Every family is a unique stew of personalities, memories and shared events.

When stirred with care and respect, the mix produces a lifetime's feast of love.

"I watch the members of my family file into the dining room, one by one, ingredients, each of them, yes, a menagerie of peculiar ingredients that make no sense at all together until they are thrown into the pot and simmered for a while."

Julia Schuster's family is as Southern as moonlight and magnolias, yet, like any fascinating clan, their dreams, feuds and peculiarities reflect the universal appeal of families everywhere-the rich, deep and fulfilling bond of tolerant affection.

THE INGREDIENTS OF GUMBO treats readers to an artful mix of stories, poems, recipes and gentle, sassy opinion, mingling the exotic and familiar, the funny and sad-all the intricate flavors, textures and spices of a complex family.

Julia Schuster earned her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky in June, 2007. Julia lives in Memphis, Tennessee, where she is a junior-high religion teacher. Her short fiction, poetry, and nonfiction have appeared in a number of commercial and literary publications, including her 2009 novel, FLOWERS FOR ELVIS, from Bell Bridge Books. Visit her at www.juliaschuster.com.