Avis DeVoto (1904–1989)
Author of As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto
Works by Avis DeVoto
As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto (2010) — Author — 688 copies, 16 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- DeVoto, Avis
- Legal name
- DeVoto, Helen Avis MacVicar
- Birthdate
- 1904-05-22
- Date of death
- 1989-03-07
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Northwestern University
- Occupations
- culinary editor
book reviewer
cook - Organizations
- Alfred A. Knopf
Harvard University - Relationships
- DeVoto, Bernard (spouse)
DeVoto, Mark (son)
DeVoto, Gordon (son)
Child, Julia (friend)
David, Elizabeth (editor) - Short biography
- Avis MacVicar DeVoto was born in Houghton, Michigan, on May 22, 1904. At the end of her freshman year at Northwestern University, in June 1923, she married Bernard DeVoto who had been her English instructor. The DeVotos remained in Evanston for four years and then moved to Cambridge where Bernard DeVoto was a member of the English Department at Harvard until 1936. With the exception of four years in Lincoln, Massachusetts (1932-1936) and two years in New York City (1936-1938) where Bernard DeVoto was editor of the Saturday Review of Literature, the DeVotos lived in Cambridge. Bernard DeVoto was an historian, literary critic, editor and author of numerous books, including The Year of Decision, Across the Wide Missouri, The Course of Empire and several on Mark Twain (See Who Was Who, 1951-1960). He was the editor of "The Easy Chair" for Harper's Magazine from 1935 until his death in 1955. There are two DeVoto sons, Gordon and Mark. Avis DeVoto was an editor, specializing in cookbooks, for Alfred A. Knopf from 1956 to 1958. She held the post of House Secretary in Lowell House at Harvard for the next five years and then worked in the Deans' Office at Radcliffe until her retirement in June 1969.
- Cause of death
- pancreatic cancer
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Houghton, Michigan, USA
- Places of residence
- Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Place of death
- Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Massachusetts, USA
Members
Reviews
While I've enjoyed watching Julia Child occasionally on TV, and I own a copy of her famous cookbook, I have always felt somewhat intimidated by this matriarch of elegant meal prep.
"As Always, Julia" brings Julia Child to earth, and makes her not only approachable, but warm, human, funny, intelligent and someone you'd want to have for a next door neighbor. I had no idea who Avis DeVoto was until I read this book of letters between these two. I have not yet seen the movie in which she show more evidently becomes known to Americans, but she is introduced quite well in this collection of letters. Covering a span of over 30 years, Avis and Julia kept up a witty, no-holds-barred trans-Atlantic correspondence covering everything from how to poach fish, how to write, edit and publish a cookbook, the chilling impact of McCarthyism on American life, finding housing in France, Norway, Germany, to whether or not to use a pressure cooker for long simmering soups and stews.
Starting as pen-pals and continuing for several years before they had a chance to meet, the letter-writing cemented a friendship that coincidentally involved an unofficial business relationship, and reveals two well-educated, very talented women living out their lives in roles new to both of them. Their letters were at times about subjects many would consider banal, but they offer a glimpse into a world all but forgotten in today's high-tech environment. It is a book that is big, bold, heavy and not easily read in one sitting. Therein lies the beauty of it -- it can be read and savored, like a good wine, in small sips over a lingering period of time. For fans of Julia Child, it is a must read.
Joan Reardon has done a yeoman job of editing and compiling the correspondence to make it interesting, engaging, and compelling. show less
"As Always, Julia" brings Julia Child to earth, and makes her not only approachable, but warm, human, funny, intelligent and someone you'd want to have for a next door neighbor. I had no idea who Avis DeVoto was until I read this book of letters between these two. I have not yet seen the movie in which she show more evidently becomes known to Americans, but she is introduced quite well in this collection of letters. Covering a span of over 30 years, Avis and Julia kept up a witty, no-holds-barred trans-Atlantic correspondence covering everything from how to poach fish, how to write, edit and publish a cookbook, the chilling impact of McCarthyism on American life, finding housing in France, Norway, Germany, to whether or not to use a pressure cooker for long simmering soups and stews.
Starting as pen-pals and continuing for several years before they had a chance to meet, the letter-writing cemented a friendship that coincidentally involved an unofficial business relationship, and reveals two well-educated, very talented women living out their lives in roles new to both of them. Their letters were at times about subjects many would consider banal, but they offer a glimpse into a world all but forgotten in today's high-tech environment. It is a book that is big, bold, heavy and not easily read in one sitting. Therein lies the beauty of it -- it can be read and savored, like a good wine, in small sips over a lingering period of time. For fans of Julia Child, it is a must read.
