Class: Literature of Food
Grades: 11th, 12th
Teacher: Dave Liebowitz

Mr. Liebowitz’s English elective class, Literature of Food, visited Haley House, a non-profit in Roxbury that works to address food insecurity. The students participated in a program called Take Back the Kitchen where they gained knowledge centered around food choices that will aid them in the increasingly complex world of nutrition and health.

Before the trip, Mr. Liebowitz previewed some essential questions and goals for students to keep in mind. These goals included developing an understanding of the issues and solutions Haley House provides, preparing food and developing nutrition skills, and understanding the complexity of the work Haley House does in moving from charity to justice.

On the menu? Kale and shakshuka. While preparing and cooking the food, students learned about the ingredients and the greater mission of Haley House. Students got to enjoy the meals they prepared at the end of the process.

Haley House’s mission statement: Haley House uses food with purpose and the power of community to break down barriers between people, empower individuals, and strengthen neighborhoods. They believe in radical solutions: solving problems at their root by challenging attitudes that perpetuate suffering and building alternative models.

More about this course: For millennia, humans have had a unique and ever-shifting relationship with their food. From growing vegetables in the soiled ground to buying a Big Mac at the drive-through, we all relate to and connect with food and tastes in varied ways. Additionally, from Marcel Proust to Helen Rosner to Mark Bittman, chefs and authors have explored what we eat, how we eat, and how our relationship with food matters. In this class, we will read, write, cook, and eat. We will examine the politics of food, food insecurity, and how our relationship to what we eat and how we eat informs, nourishes, and shapes our lives.