Writer Lynne Tillman, in 1975, wrote a story for Wallpaper magazine in which she “wanted to write a story and fit it all on a menu and call it ‘Myself as a Menu.'”
Poets & Writers developed the idea into a writing prompt: Write a story inspired by the menu form, perhaps using a real restaurant menu as a template or launchpad. Create a persona by choosing certain “courses” or “sides” to elaborate on your personality.
The Blog Class responded to the prompt, writing themselves as menu’s. Then, Editor Doreen Yuan compiled the “courses” and “sides” into one menu. The following is her Big Menu o’ Blog Class.
So what’s on the menu? Doreen asks.
*For Appetizers:
Chef Renée brings us an “Assortment of identities” and “Insecurity salad of the day (ask the server for selection).”
Chef Chelsea offers “Pokemon Pancakes” ($10), Dazai Osamu homemade tofu” ($5 no safety guaranteed), and “Sadao Maou fries” ($7).
Chef Katelin features “Mac n cheese because i am childish,” “Issa potato,” “Golden apple,” and a “Strawberry gumball.”
*For our Main Course:
Chef Luke cooks up “Pepperoni Pizza” (because my grandma’s Italian).
Chef James features soup with noodles. You may add “Fish cake,” “Edible fungus,” “Edible seaweed,” “Egg,” “Bamboo shoots,” and Pork slices.”
Chef Doreen features a “Spicy hot pot with enthusiastic soy sauce” ($50), “compassionate glutinous rice cake” ($26.5), “Stir-fried potatoes” ($13.33), “Brave eggplant” ($21), and “Frank lotus root and rib soup” ($16.8).
*For Dessert and Drink:
Our suggested beverages include . . .
Ms. Zachik’s “A Tall Drink of Water”
Ms. Zachik’s “Whine–Red & White”
Quintus’s “1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild”
Quintus’s “Shanghai White Wine”
Quintus’s “Blood Mary”
Luke’s “Root Beer (Because real beer is for undisciplined losers–Luke is a disciplined winner)”
Langlois “Chocolate Milk (Breaking bones is lame. Regular milk is also lame. Have bones that are as strong as Luke’s.)”
For Dessert . . .
Ms. Zachik’s “Desert Sunset Mochi”
Ms. Zachik’s “Scooby Snacks per request”
Doreen’s “Eternally fervent heart” ($0)
*We reserve the right to refuse the wearing of tight-fitting clothes.
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