Spooning Kittens

My access to a reliable computer and good video making software was spotty at best in 2011. Going through records from that year I found photos and video from what I called The "Chad F***ed Up" Open Mike Extravaganza, a non-event at Stone Soup when I couldn't secure a feature on September 26. None of this documentation was ever loaded to the interweb. This video footage is comprised of poetry from the late great Walter Howard. That will be going up on YouTube very soon. For now, here's a photo of two Out of the Blue Art Gallery kittens spooning on a wooden chair from that night.

 

Another Piece of the Past

I've spent the weekend scanning my archives. I found this old flyer for the Out of The Blue Art Gallery's Open Bark nights hosted by Deborah Priestly. 

This Shirt

 

Thinking about the late Tom Tipton and numerous Out of The Blue Art Gallery moments. As I said before, for every insanely wonderful moment, there was another "Dude, what the hell?" moment. Take this shirt I took a picture of back in March 2015 when it was still in Central Square Cambridge. The saying on the shirt "You won't wear a shirt, and you'll cry" is from a Patton Oswalt routine (put the words in YouTube, you'll get it. Not the best look to attract passersby on Massachusetts Avenue. I posted this on Twitter back then and tagged Oswalt. Not surprisingly, there was no response. To be fair, I would have worn this shirt. Indoors.

RIP Tom Tipton

I just found out this morning that Out of The Blue Gallery co-founder Tom Tipton passed away. I heard he had a heart attack and was in the hospital but never got the chance to notify others.

The Title of This Should be "WTF"

I saw this photo of Marc Maron at the Out Of The Blue Art Gallery back in 2017. I wish I had bought this when the gallery was still in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Deep Drive Dive

Been going through old thumb drives. Found this picture of what was likely a wall inside the bathroom of the Out of the Blue Art Gallery during its time in Central Square Cambridge back in September of 2016. 

The cat outline in red is for a band I've never seen, The Basement Cats, which could have been formed at the Out of The Blue's old Prospect Street location in Cambridge, given the amount of cats down in the basement and in the gallery. 

The dog outline in green with the Out of the Blue's name on it is clearly a tribute to the gallery owner Tom Tipton and his series of giant dogs over the years which also had free reign in the gallery (thankfully only one at a time).

The Basement Cats still have a website and an Instragram page. Whether it's the same band or just incredible coincidence, I cannot say.

Happy Birthday, Rusty Barnes

 

 

Happy Belated Birthday, Arturo Fernandez

 

 

Boston Poetry's Power Couple Tie the Knot

 

 

Congratulations to Toni Bee and Dexter Roberts on their wedding this past Saturday. It was an honor to witness the end of a journey they started one faithful night in the Out of the Blue Gallery at Stone Soup Poetry.

Happy Birthday, Arturo Fernandez

 

"Good Friday," a Poem by Blaine Hebbel

From the poet's feature on October 14, 2013 at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery.

 

 

"Tower of Babel," a Poem by Blaine Hebel

From the poet's feature on October 14, 2013 at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery.

 

Ronald "Wayne" Nickerson (1949-2021)

This is one of the earliest surviving photos I ever took of the man whose eulogy named him Ronald "Wayne" Nickerson, though he was known to the Out of the Blue Art Gallery Cambridge crowd as R. Wayne or simply Wayne. I called him "R."

R. Wayne Nickerson's Obituary

R. Wayne's sister Ronnette let me know his obituary would be online by today, and here it is. Ronnette wrote a touching tribute for her brother. I appreciate her mentioning his love of poetry and his involvement with the Out of The Blue Art Gallery.

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

One night at least five years ago when Stone Soup was still at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, one of our regulars handed me this Altoids tin, it's cover colored in marker.

 

Defending Lee Litif

Most poets I know don't want to talk about Lee Litif. I'm going to talk (or at least write) about Lee Litif to anyone who wants to pay attention.

There are two types of Stone Soup audience members. The first group is comprised of people asking why I featured Lee Litif for so many years. The other group is made up of Lee's friends who likely think I treated him badly.

Happy Belated Birthday, Louisa Clerici

 

Thirty Days of Stone Soup Stuff

 

 I think Susan Deer Cloud (a cat person through and through) took this picture of me with one of Tom Tipton and Deb Priestly's many gallery kitties.

There are things I don't miss about the Out of The Blue Art Gallery, but one thing I do miss (especially in the old Prospect Street location) is the high chance for a cat to walk up and let you place them on the podium.

 

C C Arshagra Features at Stone Soup Poetry

From Stone Soup Poetry's 39th anniversary celebration on May 3, 2010.Filmed at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery in Cambridge, Massachuestts.