Hello to All My Roadies!

Making a book has many phases: the outline, writing, design direction, photography, editing (and editing and editing), pre-press, printing, PR and marketing. Then—finally—publication. I’ve been working on Food is a Feeling since early 2024, and the writing was solitary as heck: just me, my myriad avoidance practices, along with the dog and the cat, who were never very helpful.

Early this year, we wrapped the design and photography phase, and the book was sent off to the other side of the world to be printed. That’s when I shifted my attention to the tour. When I thought about the book tours I’d gone on in the past, the conversations that took place after the events wrapped were the sparkliest memories. That’s when readers let me in on the personal, deeply-felt ways that cooking has impacted their lives. Since Food is a Feeling is about the emotional role food plays in our lives, I wanted the tour to match that energy.

What if, I asked no one, What if the tour prioritized and facilitated exactly these moments? What would it look like if we skipped over the part where I am blathering into a mic and struggling to make eye contact with folks seated in front of me, and got straight to chatting?

What if, after all that time writing by myself, I actually got to be with people.

In an instant, I decided not to do the tour I’d done before. Different book; different vibe. No bookstore Q&As, no cooking demos from a stage, no signing lines. As with many of the decisions I made about FIAF, this idea was a hard sell. And by hard sell, I mean I had to use another hunk of my advance money to hire a seasoned events person, and the two of us have been grinding on this ever since.

I’m now very happy to announce that the Food is a Feeling tour kicks off in Brooklyn on September 8, and concludes in Austin on September 25. There will be parties at clothing stores in Philadelphia and Portland, OR, a Lalli-family inspired wine class in Chicago, bevvies and snacks at indie bookstores in Detroit and Austin, movie screenings (Heartburn? Kramer vs. Kramer!?) and buckets of Alone Popcorn in D.C. and Austin.

I’ve also somehow convinced several restaurants to take inspiration from an imaginary restaurant I call Beans, Greens, and Sardines, to team up on unique menus that celebrate legumes, leafy things, and things that swim. I will hang with you at every event. I will read to you at every event. I want to get superrrrrr heartsy with you at every event.

If your town isn’t on this list: I’m sorry. Hopefully I’ll get back out there! My publisher gave me a $5000 travel budget (inclusive of … everything), and reality has its way of placing limits. Big thanks to the tourism boards, hotels, and other generous partners who are helping me out with rooms and flights.

I better see your a$$ on the road.

xoxCarla