Origins & Early Life

Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher Parrish Friede (July 3, 1908 – June 22, 1992), writing as M.F.K. Fisher, was an American food writer. She was a founder of the Napa Valley Wine Library. Over her lifetime she wrote 27 books, among them Consider the Oyster (1941), How to Cook a Wolf (1942), The Gastronomical Me (1943) and a translation of Brillat-Savarin's The Physiology of Taste.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Fisher believed that eating well was just one of the "arts of life" and explored this in her writing. W. H. Auden once remarked, "I do not know of anyone in the United States who writes better prose." In 1991 the New York Times editorial board went so far as to say, "Calling M.F.K. Fisher, who has just been elected to the American Academy and National Institute of Arts and Letters, a food writer is a lot like calling Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart a tunesmith.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

At the same time that she is celebrating, say, oysters (which lead, she says, 'a dreadful but exciting life') or the scent of orange segments drying on a radiator, she is also celebrating life and loneliness, sense and sensibility." Fisher was born Mary Frances Kennedy on July 3, 1908, at 202 Irwin Avenue, Albion, Michigan. She told Albion City Historian...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abraham Maslow — Contemporary (Born in 1908) (1908): Pioneering American psychologist known for the Hierarchy of Needs and self-actualization theory.
• Bette Davis — Contemporary (Born in 1908) (1908): Iconic Hollywood actress known for intense, unsympathetic, and sardonic performances.
• Butch Cassidy — Contemporary (Died in 1908) (1908): Iconic American outlaw, leader of the 'Wild Bunch' in the Old West.
• 21 Savage — Contemporary (Born in 1992) (1992): Atlanta-based rapper known for his distinctive style and career evolution.
• 6lack — Contemporary (Born in 1992) (1992): American R&B singer, songwriter, and rapper known professionally as 6lack.
• Alex Haley — Contemporary (Died in 1992) (1992): Pioneering author of 'Roots,' who brought Black American genealogy to global prominence.
• Audra McDonald — Shared historical date (07-03 · Born) (1970): Award-winning American actress and singer celebrated for Broadway mastery.
• Franz Kafka — Shared historical date (07-03 · Born) (1883): Pioneering author whose surrealism explored bureaucratic absurdity and existential dread.
• Abbas Kiarostami — Shared historical date (06-22 · Born) (1940): Master Iranian filmmaker known for blending fiction and documentary styles.
• Adam Schiff — Shared historical date (06-22 · Born) (1960): Long-serving Democratic politician, former Congressman, and current U.S. Senator from California.
• 1908 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1908
• July 3 (07-03) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 3
• 1992 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1992
• June 22 (06-22) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 22