Jodi Rhoden is a writer of journalism, memoir, and creative non-fiction on the subjects of Southern food and culture. She aims to elevate and illuminate the sacred and hidden bonds of love woven through everyday life in the form of recipes and life stories.

Published Works:

In 2013, Jodi’s story, “All Wealth is From the Earth,” was published in The Bitter Southerner. Centered on Massachusetts-born potter Alex Matisse, great-grandson of Henri Matisse, “All Wealth is From the Earth” is a long-form exploration of the complexities of Southern identity and the depth of the North Carolina pottery lineage. 

 

In 2012, Jodi interviewed three Asheville artists, Dewayne Barton, Steve Mann, and Imhotep Dlanod, about their ongoing creative and personal relationship with members of the Hopi Tribe of Northeastern Arizona. The story, entitled “We’re Finally Brothers,” was published by The Mountain Xpress, and explores intersections between Hopi, Mardi Gras Indian, and Afro-Appalachian culture.

 

In 2011, Lark Books published Jodi’s book, Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition. Cake Ladies was Jodi’s manifesto on the power of cake that women in the American South have long used to uplift themselves and, in turn, their communities. The book features rich environmental, studio, and portrait photography, as well as the life stories and recipes of 19 diverse cake ladies.

 

Jodi authored the award-winning blog My Life in Cake from 2008 through 2011. Chronicling the joys and sorrows of her journey from home baker to cake shop owner, My Life in Cake was “a blog about cake, Short Street Cakes, the Cake Shop, cupcakes, cake recipes, Asheville, family, community, sustainability, and spiritual practice. But mostly just cake.”