A dear friend of mine is a chef and by the power of osmosis I became a bit of a foodie. One of my personal culinary heroes is Anthony Bourdain. I relished A Cook’s Tour and No Reservations and tolerated the ill fated sitcom version of Kitchen Confidential. I finally reached the level of my “to read” stack that housed the actual book Kitchen Confidential. I’m only about half way through the book and the same question kept creeping into my mind. Is he writing about the culinary world or the writing world?
As I read through the pages I saw more and more of the writer’s life in that of a chef. Just as a chef will toil for hours or days perfecting a new recipe, so will a writer spend days, weeks, months or even years on their latest creation. Just as a professional chef puts his own blood, sweat and tears into each dish, so does a writer with each word, each scene and each character. They present their creations for public display. Sometimes they are praised and sometimes they are ridiculed. But they keep going on to the next project.
They get burned and cut. They suffer from block and face rejection on regular basis. They get criticized and ridiculed. And the next day, they are right back at the grind, doing it all over again. They will neglect social obligations to friends and loved ones. These proud professionals will toil away for long hours. While most people are enjoying weekends and holidays, the writer and the chef are dutifully at their chosen workstations.
They have their favorite tools whether it be a pen or a knife. Heaven forbid someone should misplace that favored writing utensil or throw the chef’s favorite knife in the dishwasher. They are quirky outcasts and proud rebels. They see life differently than those outside of their fields. They respect their peers. They each came up in business that takes a thick skin. Each has their own rites of passage. Any experience chef has been the poor line cook or sous chef getting dressed down for over cooking the expensive side of Kobe beef. Every published writer has been rejected by editors and dismissed by agents. Both have felt the sharp sting of the critics review.
Just as a chef strives for the acceptance of his patrons and peers, so does the writer. They have to please their respective master (restaurant owners and editors) before their creations ever see the light of day. Until then only your friends and family get exposed to breakthroughs and disasters. It doesn’t matter if a chef is preparing a meal in a five star gourmet restaurant or the local Soul Food joint. It doesn’t matter if the writer views himself as teacher, entertainer or philosopher. They are united by their common experiences and sacrifices.
Why would any sane person put themselves through all this? Writers and chefs are a temperamental and eccentric lot. They know that it’s not for the money or glory. It’s all about the passion of creation and that is what drives them.