John Birdsall (writer)

John Birdsall
Born1959/1960
Writing career
Notable work
    • The Man Who Ate Too Much (2020)
    • What is Queer Food? (2025)
Notable awards

John Birdsall (born c. 1960) is an American writer. He is the author of The Man Who Ate Too Much (2020) and What is Queer Food? (2025); he also wrote Hawker Fare (2018) with James Syhabout. He has won two James Beard Foundation Awards, as well as the 2026 Amber Hollibaugh Award.

Career

Birdsall began his career working in restaurants.[1]

His writing career kicked off with his essay "America, Your Food Is So Gay", published in Lucky Peach in 2013.[2] The essay highlighted closeted gay food writers of the twentieth century, including American chef James Beard (1903–1985), American food writer Richard Olney (1927–1999), and American restaurant critic and food journalist Craig Claiborne (1920–2000).[3] According to Jaya Saxena, writing for Eater, this essay "essentially kicked off the queer food conversation".[1] In 2014, "American, Your Food Is So Gay" won the James Beard Foundation Award for Food and Culture.[4][5]

In 2016, Birdsall won the James Beard Foundation Award for Food and Culture again for his essay "Straight-Up Passing", originally published in Jerry.[6][7]

Birdsall's debut book, The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard, is a biography of James Beard,[8] published by W. W. Norton & Company on October 6, 2020. The book was well received by critics, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews,[9] Library Journal,[10] and Publishers Weekly.[11] In 2021, The Man Who Ate Too Much was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Memoir or Biography,[12] as well as the Randy Shilts Award.[13]

In 2018, Birdsall co-authored Hawker Fare: Stories and Recipes from a Refugee Chef's Isan Thai & Lao Roots with James Syhabout.[14][15] The book received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.[16]

Birdsall published What Is Queer Food?: How We Served a Revolution with W. W. Norton & Company on June 3, 2025.[17] Expanding on ideas from his earlier works, What Is Queer Food? connects food and queer history through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.[18][19] The book received a starred review from Publishers Weekly,[20] and won the 2026 Amber Hollibaugh Award.[21]

Awards and honors

Awards for Birdsall's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2014 "America, Your Food Is So Gay", Lucky Peach James Beard Foundation Award for Food and Culture Winner [4][5]
2016 "Straight-Up Passing", Jarry James Beard Foundation Award for Food and Culture Winner [6][7]
2021 The Man Who Ate Too Much Lambda Literary Award for Gay Memoir or Biography Finalist [12]
2021 The Man Who Ate Too Much Randy Shilts Award Finalist [13]
2026 What Is Queer Food? Amber Hollibaugh Award Winner [21]

Personal life

Birdsall was born in 1959 or 1960.[2] He grew up with his older brother and parents in a San Francisco suburb.[22]

Publications

  • Birdsall, John (2020). The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-63571-3.[23][24]
  • Syhabout, James; Birdsall, John (2018). Hawker Fare: Stories and Recipes from a Refugee Chef's Isan Thai & Lao Roots. Photography by Eric Wolfinger. Ecco/Bourdain. ISBN 978-0-06-265609-4.[25]
  • Birdsall, John (2025). What Is Queer Food?: How We Served a Revolution. Norton. ISBN 978-1-324-07379-6.[26]

References

  1. 1 2 Saxena, Jaya (June 3, 2025). "How Two Groundbreaking Books Capture the Power of LGBTQ+ Place-Makers and Mold Breakers". Eater. Archived from the original on April 17, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Allen, Jeremy (June 21, 2018). "Building a Table for All: The Ascent of Queer Food Culture". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 19, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  3. ↑ Makhijani, Pooja (February 28, 2025). "Queering the Menu: PW Talks with John Birdsall and Erik Piepenburg". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Filloon, Whitney (May 3, 2014). "Winners: 2014 James Beard Foundation Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards". Eater. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "2014 James Beard Foundation Awards". StarChefs. May 2014. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Galarza, Daniela (April 26, 2016). "The Full List of 2016 James Beard Foundation Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Winners". Eater. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Galarza, Daniela (April 26, 2016). "The Full List of 2016 James Beard Foundation Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Winners". Eater. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  8. ↑ Moskin, Julia (December 15, 2020). "A Deeper, Darker Look at James Beard, Food Oracle and Gay Man". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 30, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  9. ↑ "The Man Who Ate Too Much". Kirkus Reviews. May 28, 2020. Archived from the original on January 13, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  10. ↑ "The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard". Library Journal. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  11. ↑ "The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard by John Birdsall". Publishers Weekly. May 5, 2020. Archived from the original on May 22, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  12. 1 2 Gentes, Brian (March 15, 2021). "2021 Lambda Literary Award Finalists Announced". Lambda Literary. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  13. 1 2 "The Randy Shilts Award for Gay Nonfiction". The Publishing Triangle. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Hawker Fare: Stories & Recipes from a Refugee Chef's Isan Thai & Lao Roots". Library Journal. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  15. ↑ Weed, Katie (February 9, 2018). "Hawker Fare: Stories and Recipes from a Refugee Chef's Isan Thai and Lao Roots". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on September 12, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Hawker Fare: Stories and Recipes from a Refugee Chef's Isan Thai & Lao Roots by James Syhabout, John Birdsall". Publishers Weekly. November 6, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  17. ↑ "What is Queer Food?". Kirkus Reviews. April 16, 2025. Archived from the original on September 18, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  18. ↑ Volger, Lukas (June 14, 2025). "In Two New Books, the Chef Definitely Recommends Something Gay". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 30, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  19. ↑ Addison, Bill (June 28, 2025). "Yup, it's gay food. But what does that mean? Two new books tell all". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 24, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  20. ↑ "What Is Queer Food?: How We Served a Revolution by John Birdsall". Publishers Weekly. March 24, 2025. Archived from the original on May 20, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Awards: Publishing Triangle Winners". Shelf Awareness . April 20, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  22. ↑ "America, Your Food Is So Gay". John Birdsall. Archived from the original on November 7, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  23. ↑ "The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard". Booklist. October 1, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  24. ↑ Mishan, Ligaya (October 9, 2020). "A Life of James Beard Stocked With Tasty Morsels". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 7, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Hawker Fare: Stories & Recipes from a Refugee Chef's Thai Isan & Lao Roots". Booklist. November 15, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  26. ↑ Levy, Jessica S. (May 27, 2025). "What Is Queer Food? How We Served a Revolution". Booklist. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
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