May 6th: Lee Litif and Mark Hänser Feature at Stone Soup

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 May 6th, rescheduled in the wake of April 15th, we welcome back Stone Soup's most controversial feature ever Lee Litif with his new opening feature, Mark Hänser.

The most infamous open miker at the venue. Lee Litif has been a regular contribution to the Stone Soup open mike since 1991. He's the author of several chapbooks, including Unpatriotic Flags and Abominating White Houses, Reckless Paella and Defecating Republicans, and Ultrasonic Amplifiers and Marshall Amps/Genital Wart Puking Rednecks. He's been described as "The love child of Gallagher and Larry Fischer with G.G. Allin as midwife" by Chad Parenteau and "the orgasm that never quite made it," by Walter Howard.

Mark Hänser may have come from Neptune. Or more likely, he was a changeling left by celluloid fairies in a basket filled with orange blooms beneath a starry Southern California sky. Then later to be reared beneath barren maple trees underneath a Berkshire sky of Maxfield Parrish blue. The bastard love child of judy Garland and Dr. Seuss, Mark Hänser – as a painter and poet and a performer — draws his inspiration from pop culture, the tragically romantic, the romantically tragic, and the absurd. In his performing guise as the Whore of Babylon, Mark was a well-known presence in the Boston poetry scene. But the Babylonian had to be slain as the millenium came, and Mark fled to Neptune. But now he's back, with tales from the ether!

April 29th: Scott Jacobs Features at Stone Soup

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 April 29th, we close out Stone Soup's celebration of National Poetry Month with a feature by Scott Jacobs, one of the organizers of the popular Zig Zag open mic in Salem.

Scott Jacobs lives in Salem MA. He has been published in Word Riot & ZigZagFolios. He is a bricklayer.

April 22nd: The Pentimenti Women's Writing Group Features at Stone Soup

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 April 22d, we welcome an extended storytelling session with the Pentimenti women's Writing Group.

Four years ago a group of women in Dorchester began meeting on Saturday mornings at 450 Washington to write their stories. Some were working on poetry, others memoirs, novels, essays, or short fiction, but they all committed to finding their voices and telling their stories – and to helping one another to do that as well. That’s why they called our first collection of writing, “Can You Hear Our Voices?”

Over the years, the members of the group have changed, some women have moved on and new people have joined us, but the core commitment to honesty and self-expression – and to a caring, nurturing community – has remained steadfast.

Several years ago we took the name “Pentimenti,” which refers to “an underlying image in a painting, as an earlier painting, part of a painting, or original draft, that shows through, usually when the top layer of paint has become transparent with age.” The name reflects the process we are exploring, uncovering our histories, our stories, and our selves.


JENNIE P. BARNETT: Jennie lives in Dorchester and works full time as an Administrative Assistant. An avid gardener, she is without a garden right now but is making up for it by focusing on growing her writing and learning to "hear" her voice.

CAROL D. CARTER: Carol was born in Boston and lives in Dorchester. She received her BFA from Mass College of Art with a degree in Painting and Art Education. She also studied music at the University of Mass, Boston, and worked as a professional singer and musician. She has won awards in painting and wrote an art program, “Splashes of Color,” for children and adults. She is now writing her memoirs and a novel about a sailor/fishermen. She started writing when she was a young child but always hid her writings because she was afraid of being called a “storyteller.” In her young mind, that meant she was a terrible liar.

CAROL DOWD-DICKERSON: Carol has been a word-weaver and storyteller since she was very young. An educator with Boston Public Schools she has introduced new people, places, and things to her students by teaching them to read, as well as, how to perform the written word. Her current group of fourth and fifth graders, “The Joseph Lee Poet Posse,” have performed their own poetry. Carol’s poetry is as varied as her taste in great writers that range from Dorothy West, Langston Hughes, Pablo Neruda, and William Butler Yeats. Her poems are being published in the WriteOnTheDot Vol II collection. She is currently writing a novel and has the beginnings of a play taking form.

HEIDI LEWIS IVEY: Heidi is a revivalist, teacher and writer. Her writing has been influenced by Nikki Giovanni, Zora Neal-Hurston and Gwendolyn Brooks. Heidi's autobiography in poetic expression is scheduled to be released later this year. She hosts the In My Fathers House radio broadcast on Boston Praise Radio and lives in Dorchester.

4/15/13 Stone Soup Cancelled!

Friends:

In the wake of the Boston Marathon tragedy, I am cancelling tonight's Stone Soup feature with Lee Litif and Mark Hanser.  This is the best move to guarantee everyone's safety in this stressful time.

April 15th: Lee Litif and Mark Hänser Feature at Stone Soup

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 April 15th, we welcome back Stone Soup's most controversial feature ever Lee Litif with his new opening feature, Mark Hänser.

