Sponsored by the Friends of Forbes Library and the Friends of Lilly Library, the fundraiser boasted about 25 fully edible creations.
NORTHAMPTON – Charles Frazier’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Cold Mountain” is a fiddle made of fruitcake and pecans.
At least that’s how Marianne Moriarty of Northampton chose to represent it at the fifth annual Edible Book event at Forbes Library on Sunday. Sponsored by the Friends of Forbes Library and the Friends of Lilly Library, in Northampton and Florence, respectively, the fundraiser boasted about 25 fully edible creations.
This year’s judges were local children’s book author Ellen Wittlinger and WFCR radio host Bob Paquette. The edible books were served up in the community room after the judging.
“I’ve combined elements of the survival foods in the novel,” said Moriarty, pointing out the watercress, blackberries and golden apples used in her creation. The fiddle represents the character Stobrod’s transformation from an “outlier” to a great musician “through perseverance and the hard road,” she said.
Moriarty received the “Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’” award.
Scott McDaniel of Florence created a three-page sketchbook, complete with a drawing on the second page, out of fondant and food coloring. The first page was folded back and the pencils next to the book were made of breadsticks. He said the piece took about a month to complete.
McDaniel walked away with the “Most Realistic Portrayal of a Book” award.
Laura Wenk, her partner Judy Stern and 9-year-old Mina Stern-Wenk, of Amherst, made a gingerbread house modeled after a pop-up book called “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Robert Sabuda, an adaptation of the famous Lewis Carroll story. The title character had just had eaten the food that makes her grow.
In the family’s creation, Alice’s leg is sticking out of the chimney. It was good enough to earn the “Best Building in Show” award.
“It’s a challenge to try to think about how to represent something with food,” said Wenk. “We hope that Amherst starts doing something like this soon (at the Jones Library).”
Dee Michel of Amherst, who sits on the planning committee, said this was his third event and it’s always “so amazing to see the joy and creativity in the room.”
He teamed up with 12-year-old Eva Gerstle to create the Emerald City from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum out of green ice cream cones and candy. The duo took home the “Green with Envy” award.
Other entries included “The Old Man and the Sea(weed),” which Naomi Ossar of Amherst made with sheets of seaweed. She crafted a likeness of author Ernest Hemingway on the cover with shredded squid. She earned the punny “Best Hook” award.
“It’s not raising a lot of money ever year, but it’s a great community event,” said Bonnie Burnham, who organized the event with the planning committee.
Burnham said the event’s proceeds will be split between the two Friends groups and that she expects more to be raised than in previous years.