I would like to consider "Consider the Lobster" some more.

September 12, 2010 12:38 PM

Are the letters to the editor published in Gourmet magazine in response to "Consider the Lobster" available online?

I remember when this essay was published in Gourmet, and I remember the letters to the editor that followed. I'm teaching this essay in a freshman comp class and I would really like to be able to show some of these responses to the kids. My Google-fu is failing me. Does anyone know if I might be able to find them online, and where?

I'm sure I had the magazines they were published in, but tossed them when I moved across the country last year, g.d. it.

posted by apricot to education (13 answers total)

Well, this may not be helpful, but Consider the Lobster was published in the August, 2004 edition. If the letters appeared in the October, 2004 edition, it may be relatively easy to find a print edition (here, for example) because that month includes the annual restaurant review.

Plus, that tidbit may mean some friendly MeFite finds and scans said magazine for you...
posted by carmicha at 1:16 PM on September 12, 2010

I have a print edition (Oct. 2004) here in hand, but it's gonna be another 40 minutes before I can get to a scanner.
posted by carsonb at 1:20 PM on September 12, 2010

OK, I mussed it up the first time, hence the delay, but here's both pages of letters re Consider the Lobster from Gourmet Oct. 2004:

Page 1
Page 2

I checked the Nov. issue too since the Oct. introductory note says they received tons of letters about the essay, but there weren't any more printed.
posted by carsonb at 3:17 PM on September 12, 2010 [22 favorites]

Also, to actually answer the front-facing question, it looks as though InfoTrack has 2 years plus current year of full-text available for Gourmet, so no, those letters from 2004 wouldn't necessarily be available elsewhere online. 2008-current should be though, through your local library's online database.
posted by carsonb at 3:58 PM on September 12, 2010

You are wonderful, Carsonb! Thank you so much!
posted by apricot at 4:10 PM on September 12, 2010

Nice job. Thoroughly enjoyed reading that.
posted by alkupe at 5:12 PM on September 12, 2010

I like the letter with footnotes.
posted by John Cohen at 5:20 PM on September 12, 2010

So do I.<sup>1

1</sup>So does my vegan boyfriend, who suggested I read "Consider the Lobster" in the first place.
posted by ocherdraco at 5:44 PM on September 12, 2010

And just to be servicey, a quick Google yields the original article in question at the Gourmet site, in case your curiosity was piqued, as mine was: Consider the Lobster.
posted by troyer at 7:54 PM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Terrific! I teach the article, and my kids will love reading the letters--valuable assistance in understanding the context in which the original article was published. Hilarious.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 5:07 AM on September 13, 2010

Now I'm curious about that wineglass article.
posted by Iridic at 9:56 AM on September 13, 2010

Wineglass article: Shattered Myths
posted by notyoutoo at 3:57 PM on April 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thanks!
posted by Iridic at 7:43 AM on April 27, 2011