May 25: A Tribute to Lawrence Carradini by Meg Smith

Stone Soup Poetry meets tonight from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts On May 25, Meg Smith celebrates the life of fellow poet and husband, the late Lawrence Carradini.

Lawrence Carradini was a scientist, poet, and longtime resident of Lowell, Massachusetts. The author of Burning Heads, he joined the board of directors of Lowell Celebrates Kerouac!, which plans a festival each year in honor of Lowell-born writer Jack Kerouac. For six years, he served as the organization’s board president. He passed away in May 2014. As we celebrate Stone Soup's anniversary this May, we mark his passing as May comes to a close.

Meg Smith writes and publishes poetry, fiction, articles, essays, and arts and entertainment reviews. She is the editor of Red Eft, a publication of speculative literature and art and for four years was editor and publisher of The Banshee, a zine based in Lowell, Mass. honored by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

She frequently appears at poetry readings throughout the area and have hosted numerous open mics and have produced several literary events -- including events combining my passion for literature and Middle Eastern dance.

She served for 14 years on the planning committee and board of directors of the annual Lowell Celebrates Kerouac! festival honoring Lowell, Mass. author and native son Jack Kerouac.

Visit the Poet's web site.

May 18: Extended Open Mic at stone Soup

 

In the past, Stone Soup Poetry has met from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. Beginning June 1st, Stone Soup will be meeting at the gallery at the new time of 7-9 PM. Because there was some question of Stone Soup attending the gallery, a feature was not scheduled tonight.

On June 1, Stone Soup will be hosting a well-attended slam night. We urge those who have not attended Stone Soup before to come tonight to get acquainted with the gallery tonight on May 18. More shows will be added in the coming days.

May 11: Chad Parenteau Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On May 11, long-time Stone Soup host Chad Parenteau will read from a selection of his "Jesus Poems" manuscript, many of which have not be seen or heard.

Chad Parenteau is a poet living in Boston.  He hosts the weekly Stone Soup Poetry series in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  His book, Patron Emeritus, was released from FootHills Publishing in June of 2013. He has had work recently published in Amethyst Arsenic and the anthology Uncommon Core: Contemporary Poems for Learning and Living. He serves as Associate editor to the online journal Oddball Magazine, recently taking a part co-hosting the Oddball Show podcast.

May 4: Toni Bee Features

Photo by Selena Brooks-Yard

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On May 4, Stone Soup celebrates its forty-fourth anniversary beginning with a much anticipated feature by former Cambridge Poet Populist Toni Bee.

Toni Bee is a poet, photographer, and one of the founders of Black Lives Matter in Cambridge. The community advocate and mother was the first elected female Poet Populist for the City of Cambridge (2011-2013) She received the 2011 YWCA Cambridge Outstanding Woman Award.

Bee led the Black Lives Matter in Cambridge march along with co-founders and teen leaders in January 2015. She served on the board of directors from 2013-2015 at Cambridge Community Television - after years of being a Neighbor Media journalist at the television station.
https://www.cctvcambridge.org/user/tonibee

Since 2012, Toni has been a story teller and poetry facilitator involved with (CPAC) Citi Performing Arts Center; for one year as the Community Artist Fellow and every summer since as a City Spotlights Spoken Word Teaching Artist.

April 27: Jonathan J. Joseph Features

 
Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On April 27, Stone Soup brings a close to National Poetry Month by featuring open mic regular Jonathan J. Joseph.


Jonathan J. Joseph: human poet, vessel of truth, an artist who naturally discovered Out of The Blue, while walking past it on what seemed to be a random moment during an ordinary Monday last year, but fortunately as life would have it, this crossed path opened him into the cradle from which his experience on the open mic sprang up and grew with the energy that circulates through us all. Each words represents a morsel of love brought together to form the bold pieces which are given a place in existence to thrive through oral recitation and individual reading across the world. This featured performance shall be no different, as Jonathan who casually goes by Johnny, is prepared to deliver simple words with exceptional emotion that is going to make April 27th, 2015 quite a nite to remember.

April 20: Liza Zayas Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On April 20, we welcome poet, singer and songwriter Liza Zayas.

Raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Liza Zayas is a lover of writing and dancing and celebrates both as a singer and songwriter performing as Luna del Flor. Writing out scenarios since the age of 13, she has been reading her poetry on stages for over 15 years. Songwriting and delivering her lyrics over music came shortly thereafter.

She has 5 released singles to date and works with other artists as a songwriter or vocalist. Behind the entertainment scenes, Liza produces dance and performance events while also collaborating with others for large-scale events serving as a promoter, stage manager, event coordinator, talent coordinator, hostess or performer. She has co-founded parties in Boston and has performed in venues as a singer, DJ or poet in the great cities of Lawrence, Boston, Cambridge, Providence, Brooklyn, Detroit, Montreal and Tampa.

You can hear her collaborative sounds at this page and experience life through her storytelling at her tumblr page. She invites you to dance at here. Her poetry seeks to initiate dialogue by intentionally expressing consequences of love, lust, ego and self-respect.

April 13: L.U.C.C.I., Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On April 13, we feature the return of performance poet L.U.C.C.I.

His name is L.U.C.C.I., which stands for Listening, Understanding, Caring, Considering, Inquiring. He is a Pactormedian (poet, actor, comedian). He is a Gothic, Hip-Hoppin', Hippie-Punk. He intends to make positive change while entertaining in the process. He is from Metro Detroit, MI, lived in Cleveland, TN, Cartersville, GA, Daytona Beach, FL and now Jamaica Plain in Boston MA. He has a heart for social justice, a fascination with characters and their stories, and a fulfilling feeling of helping somebody smile, laugh, cry, think differently or feel appreciated who may have needed it. He writes about himself and his experiences, he writes character pieces to impersonate whether the characters were created by him or not and he writes for those who sometimes may not have a voice. His work centers around a simple idea: PEACE N LOVE. He believes if there was more of this in the world, it would be a better place. He intends to help bring it closer to that place. It's not a cliché; it's a goal.

He has a CD entitled, "My Name Is L.U.C.C.I." with 15 poems for $3-$5.

He has been published in Oddball Magazine and featured on the shows The Minority Men and The Point Of Entry.

He helps support The Blue Rose Amazing WoMen Poetry Showcase, is part of A  Spoken Word Flash Mob, and had a role in the Elijah Starr film, "Supa Dupa".

He is the creator of the Facebook group, "A.W.E. - Art Without Ego", a group for local artists of all talents to have a place to display their art, promote their events, and support each other at their own will.

He has been featured at community events and venues such as Haley House, Stone Soup, GRAB THE MIC, R&B Poetry Slam, The Listening Party, ALL EYEZ ON ME POETRY, B.T.S. (Boston Talent Showcase), Quality & Soul, Lizard Lounge, Liquid Elements, It's Bigger Than Hip Hop Movement, Weirdstock 2011, One Hundred Thousand Poets For Change and more.

Feel free to follow him and contact him at his art page www.Facebook.com/LUCCI1985, his personal page atwww.Facebook.com/lucci85or follow his twitter @LUCCI5785. He is always available for questions, feedback and/or discussions about anything. He networks and associates with everyone so feel free to come up to him at any time. He loves meeting new people.

April 6: SOUP Presents A Benefit for DiDi Delgado at Stone Soup Poetry

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On April 6, Stone Soup enters National Poetry Month by inviting all of you to attend our fundraiser involving a multitude of poets coming together for the benefit of DiDi Delgado.

DiDi Delgado is passionate and hardworking. She puts so much energy and love into others through her activism, poetry, friendships, and genuine care for humans.

DiDi is a dedicated humanist. Her love for her friends, family, and her people resonate through everything she does. Whether she advocating for POC inclusion in arts and culture, convening a political meeting, or simply reaching out to people to provide emotional support and affirmation, DiDi's dedication to others is so clear. Her heart and love for others can be seen with every move she makes.

Born with Third-Degree Atrioventricular Block, DiDi has never let her condition slow her down or prevent her from giving all of herself to others. Although at the age of 16, she received a pacemaker to save her life, she has unfortunately had to have several surgeries within the past 12 years to support her quality of life. Why so many surgeries when the battery is only supposed to be replaced every 10 years? As many of you know, she has excelled in weightloss, then struggled with it. The doctor's have all recommended she undergo the gastric sleeve to improve the rewards instead of constantly being subjected to the risks, such as yet another pacemaker implant. DiDi is scheduled to undergo surgery on April 13, 2015 and will be out of work for 6-8 weeks.

