The Measure of Her Powers: An M.F.K. Fisher Reader

Any discussion of the great masters of American English must include the writing of M. F. K. Fisher. Over sixty years, in her writings about family, food and travel, Fisher amassed a body of work that belongs on any shelf of classic American writing. The Measure of Her Powers assembles a generous selection of the books from throughout her career, arranged chronologically, and we fortunate readers now are offered a magnificent, intimate survey of her life and writing.

Whether reflecting on her father's affinity for the underdog or bravely navigating the trials of old age, Fisher's candor and wit are vigorous and infectious. Tales of travel, childhood memories, recipes massacred and perfected, meditations on World War II, and thoughts on cataract surgery – the range of stories on her palette is surprising and original.

The Measure of Her Powers, finely edited by Dominique Gioia and introduced by Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet, will captivate those who have never read Fisher and deepen the appreciation of her many fans.

"Food is what she wrote about, although to leave it at that is reductionist in the extreme. What she really wrote about was passion, the importance of living boldly instead of cautiously; oh, what scorn she had for timid eaters, timid lovers, people who took timid stands, or none at all, on matters of principle." Cyra McFadden, San Francisco Examiner

"If I were still teaching high school English, I'd use [Fisher's] books to show how to write simply, how to enjoy food and drink but, most of all, how to enjoy life. Her books are one feast after another." Frank McCourt

Provocative writings from the foremost anarchist journal published in America — Emma Goldman's Mother Earth

Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher was born in Michigan in 1908 and her family moved to California when she was three. In a career that extended from the late 1930s to the early 1990s, Fisher wrote twenty-six books. She is widely acknowledged as the creator of the genre we know as food writing. She was elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and received lifetime achievement awards from the James Beard Foundation and the American Institute of Wine and Food. Fisher died at home, in Glen Ellen, California in 1992.

Dominique Gioia has worked closely with the family and estate of M.F.K. Fisher to compile The Measure of Her Powers. A freelance editor, she lives and works in San Francisco.