In kitchens around Mexico, the appearance of late summer pomegranates and walnuts sets mouths to watering, a sure sign that the season has arrived for that most patriotic of dishes: chiles en nogada.

The 30 writers who sign up for a workshop with the 1970s and ‘80s counterculture icon Tom Robbins at the San Miguel summer literary festival might only write one sentence.

“It’s not just a matter of feeding people’s bodies. I feel that when I make bread, it’s nourishment for their souls, as well.”