Julie Powell


Julia Anne Foster, known as Julie Powell, is an American author known for her book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen as well as the film Julie & Julia which was based on her book.

Biography

Powell was born and raised in Austin, Texas. She graduated from Amherst College in 1995 with a double major in theater and creative writing. She later married Eric Powell, an editor for the magazine Archaeology.

''Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen''

While working for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in August 2002, Powell began the Julie/Julia Project, a blog chronicling her attempt to cook all the recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The blog quickly gained a large following, and Powell signed a book deal with Little, Brown and Company. The resulting book, Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, was published in 2005. The paperback edition was retitled Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously.
Child was reported to have been unimpressed with Powell's blog, believing her determination to cook every recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year to be a stunt. Child's editor, Judith Jones, said in an interview:
In 2009, Powell was awarded an honorary diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, the same cooking school from which Child graduated in 1951.

''Cleaving: a Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession''

Powell's second book, Cleaving: a Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession, details her experiences learning to butcher at Fleisher's butcher shop in Kingston, NY and the effects of affairs by both her and her husband on their marriage. It was published November 30, 2009. The work received several negative reviews based on the content of the book and Powell's openness about the affairs.

Film

A film adaptation of the book, directed by Nora Ephron and titled Julie & Julia, was released August 7, 2009. The film was based on both Julie Powell's book and Julia Child's autobiography My Life in France. Amy Adams starred as Julie Powell and Meryl Streep as Julia Child. Julie's husband, Eric, was portrayed by Chris Messina.