Recipe Book

by Iyanna Eliassaint

Author's Commentary

What inspired me to write this recipe book was trying to cultivate a way to express my thoughts with Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise and Antigone by Sophocles. I wanted to avoid writing a typical essay, and I wanted to add some of my unique flair, so I decided on a recipe book. My writing process contained various steps. I annotated Antigone and Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise. Then I chose my desserts, illustrated them, and then combined my thoughts with the desserts and description. I used many literary devices, which were metaphors and imagery, when I annotated and expressed my thoughts on the poem and story. I also used symbolism when creating my desserts and the names I chose for each of them, as I connected them to lines from Still I Rise and Antigone. I structured my reading using the steps to make each dessert as a way to express my thoughts and make connections with Still I Rise and Antigone. I wanted to explore many themes in my writing, and examples of these themes were justice, fantasy, self-empowerment, rising against adversity, oppression, and society. Exploring such themes allows my audience to connect with what I wrote and not just read it without having thoughts or wonders of their own. I love baking and writing, so I got to do two things I enjoy at once while creating this recipe book based on literary works I have read. In my creative works, I try to do something different every time to show versatility. 

Illustrations and recipe book done by: Iyanna Eliassaint