Best-selling author, ‘foodie’ to speak Friday

Culinary expertise is arguably a form of art, so it’s only appropriate that one of today’s leading “foodies” will speak tonight in defense of food.

Michael Pollan, author of New York Times bestseller “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto,” will speak at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the IU Auditorium on the week’s topic, sustainability.

Maria Talbert, events coordinator for the auditorium, said Bloomington’s food-conscious culture makes Pollan’s speaking date all the more relevant.

“Bloomington has already had a history with sustainability as a whole, but the food movement caught on here a lot earlier than it did in other locations,” Talbert said. “People here are more, probably than in bigger cities and other areas, conscious about how their eating affects the environment.”

Pollan’s ArtsWeek date was the last free spot on his tour, meaning the University secured Pollan’s last speaking engagement for the year.

His arrival has been heavily anticipated; his lecture sold out in mere days.

Talbert said at this event, unlike last semester’s lecturer Richard Dawkins and the struggle to regulate attendance, the auditorium will establish a standby line at 5:30 p.m. before the lecture. As seats become available, standby members will be granted access. Patrons with multiple tickets are encouraged to return unused tickets to guarantee a full audience.

Doug Booher, executive director of the auditorium, said Pollan was selected from a list of potential speakers because of his expertise in his field and the way he presents his beliefs to the public.

“Michael Pollan does what most artists do, which is he encourages his readers to think about things in a totally different light,” Booher said. “He likes to change things around, move things around, and much of what he talks about is recognizing the beauty and life experience in our — right now he’s focused on food — in our eating and how we feed ourselves and our families as a form of art.”

Pollan himself is interested in sharing his knowledge to his audiences. In an interview with the New York Times, Pollan said he chose to study food because of its longevity throughout the history of culture.

“Long before nutrition science, we had something called culture that guided us on the same questions,” he said. “People have been dealing with health long before there was science, certainly before nutrition science. We’re constantly reading about scientific studies that support old wives’ tales.”