Always authentic, generous, and honest; DiDi needs our help now to ensure her a long happy healthy life. We've helped her calculate her expenses for the two month period she will be out of work and we are asking that you please help us support her in this endeavor.

Donating whatever you can is the least anyone can do for someone who does so much for everyone else; but specifically supporting DiDi's recovery is supporting liberation for all people.

You can send donations through Paypal email: cholacoquetola@gmail.com and the GoFundMe link to donate is here.

Performers for April 6 Include:

* Former Cambridge Poet Populist Toni Bee
* Somerville Poet Laureate Nicole Terez Dutton
* Dorchester Poet Extraordinaire Liam Day
* Flatline Poetry's Kaleigh O'Keefe Heinhold & Lewis Reginald Morris
* WOWPS Qualifier Tru Kwene
* The Beautiful and EXTREMELY captivating Randyl Jonette
* UMass Creative Writing Program Alex Quilon

... SOUP Poets Hannah Brown & Crystal Beck duh.

* Artists Tara Ozella & TJ Edson doing live art.

And more to be announced.

March 30: Gloria Mindock Features at Stone Soup

 

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On March 30, we welcome Gloria Mindock provides the perfect transition to National Poetry Month and the 10th anniversary of Červená Barva Press.

loria Mindock is the founding editor of Červená Barva Press and one of the USA editors for Levure Litteraire (France). She is the author of La Porţile Raiului (Ars Longa Press, 2010, Romania) translated into the Romanian by Flavia Cosma, Nothing Divine Here (U Soku Stampa, 2010, Montenegro), and Blood Soaked Dresses (Ibbetson, 2007). Widely published in the USA and abroad, her poetry has been translated and published into the Romanian, Serbian, Spanish, Estonian, and French. Her fourth chapbook, Pleasure Trout, was published by Muddy River Books in 2013. In December 2014, Gloria was awarded the Ibbetson Street Press Lifetime Achievement Award.

March 23: VCR (Vernon C. Robinson) Features at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On March 23, Stone Soup is pleased to welcome respected performance poet and venue host VCR to its podium.

VCR (Vernon C. Robinson) is a Dorchester native born and raised in Boston. He has been writing, reciting and performing poetry/spoken word for over a decade, not to mention that he’s been emceeing (rapping) for over 25 years. As a poet, VCR has performed at several local open mic spots and gathering as a feature and participant. Venues include Afrocentrics, the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, The Milky Way Lounge, Ogunnaike Galleria, Strand Theatre and more. He has poetically graced the same stage and opened up for such acts as Dead Prez, S.O.S. Band, Amiri Baraka, Pharoahe Monch, Suheir Hammad,Saul Williams, Lakeside, New Birth, Last Poets, Les Nubians, Jessica Care Moore, Georgia ME and other well-known artists. Besides the Boston and Cambridge areas, he has taken his poetry at cities and states such as New York (including the famous Nuyorican Poets Café), Atlanta, Chicago, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Dallas, Cleveland, New Hampshire, Baltimore, Los Angeles and surprisingly Cuba where he met the legendary Assata Shakur. In 2015, he was an opening act for the ArtsEmerson musical/play “Breath & Imagination” in Boston.

VCR is also a cultural event organizer under the company known as BloodSkinLand Productions. From that umbrella, he has created many annual gatherings which include Winter Words, Maylennium, Devotion…Black Love Day, Megacipher, SistaHood, Body Language, Afro-Cinema, Young Gifted & Black and The Red Black & Green Affair (a dedication to Marcus Garvey). His most recognized gathering is an ongoing event called VerBaLizAtiOn which is currently the longest-running open mic spot in the Boston area of nearly a decade and a half.

