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.