Dymock's continues to impress me, even on a whirlwing whizzbang lunchtime quickie shop.

This lunchtime's haul includes the new 2011 Sarah Kramer 'Go Vegan' calendar, which will adorn the toilet wall at the T-House so that guests are held captive whilst reading its messages. No pics as only the 2010 calendar is on the website, and we couldn't possibly be that out of dat, daaaahling.

I also bought Sara Gruen's new book, Ape House. Ape House follows the bestselling( which I'd never heard of) Water for Elephants which is set in a circus (not vegan) during the Depression (neutral vegan) and according to the cover is about learning to communicate with ... an elephant (quite vegan). 

Ape House, and I rip this from the blurb, features bonobos who speak American Sign Language escaping into the world and capturing media attention for doing spookily human things - not so spooky given bonobos known intellectual abilities, just spooky to those who still consider animals to little more than responsive, unsentient biological machines. I don't know what it will be like, but it seems to be compassionate at first glance, and certainly better than other books by certain authors who misunderstand and misrepresent veganism and then send very rude emails exhibiting a complete lack of manners when called out politely for sloppy research.

Review possible shortcoming, and in the interests of full disclosure I should add that I also bought a book on uses of bicarb soda around the home because I am a bit sad.

Big Up, Dymocks, or: Veganic Literature Abounds

A small but heart-felt hands-in-the-air to Dymocks in the Australia on Collins Arcade, who are currently stocking 13 - THIRTEEN - vegan cookbooks. And that's not vegetarian, not general vegetables, bot philosophical analyses by Pollan, Schlosser et al. Vegan Cookbooks (and two and a bit shelves of vegetarian ones too). 

I bought* Vegan Yum Yum by Laren Ulm, notwithstanding PPK scragfights about it. I am a big fan of cookbooks with pictures and colour - is there anything that makes you feel less like creating food than a dull page with dull font and dull black ink and no illustrations or even a little swirly decoration? This book is full of photographs of the food on every single page - very helpful when you're trying to work out what your meal should ideally look like -  and easy to read instructions. Having had some success with Vegan Yum Yum pasta and tarts before, and having seen the many posts debvoted to her Hurry Up Alfredo, I'm looking forward to giving this one a whirl. 

*I have acquired three new cookbooks in the last week. But no** new handbags so it's ok.

**Just one very cute, very useful tote for carrying all my extras to work, at a reduced price, with Rs all over it and kanagroos.

Kerry Greenwood's latest book 'Forbidden Fruit' - thoughts and an invitation, or: an open letter

Dear Kerry,

I write as a long time fan of both the Phryne Fisher and Corinna Chapman books. One thing that I have always admired about both series, particularly Earthly Delights, is the sensible and inclusive way that you handle people and groups who are often misunderstood by society - Wiccans, S&M, recovering addicts, goths and the homeless for example.

I was surprised to read the portrayal of vegans and animals rights groups in Forbidden Fruit. While I understand that artistic licence can be invoked for literary means, I found the portrayal of the motivations, philosophies and people confusing and disappointing.

I am vegan and focus very heavily on making sure that my decisions and ethical positions are reasonable, rational and accessible to others. Even the most 'extreme' liberationists I know, of which there are very few compared to the mainstream midground, fall well short of the characters in the book. I am concerned that these characters, untempered by some exposition on what most vegans are really like, perpetuate the myth that we are all foaming-at-the-mouth fanatics about to launch ourselves over the dinner table to wrestle the steak from your fork. We really do cop a lot of criticism from the uninformed and the belligerent, and we work very hard to engage and explain to the interested.

I was surprised that there was no point at which any reasons for veganism were put forward even in explanation, even though these reasons range from animal liberation to welfare to environmentalism to health. There are as many reasons to be vegan as there are vegans, but I didn't read anything that might imply that these reasons might be valid and rational. Vegans do not eat, wear or consume animal products not because we are slightly unhinged and extremists, but because we care deeply about animals, the environment and our health, and because we have thought deeply and carefully about our decision. I would have loved to have seen some acknowledgement of this in the book, even in a small way to counteract the perception that we are all Sarahs and hopeful cannibals, or Janeens who secretly crave and sneak dairy.

And we love food! I am yet to meet a vegan who is not obsessed with food and, particularly, baking. We have regular potlucks and most of us blog about food too. I would love to suggest a few blogs that you might consider reading, if you might be interested in reading a little of what we do (and cook)? I attach a list below, as well as some sites which try to explain why we feel that eggs and dairy are just as objectionable as meat, which seemed to be a sticking point in the book.

I would also like to extend an open, and very warm, invitation to you to attend one of our potlucks. I promise that the food will be delicious, and the company unextreme! We love to share our food and cooking with one another and recent triumphs include tiramisu, sausage rolls, tequila cupcakes, savoury watermelon salad and (my own) peanut butter ice cream. We would love for you to come along; we have a great community and appreciate the opportunity to share it. You would be most welcome at any time.

