I Spy
Matt Yglesias is entirely correct to point out that Julia Child was a pretty awesome spy before she brought French cooking to America, and that the ads for Julie & Julia, the new movie based on Child's memoir, My Life in France, and Julie Powell's memoir of cooking her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking, totally elide that fact, suggesting that Julia Child was lost and looking for a calling when she headed off to cooking school in Paris. I agree that I would watch a movie about Julia Child's spy years in a heartbeat, and I think it would be a good thing if folks knew that she was able to write Mastering the Art of French Cooking in part because federal employment brought her and her husband overseas, and provided a salary Paul and Julia could live on. But I also think that Child didn't view spying as her calling. Cooking was what it turned out to be, and it's okay to portray her life as a search for that.
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Actually, Julie Powell's book references Julia Child's OSS days a few times.
Eric Posted Monday, July 27, 2009 11:38 AMOne of my all-time favorites and reason I bought a TV (black & white)when returning stateside from active duty. Julia definitely provided the most sensual TV show ever with her joy of cooking whatever the repast. She probably indirectly produced more interest in cooking than anyone ever. Thanks OSS for giving up on Julia and letting her succeed in a much more important arena than the mundane world of INTEL. I always wondered if part of her interest was gained while employed in CHINA and seeing how that ancient culture processed its food resources into various culinary delights. How many Chinese restauants are in the US? How many French? Surely God must have upgraded his/her menues when she arrived in heaven!
William R. Cumming Posted Tuesday, July 28, 2009 6:43 AMinteresting fact about Julie and so few people know. I'd watch a movie about that, too.
delta1-5 Posted Wednesday, July 29, 2009 9:22 AM