The most infamous open miker at the venue. Lee Litif has been a regular contribution to the Stone Soup open mike since 1991. He's the author of several chapbooks, including Unpatriotic Flags and Abominating White Houses, Reckless Paella and Defecating Republicans, and Ultrasonic Amplifiers and Marshall Amps/Genital Wart Puking Rednecks. He's been described as "The love child of Gallagher and Larry Fischer with G.G. Allin as midwife" by Chad Parenteau and "the orgasm that never quite made it," by Walter Howard.

Mark Hänser may have come from Neptune. Or more likely, he was a changeling left by celluloid fairies in a basket filled with orange blooms beneath a starry Southern California sky. Then later to be reared beneath barren maple trees underneath a Berkshire sky of Maxfield Parrish blue. The bastard love child of judy Garland and Dr. Seuss, Mark Hänser – as a painter and poet and a performer — draws his inspiration from pop culture, the tragically romantic, the romantically tragic, and the absurd. In his performing guise as the Whore of Babylon, Mark was a well-known presence in the Boston poetry scene. But the Babylonian had to be slain as the millenium came, and Mark fled to Neptune. But now he's back, with tales from the ether!

13th annual Boston National Poetry Month Festival-April 5-7 at BPL

The 13th annual Boston National Poetry Month Festival welcomes you to a three day regional event Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7, 2013. This on-growing tradition is a partnership with Tapestry of Voices, the Boston Public Library, and the Kaji Aso Studio.

This major literary program includes over 60 poets,five highly talented high school students- Boston Latin and Boston Arts Academy, and one Harvard student- two open mics and a workshop  facilitated by noted poet Tom Daley.

Festival Hours: Friday, Noon-4:00 P.M.; Sat. 10:00-4:40P.M., Sunday: 1:00P.M.-4:40 P.M. The go to address  for full description and schedule is bostonnationalpoetry.wix.com/poetry. Hope to see YOU there !!

Friday's program will be Noon-4:00P.M. in the Commonwealth Salon Room at the BPL

Ten keynote poets will start this year's poetry festival: David Ferry, winner of the 100,000 Ruth Lilly Prize (2011) and more recently, The National Book Award for poetry, Afaa M. Weaver, one of the foremost African-American Poets writing today- 12 collections and two plays published and produced; Dan Tobin, recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and an NEA Award with six collections published, X.J. Kennedy, eight collections and twenty childrens' books; George Kalogerisn noted poet and nationally  recognized translator, Rhina P. Espaillat national prize-winning poet with thirteen collections and translations and two short story collections, Richard Hoffman, four collections, plus a memoir  and a collection of short stories; Kathleen Spivack, thirteen collections,plus one short story collection and her current memoir,"With Robert Lowell and his Circle";Judith Steinbergh, Brookline Poet Laureate, three collections,  and Christine Casson whos newest collection was published last year.

Saturday and Sunday's program moves to the Library's Rabb Auditorium There will be five highly talented Boston High School Students plus one Harvard Student; Sam Cornish, Boston's Poet Laureate will begin the popular "Poetry Marathon" followed by 55  major and emerging poets, two Open Mikes, and one workshop.

April 8th: Stone Soup Presents The Head-to-Head Haiku

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.  Please consider this a call for participation as Stone Soup plans its second annual Head-to-Head Haiku in celebration of National Poetry Month on April 8th.

Stone Soup is looking for a minimum of 8 poets to participate in his friendly competition. Interested persons should email Stone Soup at stonesouppoetry@yahoo.com or post on this Facebook event page.

Hosted by Michael F. Gill and Chad Parenteau, with possible surprise guest hosts. $3-$5 donation to help pay our rent/support the Out of the Blue Art Gallery.

Haiku is a traditional Japanese poetry form consisting of 17 syllables, commonly with syllable line counts 5-7-5 and normally includes a reference to nature. These pithy poems can be witty, whimsical, and wise. Head to Head Haiku is a performance poetry competition featuring standard and "modern American" haiku. The form was originated by Daniel Ferri (heard often as a commentator on NPR) at the National Poetry Slam in the 1990s as a demonstration event. The tradition has been continued by devotees of the Haiku form. Winning Poets must get the best 3 of 5, 5 of 9 and 9 of 17 in the series of rounds.

Sudden death matches are commonly used as tie breakers or if more than 8 want to compete. The whole show can be quite humorous at times and there is no strict rule other than the poems must be 17 syllables. Purists should rest assured that traditional Haiku often outscore the sarcastic slapstick, but like any slam it depends on the judges and it's more about entertainment and providing a unique environment for the work be heard.