Duke’s summer reading book for the Class of 2015,“Eating Animals,” takes a hard look into factory farming and challenges readers to make informed decisions about their eating habits. The Chronicle’s Anna Koelsch and Matt Barnett sat down with author Jonathan Safran Foer to discuss eating in college and his personal experiences as a vegetarian.
The Chronicle: What was your reaction to Duke and UNC’s selection of “Eating Animals” as the summer reading book?
Jonathan Safran Foer: I was really honored, and it just says something so wonderful about the schools. Not just because it’s my book, but clearly it’s a difficult subject, and that’s what we should be spending our time talking about in college—the big, difficult subjects. Whatever you think about meat, you have to acknowledge it’s a big subject.
TC: You said you toyed with being a vegetarian in college, which is something very common. Why do you think college students as a population are so willing to play around with their eating habits?
JSF: Because college students are idealistic and eating less meat is idealistic. College is a time for experimenting with your identity and your lifestyle. College students also dye their hair a lot.... It’s all about a willingness to change.
TC: Your book really stands out from others that explore the ethics of eating simply because it includes so much of your personal history and beliefs. Why did you decide to share so much of yourself with readers?
JSF: I thought it was just honest because food is not only about argument. Otherwise, everyone would be a vegetarian. Eating is about the stories we have.
TC: How can college students help spread the facts that you presented in your book, such as the United Nations ranking the factory farming system as the top reason for global warming?
JSF: Lots of different ways. You can write about it, you can do it explicitly.... It’s all about the way you carry yourself. People underestimate the power of carrying yourself. You don’t have to wag your finger to have a huge impact. People who have made the biggest impact have done it quite subtly. When you are in the cafeteria and don’t put something on your tray that everybody else is getting, people will notice. You don’t have to say ‘meat is murder.’
TC: You mentioned in your speech that you were surprised that religious leaders have not taken a more active role in this issue. What would be the ideal role of religion as it pertains to food issues?
JSF: Some of the most important biblical ideals are dominion over animals and stewardship of the earth. Clearly our relationship to meat animals is anything but what was in mind with biblical dominion, which involves protection and compassion.
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