Through VCR’s performances, there is an array of memorable poems that are popular to the ears of spectators who have witnessed his stage presence whenever blessed the microphone. Poems such as “Tooth Decay”, “Alphabet Killaz” and “Pigs – That Other White Meat” are among the favorites from supporters of VCR’s work. In fact, those three pieces and others can be found on the debut CD of VCR entitled “Poetic Insanity”. VCR has been nominated for best male spoken word artist at the 2006 New England Urban Music Awards and twice for best spoken word artist at the 2006 & 2007 M.I.C. Hip-Hop Awards. In 2011, he became an awardee of the NAACP Image Awards of the Boston chapter. Recently in 2014 he was awarded the Ralph F. Browne Jr. Juneteenth Incentive Award for his continuous work through VerBaLizAtiOn.  Currently, he’s working on a second poetry CD and planning on a book of his poems in the near future. Please stay tuned!

March 16: Silent E Features at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On March 16,  we welcome the first time feature of performance poet Silent E. 

Eunice Belacy aka Silent E is a local poet and spoken word artist originally from Cambridge Massachusetts.  She is a lover of poetry and began to write poetry when she was sixteen. She wrote her very first poem in high school as part of an assignment for her English Literature class and became hooked ever since. She attended Bridgewater State University to study Psychology and while attending was a part of a poetry group called The Seeds of Poetry.

She has performed at several different open mic venues in the Boston area including the You Can Feel It You Can Speak It, Lost Voices of Boston, The Haley House and Liquid Elements. She has also performed as part of the Feel It Speak It Flash Mob Poetry group since 2014.

Eunice's favorite time of poetry is typically anything that is genuine and comes from the speakers soul. She finds writing to be therapeutic and an outlet also. Apart from poetry Eunice enjoys working with teens in her Church and being involved in community development. She aspires to be an entrepreneur and a writer.

March 9: Bill Perrault and Carol Weston 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 March 9, Stone Soup welcomes back friend Bill Perrault, who will be celebrating his birthday featuring alongside Carol Weston.



Photo by Chad Parenteau

Bill Perrault was born and lived in Biddeford ME until he finished college for which he had paid by working as a weaver in the textile mills. From 1958 to 1960, the U S Army sent him to Germany as a medic and Educational Counselor.  He did graduate studies at University of Maine and wrote his masters thesis on Guillaume Apollinaire. Bill now lives in Lowell.

Bill Has been published in the Stone Soup Anthology 2003, Out of the Blue Writers Unite Anthology, and various web pages, and if you are lucky enough to be on his e-mail list, the poetry is Hot Off The Presses! He has featured, performed and sometimes hosted at open mikes all over New England--including: COOL COFFEE in Biddeford, ME, Bestseller’s Cafe in Medford, MA his Walden Pond Series and, of course, Out Of the Blue Gallery. 



Photo by Bill Perrault

Carol Weston has featured many times with Stone Soup. She read alongside Jack Powers and Allen Ginsberg in 1973 in the former Charles Street Universalist Church. In the Winter of 1983, she was asked by Powers to feature in Boston's City Hall along with John Wieners. Her poetry has been published in The Farleigh Literary Review, Bomb, Stone Soup Anthology 2003, Spoonful and The Blind See Only This World.

March 2: Karen Skolfield Features at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On March 2, we welcome veteran and award winning writer Karen Skolfield to the podium.

Karen Skolfield’s book Frost in the Low Areas won the 2014 PEN New England Award in poetry and the First Book Award from Zone 3 Press. She received the 2015 Arts & Humanities Award from New England Public Radio, and has received additional fellowships and awards in 2014/2015 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Ucross Foundation, Split This Rock, Hedgebrook, Vermont Studio Center, and the Sustainable Arts Foundation. Skolfield is an Army veteran and teaches writing to engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts.  Visit her website at www.karenskolfield.com.

February 23: Hannah Brown Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On February 23, we welcome the rescheduled feature of poet and activist Hannah Brown.


Hannah Brown kicks ass
Her poems are powerful
Full of life and love

Her passion runs deep
Poetry and activism
All you need to know

February 16: M.A.K. Black Poets Night at Stone Soup Poetry

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On February 16:

All Black Poets on OPEN MIC All Night

Feature Poet: U-Meleni

Former Cambridge Poet Populist Toni Bee​ is your host for this poetry event where EVERYONE is INVITED but but only Black Folk may read Poetry.

OPEN MIC RULES -

Only Black Poets read at the mic/read 1 poem from a black poet you adore THEN read one of your poems.

