Feeding Fascism: The Politics of Women’s Food Work / Diana Garvin, University of Oregon

How did women negotiate the politics of Italy’s Fascist regime in their daily lives? “Feeding Fascism” tackles this question with a new body of evidence, ranging from industrial foodways to private letters by women who fed their families through industrial and agricultural labor. It uses food as a critical lens to examine daily negotiations of power between women and the Fascist State.  Revealing the national stakes of daily choices, “Feeding Fascism” attests to the power of food. Given the recent upswing of authoritarian politics around the world, this evocative account of everyday life under Italian Fascism is a timely reminder that our dining room tables can be sites of resistance.