A festival of tasteful titles
From 鈥淕oodnight Moon Pies鈥� to 鈥淭he Butter Battle Bar,鈥� it was a feast of literary-themed displays and ironically-named baked goods on display for 涩里番下载's eighth Edible Books Festival.
"Goodnight Moon Pies" (O'Neill Library's Steve Runge)
This year鈥檚 event, the first at 涩里番下载 since 2019, was held in O'Neill Library lobby on April 3, and featured 15 submissions from teams and individuals within the 涩里番下载 community. Like the two titles cited above鈥攊nspired by Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon and The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss鈥攅ach entry portrayed a 鈥減unny鈥� reference to a book, poem, story, or other form of literature and, as the festival name implies, was comestible.
The Edible Books Festival was pioneered by book artist Judith Hoffberg in 1999 and is a worldwide event that takes place on or around April 1 as a memorial to French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, most widely known for his book Physiologie du gout, or 鈥渢he physiology of taste.鈥� April 1 is the birthday of Brillat-Savarin, but as the Edible Books Festival鈥檚 official website notes, 鈥淎pril Fool鈥檚 Day is also the perfect day to eat your words and play with them.鈥�
"Heart of Darkness"
Associate University Librarian Scott Britton spearheaded the event at 涩里番下载 in 2013 after having participated in the festival for four years at the University of Miami. 鈥淓vents like this are important because they make the library a silly place and more accessible for students,鈥� said Britton, whose own concotion this year was a "Heart of Darkness" cake inspired by the work of the same name by Joseph Conrad.
Books that tend to show up at the festival every year include Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and Lord of the Flies by William Golding, noted Britton. 鈥淲e had 鈥楲ord of the Fries鈥� here one year,鈥� he laughed.
鈥淭his is one of my favorite annual events, especially since food celebrations took a hiatus during COVID,鈥� said Burns Library Conservation and Preservation Manager Nora Dempsey, who prior to 涩里番下载 had participated in the international event at Harvard, Northwestern, and the University of Chicago.
"Around the World in 72 Dates."
This year鈥檚 winner was Digital Scholarship Specialist Ashlyn Stewart for her 鈥淎round the World in 72 Dates,鈥� a honey-dew melon decorated as the Earth with dates poking out from its every angle鈥攁n inspiration drawn from Nellie Bly鈥檚 Around the World in Seventy-Two Days.
鈥淚t was a lot harder to make than I thought it was going to be; it took about three hours to do,鈥� said Stewart, who was awarded a maroon apron for her future culinary endeavors.
"The Grapes of Wrap"
Runner-up was Associate Director of Graduate Financial Aid Marsia Hill Kreaime for 鈥淕rapes of Wrap,鈥澨齛 cream-filled croissant and grape dish riffing on John Steinbeck鈥檚 The Grapes of Wrath.
An eager crowd gathered soon after the voting to sample this year鈥檚 entries, including past winner Sherm Homan, who said she was 鈥渏ust there for fun.鈥� In addition to her 2014 winning entry 鈥淏etty Crocker鈥檚 Cooked Book鈥濃�攁 cake decorated to appear as a cookbook鈥擧oman teamed with Student Services Associate Director Linda Malenfant to win the 2016 涩里番下载 festival with 鈥淐ryano de Bergerac,鈥� a parody of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. For this display, Bergerac, in cake form, sat in a bathtub-shaped igloo of his tears, heartbroken over his love interest, Roxane.
Homan was satisfied with her decision to try 鈥淏anana Cr锚perenina,鈥� inspired by Leo Tolstoy鈥檚 Anna Karenina. 鈥淚鈥檝e been eyeing the banana cr锚pe display ever since I got here, and let me just say it is fantastic.鈥�
Find more about the Edible Books Festival at the .听
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