Africian Dispora, Haitian dominicans, AfroLatins, Jamaicans, African Americans...and ALL those with African blood in ya veins COME BOLDLY to the microphone.

The  M.A.K. Night honors the work of prolific Boston Black Poet Mignon Ariel King​, a publisher who has taken the time to celebrate female poets and Black History throughout her artistic career.

February 9: Laurie "Lo" Galluccio Hosts Valentines Open Mic

Update: Tonight is cancelled due to weather.  We hope to resume next week.

Tonight's Stone Soup Cancelled, 2-2-15

Due to Boston's continuing bad weather, Navah The Buddaphliii will not be appearing tonight at Stone Soup.  The rescheduled date for her feature will be announced as soon as possible.

Tonight's Stone Soup Cancelled, 1-26-15

Due to state of emergence tonight in Boston, Hannah Brown will not be appearing tonight at Stone Soup.  The reschedule date will be announced as soon as possible.

February 2: Navah The Buddaphliii Features

Edit: Tonight's show has been cancelled.  We will give notice soon when it has been rescheduled.

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On February 2, we welcome back Navah The Buddaphliii as she promises a performance of work that will note the opening of Black History Month.

Navah The Buddaphliii is a Brooklyn-born, Boston-based Black urban American spoken word artist and a member of the Society Of Urban Poets (S.o.u.p). She is also the founder of Simply Poetry (it’s just that!) which showcases local spoken word artist to a larger audience outside of poetry community. Throughout her evolution as a writer, performer, Navah strives to broaden the impact to reach a higher level of spoken word poetry in its efforts to transform political realities, revolutionize arts and entertainment, and empower audiences across the globe.

January 26: Hannah Brown Features

Update: Cancelled due to weather.  Will reschedule ASAP.

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On January 26, we welcome the first feature of poet and activist Hannah Brown.


Hannah Brown kicks ass
Her poems are powerful
Full of life and love

Her passion runs deep
Poetry and activism
All you need to know

January 19: Culture the MC Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On January 19, enjoy the end of the holiday weekend as Stone Soup welcomes January 19: Culture the MC to the podium.

Culture the MC is a Boston-based spoken word artist, his writing touches upon Universal themes of struggle, tragedy, redemption, life, and our perspective of it all. In 2015, he is working on a book of poetry that combines other art mediums with writing.

January 12: Matt Parker Features at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On January 12, join Didi Delgado as she hosts a night of poetry with feature performance poet Matt Parker.

Matt Parker has been an avid fan of poetry since his childhood in the 1980's, and used it as a life saver during his tumultuous adolescence of the 1990's. Matt began to share his poetry and encourage others to use it as a coping tool in his career field as a youth development professional from the early 2000's to now. Today, Matt is still learning and teaching poetry to students in schools & communities, facilitating the audio compilation, "S.O.U.P. (society of urban poetry) Mixtape”, and supporting Peaceful causes in everywhere.

January 5: Zeke Russell Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. . On January 5, we welcome back local poet, host, and organizer and Zeke Russell.

Ezekiel "Zeke" Russell grew up in an artist's community in Central Maine, surrounded by poets and lumberjacks. Since then, he's been a line cook, historian, and teacher.  but now he lives in Boston and works in homeless advocacy. He is a host of SlamCenter and a producer of the Boston arm of the New Sh!t Show. He is a previous host of the Untitled Open Mic in Lowell Mass . Zeke has written three chapbooks and toured New England performing his poetry. He was a member of the 2011 Lowell National Poetry Slam team, as well as the venue's Grand Slam Champion that year. He lives with his partner Emily and PJ the wonder pug, and he usually needs a haircut.

December 22: Mars Jupiter Features

 

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On December 22, Stone Soup gathers one last time before the holidays to see Mars Jptr take the podium.

Mars Jptr - A sound artist born and raised in Marsachusetts, leader of the 7th House, curator of The Vibrary. Formative years spent learning Hip Hop & Theater. Mentored through New World Theater's Project 2050, a multi-year exploration of the year 2050 - lwhen minorities are projected to reach a majority - using the disciplines of Hip Hop in a theatrical setting. Through 2050 he was mentored by Hip Hop theater pioneers Universes, Baba Israel & Lemon Andersen among others. Mars has starred in Hip Hop Theater in NYC off-Broadway and has been featured as a performer at The Americans for the Arts conference. He's performed at famed spoken word venues the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, the Bowery Poetry Club, Critical Breakdown and Out of the Blue Gallery. He will be releasing a new solo ep called DOWN, a beat tape called Quinoa & Kale as well as The 7th House's first ep "7" quite soon. He uses words, sounds and visuals to help welcome humankind into the age of Aquarius.

