On Monday, March 3, at 6 p.m., in the Easton branch of the Talbot County Free Library, library guy Bill Peak will interview Paula Johnson about her newest book, “Julia Child’s Kitchen: The Design, Tools, Stories, and Legacy of an Iconic Space.”
Johnson is a distinguished curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Among her many curatorial triumphs, she and co-curator Rayna Green brought Julia Child’s kitchen to the museum in 2001. Almost a quarter of a century later, it remains one of that institution’s most popular exhibits.
Johnson’s new book tells the story of the home kitchen from which so many of Julia Child’s television shows originated. We learn the tales behind the famous Garland range, the parties that occurred at the kitchen table, and the myriad pots, pans, and gadgets that Julia collected over her long culinary career.
But the book also brings to life the people that populated that kitchen: Julia’s adoring husband Paul Child, writers like Alex Prud’homme and Nora Ephron, fellow cooks like Jacques Pépin and Martha Stewart, and, best of all, Julia herself.
In his February column in The Star Democrat, Peak wrote, “The book itself is like a party at Julia’s house. You meet fascinating people, hear terrific stories, experience a magical place, and, at the very least, get to imagine yourself enjoying extraordinary meals.”
Finally, Johnson’s book tells the surprisingly exciting story of how the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History convinced Julia to donate the kitchen and then managed to carefully and delicately disassemble it, catalog each appliance, tool, and doo-dad, and then transfer the kit and caboodle to the museum, where it would all be reassembled once more in its own gallery.
In addition to being an excellent curator and writer, Johnson is a renowned storyteller. Her program at the library will be both informative and entertaining. Copies of “Julia Child’s Kitchen: The Design, Tools, Stories, and Legacy of an Iconic Space” will be available for purchase and autographing.
All library programs are free and open to the public. For more information, please call the library at 410-822-1626, or visit www.tcfl.org.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.