Simren Shah

Associate Features Editor

Friday, the George Street Press, Millersville University’s literary magazine,
hosted a blackout poetry event in the atrium at the Student Memorial Center. The event
radiated a laid-back vibe.
Students created blackout poetry by tearing pages from books and blacking out
most of the words on the page using markers. Selected words were not blacked out and
those words came together as a poem. Students hung out, listened to music, had
conversations and created their own blackout poetry pieces.
Sara Pizzo, George Street Press’s vice president, was exceedingly friendly and
invited everyone walking by the table to join the event. “I am the person who will literally
talk to everyone,” remarked Pizzo. Pizzo says she is enthusiastic about the magazine
and writing. She enjoys the magazine’s events because “people always look at us like
‘what are these weirdos doing just coloring on a page?’ I like seeing peoples’ reactions,
and see if they’re going to come over, and if they get interested. I like that you don’t
know who is going to come out because then you never know who you’re going to see.”
Kitsey Shehan, the president of the magazine, also introduced herself. She loves
creative writing and, like Sara, is studying to be a teacher.
Shehan says she enjoys blackout poetry because “they’re very visual. They
bridge the gap between writing and art.” She loves to “take time with friends to create”
and thinks that it is an important aspect of the group’s events.
A new member of the club, Stephanie, enjoyed her first event with the group. She
described her first time with blackout poetry as “a fun thing to do that’s not time
consuming, so you don’t have to stay here all day to do it.”
Anyone who did not attend the event is encouraged to send their blackout poetry
for a chance to be published in the magazine. So dig out an old book, an exacto knife, and a sharpie, and create.