Winter Warmers - Park Slope Food Coop

11-01-27 pp1-12_Layout 1 1/26/11 7:40 PM Page 1010 January 27, 2011 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NYBest FriendsCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1my dad, I was super aware ofbeing a lame suburban kidwhenever I was in New York.I’m glad the city feels seamlesslywoven into the booksince I really want readerswho live here to recognize it,and people who don’t to loveit as much as I do.LG: The theme of friendship isa powerful one in Darlings. Howmuch did you draw on your experiencesas a young adult (it is aYA novel), and your grown-upfriendships?MK: I think one of thehardest things for me to do asa writer is betray my characters.Actually, I really hate tomake anything bad happen tomy characters, which (as youcan imagine) limits my plots.So for a number of drafts theDarlings were just perfect toeach other. They never gotirritated with one another.They never said anythingmean to one another. Andthey certainly never had aserious conflict with oneanother. My editor at the timegently, gently helped me tomake their friendships morecomplicated and truer to realrelationships. I mean, when Ilook back at my friendshipsfrom middle school and highschool, we were often beingless than kind to one another.There was a certain competitivenessand there was plentyof jealousy and there was definitelyjudgment. But thatdidn’t mean we weren’t goodfriends to one another or thatwe didn’t love each other.Once I was able to allow theDarlings to be less perfecttowards each other, I was ableto make their friendship better,deeper, more real. Just tobe clear, they’re not awful,catty or cruel. They just havesome real tensions that I letthem explore as they dealtwith growing up.Food and FriendshipLG: Food is often the thing thatbrings people together. When youwere a teenager what did you like toeat, and what about now—favoriteCoop items?MK: Okay, I love the Coop. Ilove shopping at the Coopand eating food from theCoop and working at theCoop. Whenever we take aleave from the Coop, I go completelyinsane and I lookaskance at all of the food inour fridge and cabinets.Favorite foods: cheese.Cheese. Cheese. Also watercress.Whatever yummy, exoticcrackers can be found at thatend cap across from the chicken.More cheese.LG: And speaking of food, whatcan you tell us about GaGaNoodle?MK: In my head, I knowexactly where GaGa Noodle isand what the vibe is there. It’sgot crisp white tableclothsand a waiter who knows yourdrink order (or at least knowsthe Darlings’ drink order—virginpina coladas). It’s got ahuge plate glass window. Inmy head, it’s a cross betweenMr. Wonton (on 7th Avenue inPark Slope), Silk Road Palace(on the Upper West Side) andthis tiny restaurant in myhometown on Long Island,the name of which I’ve completelyforgotten (though notthe awesome egg rolls).Melissa KantorIt used to be that a few hourswas a writing day for me, butnow that time is so short, I tryto make myself work a longday. …”How do you doeverything?” I honestlyanswer: “I have no idea.”ConfessionsLG: One of your other books,Confessions of a Not It Girl,began in Brooklyn, in a way, didn’tit? Could you tell us about it?MK: Confessions of a Not ItGirl is my first book, my baby,and it’s set in Park Slope. Inretrospect, I can’t believe Ididn’t make the narrator’sparents Coop members.They’re a total fantasy of aPark Slope couple. She’s adocumentary filmmaker, he’sa professor of art history atColumbia (his field is NorthernRenaissance painting,and the narrator is named Janafter Jan van Eyck, which shehates). Though they havethese wonderful, fulfillingjobs in fields that are notknown for their high pay, theylive in a center Slope brownstone.This back story (myadult fantasy, as opposed tomy YA fantasy) is probablylost on most of my teenagereaders. That said, I thinkCoop members of all ageswill recognize some of thefamiliar landmarks. There’s astore called Cutie Pie that’sbased on Kiwi, there’s a videostore that’s based on VideoForum. It’s a very SeventhAvenue book.Juggling ActLG: Where do you do your writingthese days, and how do youjuggle your creative work with therest of your life?MK: Oh, wow, juggling. Ihave three little kids and Iteach full time, so there’s a lotof juggling in my life. Duringthe summers, I get up andwrite at school all day. Duringthe school year, which iswhen I do most of my editing,I just catch a bit of time hereand a bit of time there. I teachmiddle- and high-school English,so from September toJune writing is very muchabout stealing time awayfrom children (my studentsand my kids, ages two, threeand seven). I grab an hour inthe afternoon when I don’thave a class to teach or, ifthings are really desperate, I’llwork at night (which I hatedoing—I’m a morning person).Having a husband whoworks part-time is whatmakes any and all of this evenremotely possible. He doespretty much all of the cooking.(Evenings when he’sworking, the kids often getbaby carrots and salami oncrackers for dinner—stillhaven’t heard a convincingargument for why this isn’treally a meal.) Things are a bitmore civilized during thesummer. I get up, head outearly and buy a bagel and asandwich, so I can work allday. Then I park myself at my(fairly empty) school to write.As soon as I sit down at thecomputer, I immediately eatboth the bagel and my lunch.Only then do I turn to writing.It used to be that a few hourswas a writing day for me, butnow that time is so short, I tryto make myself work a longday. It all feels a bit ad hocand precarious. When peoplesay, “How do you do everything?”I honestly answer: “Ihave no idea.”LG: What is your favoritecomfort food after a hard dayof writing?MK: Miche* and cheese.Have you had the Coop’samazing miche? But honestly,I’ll eat pretty much anything—leftovers,PirateBooty, the kids’ Halloweencandy. I’m easy.For more on Melissa, visit herwebsite: www.melissakantor.com. ■* A round loaf of white breadLEFFERTS FARMFOOD COOPERATIVEWe are a newly-formed group made up of residents from Flatbush,Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and Crown Heights, working to develop a newmedium-sized food cooperative in the area.WE NEED YOUR HELP!There’s no question Brooklyn needs more food cooperatives, but it’s notsimple. Food co-ops are businesses and development projects created forand by the community.JOIN OUR PLANNING GROUPIn order to make this happen, we need YOU! Why? Because as a member,you have experience with food co-ops. And as a worker/community member,you have experience we need—from organizational development, branding/messaging, finance/accounting, fundraising, to real estate development andcommunity outreach. Even people you know or the groups you belong to area valuable asset to the process!GET INVOLVEDPSFC members will receive FTOP credit in exchange for their participation.Join our MeetUp group at www.meetup.com/plgfoodcoop or contactleffertsfarm@gmail.com for more information.JOIN US: www.meetup.com/plgfoodcoopRead the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com