Joan Reardon has done a yeoman job of editing and compiling the correspondence to make it interesting, engaging, and compelling. show less
As always, Julia : the letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto : food, friendship, and the making of a masterpiece by Joan Reardon
It all started with a fan letter written in March of 1953. “Housewife” and food junkie Julia Child wrote a letter to Mr. Bernard DeVoto agreeing with his “diatribe” against stainless steel knives in an article he’d written for Harper’s magazine. Julia’s letter was answered by Bernard’s wife, Avis. Many of us learned about the friendship between Julia and Avis DeVoto in the 2009 hit film, Julie and Julia. Now we are blessed with the treat that is Joan Reardon’s As Always, show more Julia.
Joan Reardon has done a superb job in selecting, compiling, editing and referencing what was originally more than four hundred letters written by Julia and Avis. Ms. Reardon is a culinary historian, cookbook author, and biographer. She also edits a quarterly newsletter for Les Dames d’Escoffier Chicago and serves on the advisory board of Gastronomica. In other words, Ms. Reardon knows her way around a kitchen and it shows!
Within the 430+ pages of this book, the letters not only chronicle the growing friendship between Julia and Avis, they also serve as steadfast barometer of the times. The letters span the years between 1953 and 1961. The world was changing rapidly and the commentary and banter that flows back and forth reflects the post-World War II “jet age” experiences. One of the things I found amazing was the pro-and-con 1953 debate spurred by new “labor saving devices,” in particular, the automatic dish washer, something a 2010 household thinks nothing about. However, Avis is appalled that the glasses and dishes have to be rinsed, that pots and pans shouldn’t be put in, and all things considered, they don’t clean that well.
Another discussion that takes place between Avis and Julia is one that would not take place today: the scarcity of fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables during the “off season.” Now-a-days most everything is available year round. They shared their struggles with cooking food within the “seasons” and offered each other alternatives to fresh foods, frozen (not so good) and canned (not so good always either).
This is a wonderful book of letters that shares more than the growth of a long distance friendship. As Always, Julia follows the publication of Julia’s ground breaking cookbook, Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Through the eyes of these two savvy, well read, well traveled, and very opinionated women we see the politics of the time, the McCarthy era, as well as their thoughts on American “fast food,” how to make a beurre blanc, and the perils of the frozen turkey.
As Always, Julia is a valentine to every cook, wanna-be cook, chef, and food lover out there. It’s also a valentine to a friendship that survived decades.
I can’t recommend this book enough. As Always, Julia is a wonderful read and it will make a fabulous gift to anyone who loves food and believes in enduring, unselfish friendships. Buy several, one to read and the rest to share with friends!
Source: This book was provided to me by the publisher at my request and in no way affected by review. show less
Joan Reardon has done a superb job in selecting, compiling, editing and referencing what was originally more than four hundred letters written by Julia and Avis. Ms. Reardon is a culinary historian, cookbook author, and biographer. She also edits a quarterly newsletter for Les Dames d’Escoffier Chicago and serves on the advisory board of Gastronomica. In other words, Ms. Reardon knows her way around a kitchen and it shows!
Within the 430+ pages of this book, the letters not only chronicle the growing friendship between Julia and Avis, they also serve as steadfast barometer of the times. The letters span the years between 1953 and 1961. The world was changing rapidly and the commentary and banter that flows back and forth reflects the post-World War II “jet age” experiences. One of the things I found amazing was the pro-and-con 1953 debate spurred by new “labor saving devices,” in particular, the automatic dish washer, something a 2010 household thinks nothing about. However, Avis is appalled that the glasses and dishes have to be rinsed, that pots and pans shouldn’t be put in, and all things considered, they don’t clean that well.
Another discussion that takes place between Avis and Julia is one that would not take place today: the scarcity of fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables during the “off season.” Now-a-days most everything is available year round. They shared their struggles with cooking food within the “seasons” and offered each other alternatives to fresh foods, frozen (not so good) and canned (not so good always either).
