RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – The Library of Virginia is excited to announce that a conversation between culinary historian Leni Sorensen and award-winning author and culinary historian Michael W. Twitty on his new book, “Recipes From the American South,” has been added to the 2025 Carole Weinstein Author Series lineup. The talk will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Library’s Lecture Hall. The program will include a Q&A session and a book signing. Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/15187764. 

MICHAEL W. TWITTY IN CONVERSATION WITH LENI SORENSON
“Recipes From the American South”
Tuesday, Oct. 28 | 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Michael W. Twitty is an acclaimed culinary historian and the author of the James Beard Award–winning book “The Cooking Gene,” as well as “Rice” and “Koshersoul.” He has written for many publications and been featured throughout print and broadcast media, including the Guardian, the New York Times, the Washington Post, PBS and NPR’s “The Splendid Table.” He has given over 500 public talks and appeared in numerous series, including “Taste the Nation” and “High on the Hog.”

Leni Sorensen has worked as a university lecturer, museum consultant, hands-on presenter and researcher with a focus on African American slavery, American agriculture, and women’s work in colonial and post-colonial America. She retired as the African American research historian at Monticello, and continues to lecture, consult and write on issues related to food history while teaching home provisioning and rural life skills from her home in western Albemarle County. 

About “Recipes From the American South”

“Recipes From the American South” builds on the foundation of Michael W. Twitty’s James Beard Award–winning memoir, “The Cooking Gene,” once again bringing his unparalleled scholarship, lived experience and eloquent storytelling to his exploration of the South. He showcases the complexity of food traditions influenced by European, Indigenous, African and immigrant communities. With more than 260 recipes, Twitty offers a broad view of the culinary sweep of Southern history and its many cultures, bringing to life everything from timeless classics to lesser-known regional specialties. “Recipes From the American South” celebrates Southern food’s memory keepers and practitioners.

The Carole Weinstein Author Series showcases the literary arts by bringing both new and well-known authors to the Library of Virginia to share the stories that define the Commonwealth. Free and open to the public, the series focuses on Virginia authors and Virginia subjects across all genres. Each book talk is followed by a lively Q&A with audience members and an author signing of their books. 

The series is made possible through generous support from the Carole Weinstein Endowment for Virginia Authors. Weinstein Series books can be purchased through the Virginia Shop at the Library of Virginia or online by visiting www.thevirginiashop.org. 

In addition to the Oct. 28 talk with Twitty and Sorenson, the remaining events in the 2025 Carole Weinstein Author Series schedule are as follows:

LAURA E. HELTON 
“Scattered and Fugitive Things: How Black Collectors Created Archives and Remade History”
Wednesday, Sept. 3 | 6 to 7:30 p.m.

CRYSTAL WILKINSON
“Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks”
Thursday, Nov. 13 | 6 to 7:30 p.m. (rescheduled from Aug. 14)

Learn more at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/calendar/LVAevents?t=d&q=weinstein&cid=15187&cal=15187&ct=81993&inc=0. 

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The Library of Virginia is the leading source of information on Virginia’s history, government and people. The Library’s collections, containing more than 134 million items, document and illustrate the lives of both famous Virginians and ordinary citizens. Our online resources draw nearly 2 million website visits per year, and our on-site records, exhibitions and events bring in thousands of visitors annually. The Library is located in downtown Richmond near Capitol Square at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Learn more at www.lva.virginia.gov.