With thanks for two wonderful series of books, and in hope that you will have a read of our blogs and perhaps admire the baking,

Warm regards,

Rachel

PS: I am writing this as an open letter and publishing it on my blog in the interests of my own transparency. Please feel free to respond publicly too.


Blog roll:
www.misstprincessvegan.blogspot.com (my own blog)
www.bluerthanpink.blogspot.com (Kristy)
www.cupcakekitteh.blogspot.com (Mandee)
www.lisadempster.com.au (Lisa)
www.fairestfeed.blogspot.com (Pip)
www.veganabouttown.blogspot.com (Steph)
www.veganyumyum.com (USA - Lolo)
www.herestheveg.blogspot.com (Cindy and Michael)
www.theppk.com (USA: website of vegan chefs with massive baking component)

Other sites:
www.animalsaustralia.org
www.voiceless.org.au

Everyone and everyone they've ever met should buy this book, or: I plan on eating out a lot in the coming months.

At the risk of sounding like a wild-eyed fan, let me again sing the praises of aduki independent press to the seraphim and cherubim in the big vegan animal sanctuary in the sky.

The Melbourne Veg Food Guide, edited by Lisa Dempster and published by aduki, reviews veg eatering (yes that's eatering. Get with the program.) places from all over Melbourne and Victoria, and what sets it apart (besides its lovely cover design and the clarity of its rating system and print layout) is the totally one-hundred-per-cent useful reviews.

There are no sucky advertorials or gratuitous "I'm a restaurant reviewer goddamnit don't you know who I am you serf" slagging (equally there are no unnecessarily meaniepants reviews and no holding back when journalistic integrity demands a comment like "This place certainly gets away with a lot - no menu, no license, and somewhat overbearing (but efficient) service ..." - see, brilliant! Honest! Useful! Not too nasty!); there's helpful information about how to make sure your meal is vegan for each restaurant, including tips about which items might have some sneaky egg or ghee; and the writing is friendly, accurate and accessible. I was impressed by the spot-on descriptions of places I know, and giggly with excitement about all the places I don't know.

I don't really know anything about publishing, but I gather that it's an industry in which people who love writing, reading and books can find a high degree of intellectual stimulation around not only what is written but how it comes to be written and how it is and should be disseminated. From my brief peeks around Locus, Emily and Lisa's collaboration, the politics and policy in publishing seem to require a mind that is sharp, inventive, focused and eager to enter the difficult conversations about industry, independence and filthy lucre. I take my hat off and wave it in the air to you!

Everyone and their entire address book should purchase the incredibly fantastic and very reasonably priced Melbourne Veg Food Guide - visit http://www.aduki.net.au/ for details - I assume we'll all get very fat eating our ways through it but that's par for the course really.

http://www.aduki.net/

www.lisadempster.com.au

http://www.locusbooks.wordpress.com/

Hello! or: I take this opportunity to blather on about myself for a bit.

I am vegan, but I’m not much of a princess – I just thought it was a funny name. I did choose Princess though because although I’m not (too much, I hope) a spoiled, bratty, high-maintenance rich-bitch, I’m also not what many people think vegans are: a dredlocked, unwashed, patchouli-wearing, pot-smoking, preachy, feral wearing hemp. I don’t like mung beans.

I would really like for this blog to able to show that veganism is totally compatible with the mainstream. I hope to show that vegan living, while it requires more forethought and planning than that required of omnis or even vegetarians, is much easier than people may think. When I was vegetarian I thought not only was veganism totally extreme Nimbin-only, but that it would also be far more difficult than I could do. It’s not.

I went vegetarian at 9 1/2, when I decided that if I loved animals then I didn’t want to eat them. Over the years it became almost more of a habit than an ethical choice. I said I objected to the ways animals were treated, but I didn’t really think any more about it. I happily (and greedily) wore leather, I’d not worry about the fish sauce or chicken stock in my food, and I swore on my life that I’d rather die than give up cheese.

So what prompted the ‘upgrade’ to being vegan? Was it a deep ethical disquiet, a moment of moral awakening, a light shone upon my conscience?

Nup.

It was a diet book.

It’s a bit sad, but Skinny Bitch changed my life. Not the ranting about giving up Diet Coke and coffee (I shall never surrender!), or the processed food-heavy Americanised recipes, or the eating disorder-inspiring tone, and certainly not the injunction against alcohol (although the comment “Beer is for frat boys” made me giggle), but the description of research about what really goes on in slaughterhouses.

I had a Moment.

Hormones flowed, blood pumped, cheeks flushed – my eyes opened. I knew I just couldn’t be involved any longer. I spent time reading and learning, replacing food, cosmetics, clothes and accessories (being lucky enough to be able to do so, and having total respect for those who choose to use up their pregan things), and absorbing everything I now allowed myself to know. I will never go back.