December 15: Deta Galloway Features

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 December 15, we welcome back Deta Galloway. 

Deta Galloway was born in Kingston in the Jamaica West Indies.  She emigrated to America eighteen rs of age to live with American husband and study medicine.  She is educated in professional nursing, human services and  management, and currently specializes in behavioral nursing. 

Her art life has been a central focus of her emotional and spiritual development.  It has been a driving force in the way she has practiced Nursing and cared for families from all walks of life, It is healing, compassion, and empowerment throughout the life stages.  She has lived and traveled deeply into the Southern States and lived for the last eighteen years in Georgia.

Deta began writing poetry at thirteen and has been published in several anthologies and journals.  She has performed with poets such as Etheridge Knight, Josephine Miles, Galway Kinnell, M. S. Merwin, Hayden Carruth, Gwendolyn Brooks, Yusef K, Brother Blue, Tom Oleary, and Elizabeth Mckim.and others.  She has read her work for numerous radio station including Radio Jamaica, (Subsidiary of the BBC). Her artwork has been exhibited and collected in museums both in the United States and Africa.

December 8: Radiant Jasmin Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On December 8, we welcome back Radiant Jasmin to the podium.
 
Radiant Jasmin is a multi-media dancer, jeweler, painter, poet and singer/songwriter. Like a chef, she selects each art ingredient to complement and bring out the best in the others. She studied fine jewelry making at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the North Bennet Street School and midwifery at Maternidad Laluz in El Paso, TX. 

Exhibits and performances include: The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Museum of the National Center of African American Artists, The Arsenal Center for the Arts and the Artists Foundation.

Radiant Jasmin teaches performance and visual art to children and adults using fun ways to link art with preventative healthcare, parenting skills, literacy, math and social studies for a balanced educational experience and healing from trauma.

In her Music and Poetry creation, she is a channel. Songs and poems come to her while asleep, cooking and painting. They always mirror her values of self-love, happiness and self-reflection. She mixes funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, gospel, Indian music and more. Like a chef, she selects each art ingredient to complement and bring out the best in the others. She will release her first spoken word poetry and music CD, Breaking It Down, towards the end of 2014.

Radiant Jasmin is married to writer Haji Shearer, they live in the Boston area and are parents of a son and daughter who are now in their early 20’s. Sharing these gifts she’s been given is her contribution to uplifting the world.

December 1: Peter Storey Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On December 1, we welcome Peter Storey, who returns to his home state for his first feature at our location.

Peter Storey is a poet and performer currently living in Chicago, IL. Originally from Massachusetts, he's read his poetry in Boston, New York, Washington D.C., and the South Pole. His work has been published in Oddball Magazine, The Quotable, Squawkback, and elsewhere.

 

November 24: Tru Kwene Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On November 24, we welcome Tru Kweene to her first Stone Soup feature.

Tru Kwene: "I'm no more special than anyone. I just decided to pick up my pen and speak my truth."

November 17: Karen Locascio Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On November 17, we have Karen Locascio returning to the podium.

Karen Locascio is a recent graduate of the MFA program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, where she won the Academy of American Poets prize in 2014. She attended the New York State Summer Writers' Institute on a scholarship last summer, and has attended the Tin House and Bread Loaf conferences in the past. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Amethyst Arsenic, Breakwater Review, Spry Literary Journal, Cider Press Review, Ibbetson Street, Paper Nautilus, and Hanging Loose, among others. Karen is originally from New Jersey and currently lives in Dorchester.

November 10: Chris Warner Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On November 10,  we welcome back Chris Warner for her first full-length Stone Soup feature.

