More Jack and Margaret

Another photo of Jack Powers with Margaret Wesel from Margaret's collection. One of the more human pictures of him that I've seen. There are others, but I might have to ask permissions first. More coming.

Jack and Watermelon

It's been a big archiving weekend. I'm only just getting back to the Jack Powers photos from Margaret Wesel. It isn't everyday I come across a photo of Jack doing something everyday like cutting watermelon. There are more pictures like this, and I'm hoping to email Margaret in the future with some feedback to future postings.

Jack by Margaret

Here is a photo of Jack powers sitting in what is surely his old North End home right int he middle of Haymarket Square. Margaret Wesel, Jack's one time partner, has gifted me with an amazing archive of never before seen photos. I will be sharing more of these while trying to document them and finding these and other Jack Powers artifacts a home. 

Found Thesis

One of the items I found in Jack Powers' collection. Here is the slightly worn cover to a 1994 thesis out of Burlington College by P.R. Smith and A. Blackmere entitled "The evolution of a U.S. Government Secret Subculture; Its Use and Abuse of Drugs as a Political Weapon. (Ipso Facto on Assassination and Extremism)." 

 

Jack Powers as a Meanie Poet

Without getting into too much detail, I came into some artifacts of Stone Soup Poetry founder Jack Powers, which include publications his work appeared in. I remember this issue of Meanie from the spring of 1998. Sadly, I probably had to lose this during one of my many moves. 

 

Happy Fifty-Fifth Anniversary, Stone Soup Poetry

Happy Fifty-Fourth Anniversary, Stone Soup Poetry

Happy Fifty-Third Anniversary, Stone Soup Poetry

Happy Birthday, Jack Powers

Happy Fifty Second Anniversary, Stone Soup Poetry

Happy Birthday, Carol Weston

 

 

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

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

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

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 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

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.