It isn’t often that anything that I’m involved with is described as “fairy-tale” (though I do dig ponies and rainbows — like, a lot). Yet, a very kind writer from Newsweek used just that word in a recent web feature to describe the “vegan romance” I share with Jenna. And really, out of everything else in my life, that’s about the only thing that ever works flawlessly, so perhaps it isn’t such a bad description. Here’s the relevant bit:

Still, fairy-tale vegan romance can be found. Vegan Freak host Bob Torres shares his podcast duties with his wife and co-host, Jenna Torres. The couple met at Penn State and both now teach at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. They’ve been married for nine years and vegan for three. They’re not the only ones; Bob and Jenna say they have seen successful relationships start among vegans who frequent the forums at their Vegan Freak Web site. “It’s something we really bond over and do together,” says Bob.

As you’ll see if you click through, our University photographer was also kind enough to jump in at the last minute and provide some cutesy pictures for the article.¹ Of course, we also debated the “salad question:” do we eat salad in the pictures, thereby maintaing the stereotype that all vegans eat is salad? In the end, we figured salad sent a better message than tater-tots, which are another common vegan staple in our dining hall.

All said, it was a welcome relief to be featured as a regular human being. In a media environment in which veganism is seen as the province of baby-starving weirdos, I am always concerned when anyone from the media contacts me to talk about veganism. Fortunatley, the reporter for this piece was actually interested in understanding the perspective of vegans, and being a vegetarian herself, she was easy to talk to, understanding, and thoughtful in her handling of a topic that most people would see as a bit “out there.” I appreciated that.

Now, I have to get back to another aspect of my life that isn’t so “fairy tale:” preparing for class.

1. I just wish I’d gotten more sleep the night before. My eyes don’t usually have bags quite that big under them [↩]