This is a wonderful book of letters that shares more than the growth of a long distance friendship. As Always, Julia follows the publication of Julia’s ground breaking cookbook, Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Through the eyes of these two savvy, well read, well traveled, and very opinionated women we see the politics of the time, the McCarthy era, as well as their thoughts on American “fast food,” how to make a beurre blanc, and the perils of the frozen turkey.
As Always, Julia is a valentine to every cook, wanna-be cook, chef, and food lover out there. It’s also a valentine to a friendship that survived decades.
I can’t recommend this book enough. As Always, Julia is a wonderful read and it will make a fabulous gift to anyone who loves food and believes in enduring, unselfish friendships. Buy several, one to read and the rest to share with friends!
Source: This book was provided to me by the publisher at my request and in no way affected by review. show less
This is a collection of the letters between Julia Child, who revolutionised American cooking in the 1960s with her books and TV shows about classical French cooking, and Avis de Voto. I'd never heard of Avis but she was clearly a very interesting, bright woman. Her husband was Bernard de Voto, a well known author of books about the American west (including one that won a Pulitzer and one that won the National Book Award).
He also had a column in Harper's Magazine for many years, and wrote show more one about the poor quality of knives in the US. Julia Child replied to him offering to send him some good ones from France, and Bernard's wife Avis replied on his behalf. From this, a great friendship was born, and without it, Julia's book probably wouldn't have been published. Avis ended up being a publishing scout for Knopf for a while, and had lots of contacts in the publishing business.
The book is a dense 400 pages, and I couldn't read too much at one go, but I was glad I kept going. It goes from 1952 - 1960 or so, up till the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. As well as lots of really interesting stuff about cooking and US politics in the 1950s, there is plenty of day to day detail about their families. At times this got boring - who cares what was happening with Avis' wax flooring? - but it did show how the friendship grew to be very important to both women. And it was interesting to read about Julia and Paul Child's experiences in France, then Germany, then Norway. There was tons about how to get a book published in the 1950s, Boston society goings-on, setbacks with Hougton Mifflin, and trouble with the co-authors. Both women were ardent Democrats, and the Republicans could do no right. So if this is going to annoy you, it won't be a 4 star book! The recipes were discussed a lot, and most oozed butter but/and sounded delicious.
Joan Reardon edited the letters and put in an introductory few pages at the start of each section. This told you everything that was about to happen in the next 100-odd pages, and there were lots of spoilers. It might be better to read her sections at the end of the letters. show less
He also had a column in Harper's Magazine for many years, and wrote show more one about the poor quality of knives in the US. Julia Child replied to him offering to send him some good ones from France, and Bernard's wife Avis replied on his behalf. From this, a great friendship was born, and without it, Julia's book probably wouldn't have been published. Avis ended up being a publishing scout for Knopf for a while, and had lots of contacts in the publishing business.
The book is a dense 400 pages, and I couldn't read too much at one go, but I was glad I kept going. It goes from 1952 - 1960 or so, up till the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. As well as lots of really interesting stuff about cooking and US politics in the 1950s, there is plenty of day to day detail about their families. At times this got boring - who cares what was happening with Avis' wax flooring? - but it did show how the friendship grew to be very important to both women. And it was interesting to read about Julia and Paul Child's experiences in France, then Germany, then Norway. There was tons about how to get a book published in the 1950s, Boston society goings-on, setbacks with Hougton Mifflin, and trouble with the co-authors. Both women were ardent Democrats, and the Republicans could do no right. So if this is going to annoy you, it won't be a 4 star book! The recipes were discussed a lot, and most oozed butter but/and sounded delicious.
Joan Reardon edited the letters and put in an introductory few pages at the start of each section. This told you everything that was about to happen in the next 100-odd pages, and there were lots of spoilers. It might be better to read her sections at the end of the letters. show less
Hardly a book I expected to find so engrossing and detailed and personal; with very minimal bridging materials and introductions, this collection of letters between the title women is engrossing for their discussions of cooking, writing, contemporary politics (fascinating looks at the McCarthy era on both their parts), and more. A book of interest whether you're a fan of cooking or not.
I'd picked this up on a whim at the library for my wife to thumb through, and insomnia (and a well show more structured book with great voices in the letters) had me finishing this before she'd even looked at it. show less
I'd picked this up on a whim at the library for my wife to thumb through, and insomnia (and a well show more structured book with great voices in the letters) had me finishing this before she'd even looked at it. show less
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Statistics
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- Members
- 688
- Popularity
- #36,763
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 16
- ISBNs
- 4