Local author Melani Martinez is getting some well-deserved national recognition — and it all started with memories of her family’s molino.
Her debut book, “The Molino: A Memoir,” was just named a finalist for the Nach Waxman Prize, a national award celebrating outstanding food writing.
Through personal stories and cultural reflection in the book, Martinez captures the resilience of Tucson’s Mexican American food traditions.
“An undeniably effective memoir, The Molino is a revealing history of a family and its eatery in downtown Tucson, where for generations a mill ground the corn for tortillas and tamales that were integral to lives in one of the city’s historic neighborhoods.”
In the memoir, Martinez, who also teaches writing at the University of Arizona, touches on the “tensions within her extensive family, within the local community, and within the broader culture in a series of vignettes which are sometimes poignant, sometimes funny.”
The Nach Waxman Prize
The annual award is presented by Kitchen Arts & Letters, a renowned culinary bookstore in New York City, in collaboration with the Waxman family. The bookstore was established in memory of Nach Waxman (1936–2021), who was an advocate for food literature.
Therefore, the prize honors exceptional works in food and beverage scholarship.
Awarded each spring, the $5,500 prize recognizes a U.S.-published book from the previous year that:
- It is well-written and accurate
- It is accessible to a motivated general audience
- Has the potential to attract new readers to the field of food scholarship or significantly influence future research
The selection process involves a panel of three judges with diverse backgrounds in food studies. Only five books make it to this round!
The 2024 prize winner will be revealed on Tuesday, May 6, accompanied by an online discussion featuring the winning author and the judges.
You can pick up a copy of “The Molino: A Memoir” here.
For more information, visit kitchenartsandletters.com.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
