Alum Johnson (2015) to Moderate Boston University Webinar Series
Amy Johnson (B.A. 2015) is now pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy (Food Studies) at Boston University. The BU Gastronomy Student Association will be hosting a series of virtual speaking engagements centered on diversity and inclusion in the beverage community during the month of March. “The Curse of Connoisseurship: Discussions of the Boston Beverage Community” will address who is othered and made invisible as a result of underrepresentation in the wine and spirits industry. Amy, as moderator of the discussions on March 3 and March 9, will interview bartenders, wine store owners, sommeliers, and consumers to foster conversations about the language, rhetoric, spaces, and events used to discuss, share, and sell wine and spirits.
Amy’s interest in food studies kicked off during a Special Topics in Anthropology (Anthropology of Food) course with Megan Sheehan (Ph.D. 2016). What started out as a passion has since blossomed into an entire Master’s degree focused on the intersection of culture and food and wine studies. Amy gave a presentation at the SoA in 2015 titled “Understanding French Culture Through the Lens of Wine.” She writes, “to some extent, these events are an extension of my research in undergrad.”
The virtual conference takes place in six different discussions, all free and open to the public regardless of one’s location. More information and registration are available at: https://sites.bu.edu/gastronomyblog/2021/02/13/the-curse-of-connoisseurship/. (Anthro News Digest date: 03/05/2021)