Chris Warner, graduate of the Harvard University School of Education (M.Ed., ’97), is (still) an emerging poet, and the author of a micro-chapbook, Strokes (Mostly) in Silence;  her poem, “Engulfed” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.  She’s been much-compared to Anne Sexton, and is also often described in terms of royalty, as in: ‘The Queen of Longing,’ and ‘The Princess of Suburban Dystopia.’  Chris also teaches yoga, core strength, and mindfulness meditation in West Boxford, MA, and offers workshops (including MBSR) throughout the greater Boston area.  In January of 2014, Chris began co-leading the creative writing program for inmates at MCI Concord, medium security prison.Her writing process is, as Stephen King says, “ass in seat.”  Everyday.  And she also works, everyday, at letting go of attachment to outcome.   

November 3: ThePoet Za'Cari Features at Stone Soup

 

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On November 3, we welcome ThePoet Za'Cari to the podium.

 

October 27: Flatline Poetry Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On October 27, after four months of featuring individual members, Stone Soup will feature Flatline Poetry as a group in the new and improved Out of The Blue.

Flatline Poetry is a group of four poets who seek to "create a new heartbeat" with every performance and workshop. Since their formation in 2013, Flatline has taken the Boston poetry community by storm. The group won the 2013 Poetry Award for Best Poetry Group and was featured at Wheelock College’s 2014 Half Year Program. In addition, the poets of Flatline Poetry have performed, hosted open mics, or provided workshops at various venues across the East Coast, including: The Apollo Theater, AS220, Bridgewater State University, Busboys and Poets, The Bowery Poetry Club, Boys and Girls Clubs, The Cantab Lounge, Clark University, Columbia College, Emerson College, The Lizard Lounge, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, The Middle East, The Neuyorican, The New Hampshire State House, Northeastern University, The Oberon Theater, Simmons College, The Smithsonian, and Wheelock College.

The poets of Flatline Poetry write on topics of identity, family, love, loss, and social justice. With a diverse set of skills and backgrounds, the members of Flatline present challenging poetry and innovative workshops that foster dialogues where all voices are valued.

Click below for more information on.

Lewis Morris

Kaleigh O'Keefe

Lissa Piercy

 (Unfortunately, Guillermo Caballero will not be in attendance)

October 20: DiDi Delgado Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at its new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On October 20, welcome DiDi Delgado for her first ever Stone Soup feature (DiDi also promises free food and a raffle with surprise prizes). 

DiDi Delgado is a freelance journalist, spoken word artist and poet whose work has appeared in Oddball Magazine, Queen Grace and Fat Girls on a Mission. She is passionate about supporting her community with poetry; she recently participated in Michael Rothenberg's 100,000 Poets for Change and Ayanna Pressley's Jump Into Peace initiative. DiDi is the owner of the blog "Unfortunately, I'm Just a Girl" and "For Love and Labels." She is the founder of Cholacoquetola Magazine, resident of Watertown, and occasional provider of dope ass poetry.

October 13: Arthur Ray Collins Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at it's new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On October 13, we welcome Lizard Lounge staple Arthur Ray Collins to the podium.

A Boston poet who believes that there is extraordinary power in words and considers his poetry to be socially conscious as well as entertaining. He hopes that his brand of poetry will motivate action, provoke thought, and stimulate the mind of the listener. Art is Co-host of the Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam venue and was a member of the 2008 & 2010 Lizard Lounge National Poetry Slam Team. He is and educator in the Boston Public School system and continues to perform his unique style of poetry with the aspirations of reaching a global audience.

October 6: Gordon Marshall Features at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, now at a new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On October 6, we celebrate our new location by welcoming back Gordon Marshall as the first to mark this new chapter for Stone Soup.

Gordon Marshall wanted to be a painter before he became a poet - and a jazz musician and a music critic. But he was better with grammar than we was with a paintbrush, or with piano technique. He was not a natural. It took him years of struggle to fashion his trademark approach, what he calls speed poetry, writing the short poem in a matter of minutes, with little revision, and no censorship. His new book, Mirage, is 400 pages, and it is the best example of this. Marshall also has a music blog, about the local Boston scene, The Flash (theflashboston.com). He lives in Boston.

September 29: Lissa Piercy Features

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 September 29, Stone Soup continues its focus on the group Flatline Poetry with the final single-member feature, Lissa Piercy, before all four members perform on the same stage at Stone Soup on October 27.

