Blackout Poetry in Honor of National Poetry Month

Do you ever want to write your own poetry, but feel like you lack the proper inspiration? Well, we have a solution for that - blackout poetry. Take a pre-existing text, choose the words you want and black out the rest with a marker to create your very own poem.

We've printed up the first pages of classic books for patrons to reinvent to satisfy their poetic muse. We'll be posting submissions through the end of the month - check out some of the poems already created.

Catch-22 by Jospeh Heller

love at first sight

he fell madly in love with

a pain in his liver

The doctors were puzzled

each morning they came around

accompanied by

 one of the ward nurses

"Give him another pill."

he

had everything he wanted in the hospital

his meals were brought to him in bed.

no one ever disturbed

him

he was free to spend

each day lying around idly

He was comfortable in the hospital.

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

 Glad

I am seated surrounded by heads

This is a cold room.

I am here.

I do not know which face belongs to whom

I've been coached 

to 

a 

pleasant expression or smile.

Something about the room's odor

has

the impermanent quality of something stamped into uncooperative material,

My side of the story

is speaking more or less to these pages

Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Modern

England

rejoice

disaster has accompanied

evil forebodings.

my first task is to assure

north of London;

a cold northern breeze

fervent and vivid

frost

presents itself

beauty and delight.

there snow and frost

wafted 

Recipe Recommendation

Are you ever in the mood for brownies and cookies at the same time? Don't answer that, we know you are. Get a glass of milk handy, we have a brand new recipe for you!

Café au Lait Bars

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup instant coffee crystals or 3 tbls espresso powder
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup chopped walnuts (or chocolate chips!)

Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease a 13x9 pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until light-colored and thick.  Add the sugar, beating until glossy and stiff.  Add the vanilla and melted butter, beating to combine.  Stir in the flour and salt.

Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the batter.  Stir together the espresso powder and cream and add to the remaining batter.  Spread the coffee batter in the prepared pan.  Spoon the reserved batter over the top, then run a knife through the two batters to marble them.  Sprinkle with the nuts or chocolate chips.

Bake the bars for 30 minutes, or until the sides just barely pull away from the edge of the pan and the center is set.  Remove them from the oven and cool before cutting.

From The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion: the Essential Cookie Cookbook which is available in the RI library system: http://catalog.oslri.net/record=b1875590~S1