Past Blasted

LUCCI showed me this photo from over a decade ago. Turns out he was part of the open mic I hosted on August 5, 2010 at the old Jamaicaway Book & Gifts featuring Samantha Milowsky (the future Anda Volley) and the late Lynne Sticklor. 

LUCCI told me this was his first ever open mic. I'm honored to have been a small part of this.

Thirty Days of Stone Soup Stuff

 

Years ago, Lynne Sticklor and I stopped being friends on Facebook. As a result, I don't get reminders of photos like these.

This picture was from when she was part of Lee Litif and Chris Robbin's back up band during their 2011 feature.  Might have been the last nice time we enjoyed together. 

Hopefully, there will be happier posts as we close out May. 

Thirty Days of Stone Soup Stuff

 

A funny scene from the 2008 Out of The Blue Holiday Raffle. It was the second raffle we ever did for the  Out of The Blue Art Gallery. It ended up being the last for reasons I won't get into here.

For the raffle, Lynne had the idea of using a spinning ball for the tickets instead of just picking them from a shaken box. We bought a giant hamster ball, which of course had holes. To solve the obvious problem, we covered the ball in tape. Nice idea, except for the fact that the tickets kept getting stuck to the tape poking through the holes. 

To make this even goofier, I played "Hampster Dance" while Lynne spun the ball. I got the song from a birthday card my Mom sent me (this was before everyone had an iPod or an iPhone). 

We looked ridiculous, but it was the highlight of hosting that event.

Thirty Days of Stone Soup Stuff

 

I'm uncovering various oddities and previous unseen photos of Stone Soup history. Of course I didn't post anything yesterday, so there will have to be a double shot today. 

This is Ann Carhart, the first featured poet I ever hosted over fifteen years ago back on August 29, 2005. She was recommended to me by my then-girlfriend, Lynne Sticklor, who helped assemble Anne's first poetry book, Sanctus! Sanctus! Sanctus!

Lynne in particular seemed to work with authors who weren't as tech or web savvy. In our time together, she published Anne's book as well as Linda Larson's Washing the Stones.

Another View of the Former Out of The Blue

I've written about the old location of the  Out of The Blue Art Gallery on Prospect Street and what it's become. Yesterday, after I finished what I had to do in Central Square, I went by the old spot and noticed the gate to back yard, usually closed, was open wide. I took a look.

I remember the backyard barbecues and workshops, some of the best parts of all my times there. It's where I met my girlfriend Lynne Sticklor and inevitably got involved with Stone Soup. It must have been Tom Tipton who put in a pond. To the best of my memory, it actually had fish in it at one point.

The pond is gone, as well as any evidence that people once enjoyed that small space. It's now just a patch of land meant only to look nice and impress visitors who likely don't care. Purposeless, much like the building in general today.

RIP Mary Oliver

Personally, it's so strange yet fitting that Mary Oliver passed away not long after Lynne Sticklor, who adored her. She was even refereed by sheer coincidence during Lynne's memorial last week.

Stone Soup Croutons, 1-10-19, Those Who Never Walked Their Cats by the Shore Like Lynne Sticklor

Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked up from poems overheard from Stone Soup's open mic readers and features. I figure out a title (and sometimes the rest of the poem) later. You can read the other ones I've done since 2015 here. To paraphrase Lorne Michaels, this poem doesn't go up because it's ready, it goes up because it's Friday morning.

Last night was our tribute to the late Lynne Sticklor.This is the first poem I've completely written the morning after Stone Soup, not even taking any notes during the show. I was in the moment completely last night, filming, photographing and interacting. As a result, I was completely reliant on copies of the poems, which I either recorded through the night or photographed after we were finished.

And I had every intention to make this about Lynne in some way.

There are those that do the homework, and then there are those that ask for extra homework.

At least I finished. It helped that even if people didn't write specifically for Lynne, they at least chose thematically appropriate work.

An extra nod to James Van Looy for the poem he read by Mary Oliver and Jan Rowe for the quote from Mary Oliver she chose to recite, unaware that Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese" was Lynne's favorite poem.

Thanks for reading.

Those Who Never Walked Their Cats 
by the Shore Like Lynne Sticklor

They should remember her
as girl on blonde fire
who walked slowly, choosing
where to cool her feet,

Here I Go

Getting ready to host Stone Soup's tribute to Lynne Sticklor. Wish me luck.

This Week's Flyer for Stone Soup Poetry

Join us for our tribute to Lynne Sticklor.

January 10: Stone Soup, The Prize Lady and Sad Goodbyes

On January 10, we pay tribute to Lynne Sticklor, a presence in Boston poetry responsible for my involvement in Stone Soup (among many other accomplishments). I have already extended invites to those who knew here and will continue to do so. It would be nice to pack the house in tribute to her. All are welcome as Stone Soup says goodbye to another of our number.

Stone Soup Croutons, 1-3-19, Away

Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked up from poems overheard from Stone Soup's open mic readers and features. I figure out a title (and sometimes the rest of the poem) later. You can read the other ones I've done since 2015 here. To paraphrase Lorne Michaels, this poem doesn't go up because it's ready, it goes up because it's Friday morning.

We had our first 2019 open mic last night. I'm tired from the holidays, but it felt good to get back to the weekly grind again. Next week we will have our tribute to Lynne Sticklor, which I'll post information about later today. I hope you'll make it to that event and many others in the new year. Thanks for reading.


Away

Both sides of the same coin
will hurt you if flung at your face.

This is the only wisdom offered
without passive aggressive asides.

What I'll Regret in 2018: Missing Lynne Stickor's Funeral

This image came from Deb Priestly, who with Chris Robbins were the only two poets to attend Lynne's service.

I wasn't invited to the service. I never expected to be, but I never expected Lynne to pass away. As outrageous as her holistic approach to fighting cancer may be, many of us thought if anyone could do it, she could.

She deserved at least one more conversation. Even if it wasn't to say goodbye.  Maybe I didn't.

Remembering Lynne Sticklor (1970-2018)

Lynne and Ian Thal from Lynne's feature on January 11, 2011.

 

I first met Lynne during a barbecue/fundraising party for the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at their second-to-last location in Cambridge on Prospect Street. Lynne was one of the few present in the afternoon, so we talked for a good amount of the time. We exchanged numbers, and we later arranged a time to go to a Poetribe reading in Brockton.

RIP Lynne Sticklor

I just received word of Lynne's passing yesterday afternoon as I was preparing for my medical procedure happening in the next hour. I hope to have much more to say afterwards.