Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

Capping the month off with this January 11, 1974 article in The Boston Ledger. "Stone Soup: My cup runneth over" by William E. Alberts. That's Jack Powers and the aforementioned David McPhail in the photo. Thanks so much for following these posts over May. Maybe I'll have enough material to do this again next year.

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

A photo of poet Josephine Adegbesan for a 1998 Stone Soup story. Not sure what the paper's name is (Twelve Pages?). Photo by Carolyn Hine.

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

From the early Beacon Hill Free School days, I suspect. This proposal/synopsis for a workshop on "red-baiting" and the anti-communist movement with Jack Powers listed as one of the organizers. This would be a good idea if offered today. 

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

I like this take on Superbowl Sunday. A poetry reading scheduled at T.T. The Bear's Place for Super Sunday, January 26, 1992.

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

An October 1971 Back Bay Ledger - Beacon Hill Times article on the Beacon Hill Free School with the writer reporting on the school's registration day. Were you there?

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

A  Stone Soup logo by drawn by David McPhail. When Jack Powers passed away in 2010, Dylan Ford had this to say among his many memories of Jack and his group.

A dear friend of Jack’s who would stop by when he was in the city was artist and children’s book author David McPhail. If memory serves, David had as little knack for holding on to money as Jack did. One day he showed up and made a series of phone calls to a publisher demanding a hefty advance, and asking that it be messengered over to Stone Soup before the banks closed. The messenger eventually arrived, David went off to cash the check, and when he returned he immediately began distributing the money, by buying works off the walls (more, I suspect, out of generosity to the artists and to subsidize the gallery than anything else) including a pen and ink drawing I had done for the cover of a never-to-be-published Stone Soup collection of Paul McGee’s poems (Paul refused to do anything to move it forward. Paul would also be scheduled by Jack to give featured readings, and when the night arrived and an audience assembled, he would refuse to participate beyond repeatedly snarling, “Fuck Poetry!”).

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

A list showing voting members of the Stone Soup Society. With list of members like this, I'd call it a society too! I could never manage a group this large today. Though the idea of being a Stone Soup Minister is somewhat appealing. 

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

What a find! A flyer advertising Lawrence Ferlinghetti at Boston City Hall. I wish I knew what year this was! 

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

Finishing the day with something cute. Another drawing presumably from Jack's son, Andreas (still in his blue period.

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

A 1992 program for The Wang Center Small Press Festival. Jack Powers was on both the Small Press Festival Executive and Planning Committees for this event. Carol Weston, John Wieners, Joanna Nealon and so many others were part of it. Relics from the past like this help to remind all of us what's been done before and what we can potentially do today.

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

A program for First Night, 1990 with The Stone Soup International Poetry Cabaret. A lineup of familiar people (some of which I tagged) and produced by Jack Powers. Starts with a memorial to the late Antonio Giarraputo.

 

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

A publication that predates Stone Soup itself. An issue of Press for Peace, an antiwar journal published by The Beacon Hill Support Group. Containing articles such as "Scheer's History of Vietnam" and "Cambodia: A Lie in the Making." Would love to know who out of Stone Soup's future stars participated in putting together this.

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

Hope I'm not betraying any confidences by posting this. It's the 1976 budget typed up for the annual Stone Soup meeting. If only I had a third of this much cabbage to work with for Stone Soup today. Even going by 2022 dollars, this is impressive. 

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

A Jack Powers poem kicks off the first issue of Boston's Sidewalk Stethoscope (I'm starting to think literary journal titles were better last century). It's four pages (including front back covers) chock full of poetry published by Brad Pearman, who also has a poem in the first issue, "Lazarus Leaving Park St. Station" (great title). 

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

A May 1983 schedule for Stone Soup. Thankful that someone thought to include the copyright for any poems included in their flyers. The poems are by William Kemmett, who from my research is still writing and publishing work today!

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

This must have been part of Jack Powers' city worker duties. A blank certificate for participating in Beacon Hill's First Annual Winter's Carnival in 1973. I wonder who remembers this and how much Stone Soup took part in this.

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

A wonderful case of nepotism as we get back to the Stone Soup archives. This piece of artwork is from Jack Powers' son, Andreas, drawn for his fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Freeman. Posted with permission.

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

I don't think I've seen anyone write about sports the way Jack Powers did. Given how well the Celtics are doing this week, posting this 1977 Somerville Times article by Jack is perfect timing.

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

This is what I mean about confusing flyers. There are several copies of the one directing you to the Christian A. Herter Center in Allston, Massachusetts. Nice gesture, but I have no idea what event and what day or time this is for, let alone the year.

Thirty-One Days of Stone Soup Stuff

When you put out flyers, you put the month, day and time of the event, but how often do you add the year?  The sad thing about most of the archived flyers in I've looked through is that I have no idea exactly when these events happened. Thankfully, we have this Stone Soup press release detailing the events for the first week of June 1975. I would love to have attended a "humanist rap session." I hope someone has stories.