John Birdsall is a freelance writer in Oakland, California. He’s the author of The Man Who Ate Too Much, a new biography of James Beard, to be published by W.W. Norton and Co. in fall 2020, and co-author with James Syhabout of Hawker Fare (2018). John has written for many publications, including Los Angeles Times, Lucky Peach, Bon Appétit, Saveur, Food&Wine, Jarry, and Wall Street Journal. He’s been honored with two James Beard Awards for writing.