Deborah Sussman

Beer Stew and Gluten-Free Love

Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we're handing out Candy Hearts -- stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. When I met my husband, Tom, in grad school in Tucson, he was cooking on a two-burner hotplate in his dorm room and I was living in an a ... More >>

The Flavor of Death

Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we're handing out Candy Hearts -- stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. Nearly 10 years ago, my wife and I had our second date at Hiro Sushi, an authentic Japanese restaurant in North Scottsdale that defies ... More >>

Sativa Peterson and The Great Kitchen

Chow Bella has a valentine for you. For the rest of February, we're handing out Candy Hearts -- stories of food and love from some of our favorite writers. Enjoy. What a great kitchen. I'm browsing one of those design websites, where you can see photos taken inside a couple's home. Slightly voyeur ... More >>

Laurie Notaro and Others Tell Stories of Food and Love at Crescent Ballroom Feb. 12

What does spaghetti have to do with love? Only Laurie Notaro knows, and she's not telling -- not til Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. when Chow Bella presents Candy Hearts, our second public reading at Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix. See also: - Laurie Notaro's Eight Food(ie) Terms Past Their Ex ... More >>

Resolution Guide: Manifesto -- Local Creatives and Their Words of Wisdom

Jay Bennett's Phoenix Music Manifesto

In early 2012, Jackalope Ranch began inviting creative types around town to write a manifesto -- a personal list of 10 hard-and-fast rules of life or pieces of advice. Each manifesto was paired with a local designer who illustrated one lesson/rule in poster form. We loved the Manifesto series so m ... More >>

The Girly Show

Mark Dery Thinks Bad Thoughts in His Latest Collection of Essays

In the introduction to his new book of essays, "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts: Drive-by Essays on American Dread, American Dreams" (University of Minnesota Press), Mark Dery lays out the foundation that shores up every one of these short, sharp, well-turned pieces: American Gothic, as epitomized by ... More >>

Five Creative Writing Classes in February

Whether you've been writing for a while, or just thinking about getting started, everyone can use a boost of inspiration from time to time. This round-up of writing workshops could be just the thing to help you put your stories on the page. Many of them are one-day events too -- easy to ge ... More >>

Deborah Sussman's Chocolate Christmas (and Hanukkah)

Claire Lawton​Christmas comes a little early to Chow Bella this year -- in the form of some darn good holiday storytelling. Today, in honor of the first night of Hanukkah (which begins tonight at sundown) we bring you Deborah Sussman's chocolate-dipped memories. I know everybody says ... More >>