Vegetarian literature
It’s great to read books about the why and how of vegetarian and vegan living - nonfiction books on animal rights, health and vegetarian cookery - but what if you have a yen for more literary vegetarian literature?
At least a few giants of world literature have been vegetarians - playwright George Bernard Shaw, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and novelists Leo Tolstoy and Isaac Bashevis Singer come to mind quickly. There are no doubt more - readers, please let me know if you have any favorites (authors or specific books with a vegetarian theme) that I didn’t think to mention.
Of the four on the top of my head, I am least familiar with Singer, a Nobel Prize winning author. An article from Satya magazine, still available online here, has enlightening discussion of the importance that vegetarianism had for Singer, and recommends: “If you are unfamiliar with Singer’s fiction, pick up Enemies: A Love Story, The Penitent, and Meshugah, all of which are vegetarian-themed novels.” This is advice I intend to follow.
Unfortunately, Satya itself ceased publication last year, but you can read all the back issues - back to 1994 - online at http://www.satyamag.com/backissues.html T hat’s another bit of reading I’ll be doing as time allows….
