Tracie McMillan talks tomatoes at HPU
By Liz Reichart// A&E Editor
Tracie McMillan, author of the New York Times bestseller “The American Way of Eating,” has had a wealth of experience going undercover and getting the inside scoop. She brought her vast knowledge of journalism, culture and the society in which we live to High Point University on Sept. 15.
McMillan held multiple dialogues with anthropology, sociology and journalism classes throughout her day, and what this acclaimed author had to say was highly anticipated by HPU students of all fields of study. Rooms were packed for her appearances, often times turning into standing room only events.
In her sessions, McMillan first identified key takeaways from her three-pronged research book which landed her at number 34 on the New York Times Bestseller list, “The American Way of Eating.”
“How many of you have read my book?” she asked the room of attentive students and faculty. About 75 percent of hands in the room went up. McMillan smiled, surprised at the student body’s taking to her novel. The author proceeded to discuss the common read program at HPU and how her account of the American food industry had been selected for freshmen to read over the summer. Upon arriving to campus, pieces of McMillan’s novel and the sustainability concepts she discusses in them were incorporated into their curriculums in English and First Year Seminar courses. An integrated approach to unifying an incoming class, McMillan’s novel was a perfect fit for tackling some larger economic and cultural ideas about food in the United States.
In her talks with students, McMillan clearly wanted a question and answer dialogue in its truest form. Aspiring journalists in the room asked McMillan about her process of realizing she wanted to be a journalist. The author said it wasn’t a natural instinct for her to be drawn towards journalism, due her Midwestern upbringing. McMillan’s parents expected a structured career that their daughter could work hard toward, and she had difficulty coming to the realization that she wanted something that was also fulfilling.
“The American Way of Eating” chronicles McMillan’s journey through the American food system in three different undercover positions. She works in the California agricultural industry picking garlic and grapes, two different Michigan Wal-Mart’s, and in the kitchen of a New York City Applebee’s. Anthropology students asked McMillan if she faces ethical dilemmas during her undercover work. Her response? “All the time.” “My position differs from that of an anthropologist because I am the only one to hold myself accountable,” said McMillan.
“Anthropologists constantly have peers looking over their shoulder, questioning, “Is what you’re doing ethical?” I had to make the decisions for myself and for my editor, what he was comfortable with and what he wasn’t.” Here is to hoping McMillan’s endeavors in China, from which she returned just four days prior to her appearances at HPU, will be just as fruitful for her audience as “The American Way of Eating” was for student as HPU.