Episode #39: Dr. Evan Edwards - Food, Philosophy, and Myth

Evan Edwards pioneered the Thoreau College Residency from August-December 2020, when he served as the “Captain of Nourishment” – drawing on deep experience as a professional chef to plan, cook, and serve meals for Thoreau College Semester Program students and staff, while also processing produce from Thoreau College gardens and helping students plan meals for their residential houses. In addition, he taught cooking and kitchen skills workshops and led a series of academic sessions on the key figures of phenomenology, including Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty. At the same time, Evan used his Residency to work on his PhD dissertation in Philosophy from DePaul University, which he completed in 2022. His dissertation, entitled Autotrophy of the Other: On Food and Hospitality, drew heavily on his experience at Thoreau College, and is focused on the intersection of contemporary philosophies of food and of plant life. He is currently a visiting assistant professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Grand Valley State University.Autotrophy of the Other: On Food and Hospitality: https://via.library.depaul.edu/etd/331/#:~:text=It's%20my%20doctoral%20dissertation%2C%20but,individuals%20that%20facilitate%20our%20nourishment.Contact Evan directly @ [email protected] more about Thoreau College and the microcollege movement at https://www.thoreaucollege.orgDriftless Folk School: https://www.driftlessfolkschool.org