website.

The Vegetarian Crusade in the Chicago Reader

A wonderful interview that I did with Michael Gebert has posted at the Chicago Reader, focusing on Chicago's central role in the vegetarian movement during the Progressive Era. Great stuff, and has been getting some wonderful attention on both Twitter and Facebook.

The Vegetarian Crusade, Released!

 Today is the big day, the official release date of The Vegetarian Crusade!

A few things you can do to support the book:

• Order the book directly from the University of North Carolina Press. 
   
• You can also order at Amazon (available in hardcover and as an e-book).

• Or find it at your local, independent bookshop.
  
  
• Add The Vegetarian Crusade at Goodreads.

Some other requests. Spread the word amongst your book reading, historically-oriented and food history interested friends. Point them towards my Twitter account or this very blog. Suggest the book, spread the word and if you feel inclined, even write a review at any of the links provided above. As you can imagine, with all the great scholarship out there, it is difficult to get one's first book noticed. But I think (I hope) that this is one that will truly appeal to scholars and the general public alike. Thank you in advance for any and all assistance.

It is incredible to think that I have now been researching and writing on this topic for more than six years. There is certainly something intimidating about finally putting this book out into the world. But I also feel great excitement and anticipation to hear peoples' thoughts, to engage on the topic and hopefully bring some attention to what I think is an important and intriguing story to tell. Many thanks to everyone who supported me along the process. Read through the acknowledgements, many of them pop up in the book's first pages. In the meantime, happy reading and I welcome any thoughts, feedback or questions while tackling the book.

The book verdict on the Vegetarian Crusade is in...

And Library Journal explains that The Vegetarian Crusade is a "well-researched and accessible work...recommended for readers of U.S. social history and for vegetarians interested in knowing that the roots of their movement go deeper than the publication of Peter Singer's Animal Liberation and the founding of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Fans of culinary history books. . . will also find much to love here."

Read more at Library Journal (full review is behind a subscription wall).

Remember, book release is just around the corner, October 7. In the meantime, you can pre-order from UNC Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or find it at your local independent bookshop!

The Vegetarian Crusade Reviewed

First review of the book has been released, and am happy to report it is a positive one. ForeWord Reviews calls the book a "unique, readable history of the vegetarian movement in America," that "will be a welcome addition to vegetarian lore in a time when the movement has entered mainstream thinking, if not mainstream eating."

Read the full review.

The Vegetarian Crusade in Library Journal

Happy to link to some wonderful, free publicity in advance of the release of The Vegetarian Crusade. The book was mentioned in a blog post over at Library Journal, the trade publication for librarians. Great to see, and getting very excited. Remember, keep October 7 circled on your calendar for the book's release date!

Some Book Related Links

Just a few links to share surrounding the upcoming release of The Vegetarian Crusade (coming in October 2013!).

• Order the book straight from the fine folks at the University of North Carolina Press.
   
• While you are over at the UNC Press site, feel free to take a look at my author's page.
   
• You can also pre-order at Amazon (available in hardcover and as an e-book).
  
  
• Add The Vegetarian Crusade at Goodreads.
   

As more develops I will keep information up to date. Exciting things are coming and edits and the index are in their final stages. Cannot wait for the book to be released into the wild.

So...are you a vegetarian?

With apologies for the lack of updates. Between having an infant and a book on the way, free time has been at a minimum. As we lead up to the book release in Fall 2013, I do promise to add more to the site.

I did, however, want to take the opportunity to explore (what I find, at least) an interesting aspect of working on vegetarian history. Inevitably whenever I talk about my research (both formally and informally) someone asks whether or not I am a vegetarian. It is remarkable just how frequently I have been asked this question and in most instances it is the first question asked. On one hand I imagine that it is just a product of general curiosity, especially since many people seem genuinely intrigued by the notion that there is an American vegetarian history that stretches back to the nineteenth century. And this is surely a good thing.

In my seven years as a vegetarian, I have yet to think anything was a chicken.

On the other hand, I do wonder if it is a question that many other scholars are asked, regarding their personal connection to a given topic. If not, I am curious as to why vegetarianism as a historical subject leads to this particular question? Is there concern that I have a particular bias as a vegetarian? In the reverse, if I was not a vegetarian, would there be worry about my approach to the topic? I also wonder if this is a particular question asked of any historians researching a movement or phenomena rooted within a particular time period that is still salient in current times? For example, I can't imagine someone being asked if they are a phrenologist because of a research interest in the topic? Or is this perhaps something particular to those of us researching food? Lastly, are there implications to be gleaned about vegetarianism and its relationship with culture from this question's omnipresence?

Thoughts from any interested scholars out there? Anyone with similar experiences with their topic?