October 15th: Nathan Graziano Features



Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery (located on 106 Prospect Street in Cambridge) with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On October 15th, we will welcome the long anticipated visit of Nathan Graziano to Stone Soup.

Nathan Graziano lives in Manchester, New Hampshire, with his wife and two kids. He teaches high school at Pembroke Academy. His latest collection of poetry,Teaching Metaphors, was released by Sunnyoutside Press in June. He is also the author of Frostbite, a collection of short fiction, and nine chapbooks of poetry and fiction. Below is a sample poem, originally published in Rattle.


On a Former Student’s Spread
in Hustler Magazine

She seemed much happier in the nude,
with her fingers clamped to stiff nipples
and legs spread wide in a claw foot tub,
than she ever did in my classroom,
half-listening to me blather about Blake,
her head down on the desktop.

As I search for lint in her bellybutton
and dirt behind her airbrushed ears,
I realize she would not know Hamlet
if he were to show up at her photo shoot
with his foil’s tip dipped in poison
and drawn to the greasy photographer’s throat.
Even if the prince were to introduce
himself by name, nothing would register,
as if “Hamlet” was plucked from a phonebook.

But she couldn’t mistake the look in his eyes
when she glanced back from her pose
to find him ready to cry or scream.

Visit Nathan Graziano's web site.

October 8th: Rafael Woolf Features


Photo by Bill Perrault

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On October 8th, we welcome the return of Stone Soup and open mike regular Rafael Woolf as a feature.

Rafael Woolf was the editor of local legend Bill Barnum, putting together several manuscripts that have yet to be published. An earlier book of poems on mental illness, I Wish That My Room Had a Floor, was first published by Jack Powers' Stone Soup Press It was recently re-released by the editors of Boston Poet.

Click here to order Rafael Woolf's book from Lulu.

October 1st: The Peddlar Features


Photo by Bill Perrault

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery (located on 106 Prospect Street in Cambridge) with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. Beginning our October readings will be the ever-traveling poet, "The Peddlar."

K. Peddlar Bridges is the co-founder of the Biker Poets & Writers Association and founder of the RoadPoet online magazine. He also serves as a columnist for CT Cruise News and motorcyclegoodies.com. An occasional writing workshop teacher, his work has appeared in numerous publications and has made many radio and television appearances. He recently released the chapbook/CD compilation Raised By Wolves with J. Barrett Wolf.

See a preview of Peddlar's upcoming chapbook, Laconia Bike Week ... Dust that never Settles!

Saturday Night: Legendary Boston Poet Jack Powers Celebrates 70th

On Sept 15, 2007 at 5 P.M. at the International Community Church in Allston (30 Gordon St.) celebrated poet Jack Powers will celebrate his 70th birthday with a potluck dinner and reading.

Jack Powers is the founder of Boston's legendary Stone Soup Poetry Founded in 1971 at the Charles Meeting House on Beacon Hill in Boston, Powers has lead this venue of readings, activism and publishing for well over thirty years. Powers was also influential in establishing the Beacon Hill Free School in the 1970's, which encouraged people to teach and participate in educational courses for no charge.

Stone Soup Poets is almost as well known for its publishing history. Powers has published over 80 titles , including Powers' personal favorite "Jack of Hearts," by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Powers has also published such poets under the Stone Soup imprint as the award-winning Franny Lindsay, and the late Black Mountain School poet John Wieners.

Powers has jumpstarted the careers of many well-known poets including the small press doyenne Lyn Lifshin. Folks like Beat bad boy Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg and Robert Bly have passed through Stone Soup's poetic portal. Stone Soup Poets has been housed for the last several years at the Out of the Blue Art Gallery in Cambridge, Mass. It meets every Monday
at 8PM, and carries on the proud tradition with the help of poet Chad Parenteau.

The well-known Boston street artist and activist Sidewalk Sam, as well as Doug Holder of the Ibbetson Street Press, Rev. Lorraine Cleaves Anderson of the International Community Church, and Margaret Nairn president of Collaborative Artworks Inc, are organizing the celebration. The reading and potluck dinner will have music provided by Boston -area poet and singer/songwriter Jennifer Matthews, as well as Powers' sons.

All friends and acquaintances, and anyone who has been touched by Jack in his long literary outreach are invited to come. Bring a poem, a dish for the potluck, and a friend!

* For more information contact: Doug Holder 617-628-2313

September 24th: Ryan "Rat" Travis Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery (located on 106 Prospect Street in Cambridge) with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On September 24th, Ryan Travis returns to the venue where he got his start to pay tribute to Stone Soup and Jack Powers.