Lissa Piercy is a Boston based performance poet whose favorite thing to do is collaborate with other performers. She is a member and co founder of Flatline Poetry, winner of the 2013 Poetry Award for Best Poetry Group, and a member of the 2014 Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam Team. In addition, Lissa is a MassLEAP trained teaching artist and the creator of PWP (Performance With Purpose), a conference that brings together college students across Boston for workshops and dialogue around the idea that performance can facilitate change and action. Lissa's passion for poetry has brought her to stages across New England and beyond, including an open mic she hosts at the Opportunity Collaboration conference in Ixtapa, Mexico.

In addition to performing poetry and teaching, Lissa has joined forces with individuals across various fields to use poetry as the catalyst for conversation within schools, conferences, and even religious services.  Her friends and fans guarantee that you have never met another performer with as much energy, passion, heart, and grit both on and off the stage.

September 22: Deborah M. Priestly 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 September 22, we start to day good bye to 106 Prospect Street as the gallery prepares to move to its new location.  Welcome Gallery co-founder Deb Priestly to the podium to begin this process.
Deborah M. Priestly is co-founder of the Out of the Blue Art Gallery located in Cambridge, Mass at 106 Prospect Street with Tom Tipton. For years, she ran the gallery's Saturday Nght reading series called Open Bark. Her publication credits include Ibbetson Street, Spare Change, Poesy, Fresh!, Boston Poet, The Boston Herald, The Boston Girl Guide and Out of the Blue Writers Unite (which she also co-edited). She is the author of The Woman Has A Voice from Ibbetson Street Press, an eclectic combination of healing poetry and images of women in transition.

September 15: Mascha Kaleko Presented by David H. Agee and Lee Varon

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 Monday, September 15, Lee Varon and David Agee will introduce the German poet, Mascha Kaleko using her own poems in English translation to illustrate and illuminate the events of her turbulent life.

Mascha Kaleko is counted in Germany as their most famous female poet of the twentieth century. She is virtually unknown here as her work is totally in German language.This presentation will introduce her to an English speaking audience.

Coming from obscurity she started writing in the Berlin literary scene in 1928. Within a brief space her poetry was appearing as a weekly feature on the front pages of Berlin daily newspapers. Wildly successful, in two years her two first books sold some 10,000 copies. When the Nazis discovered she was Jewish her writing was forbidden and her books confiscated and burned. Her personal life was marred by an unpleasant divorce, and although she and her husband managed to flee into exile in America, even after the war the Nazi presence continued to damaged her career.

Throughout, her poems illuminate this life in emotional language understood by all. They speak meaningfully to experiences her listeners everywhere easily relate to, and she never pulls her punches. They range in emotion from meltingly beautiful to to pointedly revealing to wildly amusing and beyond. They are also marvelous works of art, wonderful to hear.

It's time American audiences become aware of her.

David H. Agee is a professional anthropologist who has created video investigations in prose and poetry of the varieties of human experience in strained, tragic, even life-threatening situations.  Some come from his own life, others build on the experiences of others.  Some vignettes introduced at Stone Soup or The Explorers Club include the following:

The Monkey; Minor murder in the Borneo jungle;
Birdsongs; The brief lives and poetry of children murdered in Auschwitz.
The Bone Picker; From the Choctaw Trail of Tears.   
Ronnie Briscoe;  A tale of true bravery in 1943.
The Memory of her Face;  A vehicular, Midsummer’s Night --- mare.
Who's the Terrorist now? A political satire of the 21st century.

Lee Varon lives in Cambridge and writes poetry and fiction. Recently her work has been published in Prick of the Spindle, Willow Review, Sliver of Stone and Spare Change News. She reads he work on Mondays at Stone Soup.

September 8: Ron Goba Features

 

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 September 8, we have the return of poet Ron Goba, who will be reading from a selection of poems specifically written for the night.

Ron Goba is the author of such collections as The Music Box, The Custom of Quoting Someone, and Collage As Silkscreen. For several years, he was known as the doorman for the weekly Boston Poetry Slam at the Cantab. In 2011, he released Swan Song, a small collection of poems, to coincide with his reading at the Cantab on the eve of his birthday.  In 2012, his work was included in Songs of Innocence and Sam Adams, a collection of poems co-authored by Prabakar T. Rajan.