Ryan "Rat" Travis has often been called, the most dangerous man in poetry. A member of the infamous Collective and the Barnum and Buddah Poetry Circus, Rat has performed all over New England, as well as, New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. His poetry style varies from kid’s poetry to haiku, sonnets, free-form, rap, and everything in between. Making you laugh one minute and then crying the next, his poetry is sarcastic, introspective, raw and full of truth. He has often been likened to the likes of Lenny Bruce, Andy Kaufman, Jim Morrison, Henry Rollins, and Charles Bukowski all rolled into one. A sample poem follows below.


Heil Mickey

Everyone is given a number when they come to work here
you become the number and less the name
Everyone wears a uniform that's specific to their area right down to the socks
There are guidelines on how a worker should look
specific hairstyles and colors
Men are allowed a moustache of a specific length and width
beards aren't allowed
neither are sideburns
tattoos are a different story
If you have a visible tattoo
don't even apply
If you get a visible tattoo or change your hair color
to anything other than a normal hair color that is suited to your skin tone
you are fired
Goth's need not apply
You must conform to their standards
cut your hair if it gets to long
or you get written up
stand straight, don't lean
or you are written up
you can't be sick
you can't be late
even for a minute
There's a point system
If you're late less than 2 hours it's half a point
more than 2 hours
it's a point
call in sick
it's a point
You can call in for 3 days in a row and it's only a point
as long as you say it's continuous
get enough points and you're written up
3 in 30
6 in 90
12 in a year
if you're written up 4 times you're fired
There are so many ways to get written up
safety infractions
appearance infractions
attitude infractions
for a job that's so short on people they can't fill every position
they sure don't make any effort to keep people
They've burned through most of the locals
so they have to import workers from other countries
or lie to college students about how great it is to work here
the college program is pretty much indentured servitude, with a smile
which is another way you can get written up
not smiling
They try to get their workers to conform
most of the workers are so conditioned they can do their jobs in their sleep
nonconformists are gotten rid of
they're trying to get rid of me and slowly but surely it's working

A clear signal that lets other workers know it's ok to run the ride
is an open hand
raised outward arm extended
palm outward

Heil Mickey

--Ryan “Rat” Travis

September 17th: Joanna Nealon, James Van Looy and Carol Weston Celebrate Jack Powers' Birthday

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery (located on 106 Prospect Street in Cambridge) with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. While the Boston poetry scene will have just celebrated Jack Powers birthday, on September 17th, the Stone Soup venue takes it's turn in honoring the founder of Stone Soup with three poets who will pay tribute to his life and the history of the Stone Soup venue.



Joanna Nealon has five published books: The Lie And I, Poems Of The Zodiac, Cosmic Trend, Said The Sage, The Fourth Kingdom, and Living It. Her poems have appeared in Stone Soup Quarterly, Stone Soup Gazette, The Aurorean, Medaphors, Ibbetson Street, and the anthology, We Speak For Peace.


Photo by Bill Perrault

James Van Looy became involved with Stone Soup in the mid-70's when he lived on Beacon Hill, seeing performers such as Bill Barnum and Brother Blue. He studied mime for eight years with the Mirage Movement Theatre, eventually becoming a member of the troupe. He is currently the co-Artistic Director of Cosmic Spelunker Theatre.


Photo by Bill Perrault

As part of Stone Soup, Carol Weston has given readings alongside such individuals as Jack Powers, Allen Ginsberg, and John Wieners. Her chapbook, Spirals, Whorls, Sutures, Septa, was published by Stone Soup.

September 10th: Anne Carhart and Bill Perrault Feature

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery (located on 106 Prospect Street in Cambridge) with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On September 10th, Stone Soup will welcome two staples back as features.


Photo by Bill Perrault

Anne Carhart considers herself to be an old Cambridge poet but readily admits being born in Brooklyn and falling in love with poetry while living in the Village and attending NYU. She has an M.A. in Writing and one in Counseling/Psychology from Cambridge's Lesley University and an Ed.D. from UMass. Her poems have appeared in the anthology Cries of the Spirit, Heat City Review, Earth's Daughters, The Hartford Courant and Spare Change News. Last November, Ibbetson Street Press published her first book, Sanctus! Sanctus! Sanctus! She is working on her next book, A Kid From Brooklyn.


Photo by Chad Parenteau

Bill Perrault went to the Universities of New England and Maine and wrote a graduate thesis on the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire. He has published poems on Mothwing, Boston Poet, Stone Soup Anthology 2003, and Out Of The Blue Writers Unite. He reads his poetry throughout New England and has featured at the Lizard Lounge, Gypsypashn's venue, and Stone Soup. He was recently named Producer of the Year for LTC Channel 8 in Lowell for his weekly production of the Stone Soup Poetry TV series as well as other programs.

Both features were recently published in Spoonful, the new Stone Soup tribute journal. Click here to visit the site and see their works.