Massive Props

Big congrats to Porsha Olayiwola for winning this week's SOUP'ed Up Slam at Dudley Cafe. She not only won but scored perfect 30's all three rounds. A SOUP slam first!

The Dudley Cafe Slam Tonight!

Hosted by the Society of Urban Poetry. Held at the Dudley Cafe. It happens tonight at 7:00. I'll be timekeeping, keeping score, hosting, or all three.

Tales from the SOUP Poetry Workshop

Yesterday, the Society of Urban Poetry held their monthly poetry workshop at The Dudley Cafe. SOUP member and co-facilitator Tu Anh Phan ended the night with a writing prompt for the group.

In short, we were told to draw three rows of three boxes. Then in each row, we were to draw in the boxes part of a story about something in our lives we had regretted. Some of the group wrote a poem based on their own drawings. Some of us, like myself and other facilitator Crystal Beck (aka Navah The Buddaphliii), took it a step further and traded our drawn sequences. Crystal and I ended up writing short pieces interpreting each other's drawings, which was a lot of fun.

What follows first is Crystal's drawing along with the poem I wrote in response. I tried not to guess the identity of who she drew first (which is easy to do if you've ever looked at her Facebook). I succumbed before I was finished).

Reminder: This is Still Happening Tonight: SOUP Poetry Workshop

This is going on tonight at 7:00. I'll be helping facilitate this workshop. I hope to see you there tonight.

December 6: SOUP's Final Slam of The Year

With the kind of year 2016 has been, it's only fitting that we give it some kind of send-off, be it a good-bye or good riddance. I'm not competing in the slam hosted by the Society of Urban Poetry on December 6, but I will be helping to keep time and score for the event. That means there are plenty of openings for those of you who might want to compete for the hundred dollar cash prize. Bring yourself and three poems to the Dudley Cafe in December.

Come to the SOUP Poetry Workshop on November 29

Although I'm not hosting Stone Soup Poetry at this time, I am far from idle. On November 29, I'll be assisting the Society of Urban Poetry with their next poetry workshop at the Dudley Cafe. This is a event that S.O.U.P. has regularly hosted every last Tuesday of the month. This will be the first time I'll be participating in the instruction. It's a free event, so if you're a poet or at least interested in writing at all, I hope you stop by.

September 27: Free Performance Workshop With SOUP!

Inspiring Spoken Word Artist and friends come learn the fundamentals of performing Spoken WORD! 

How to capture and captivate your audience. Bring your poetry to life!


1. Learn facial expressions and focus

2. How to connect to the piece become the piece 

3. Projection and pauses 

4. Techniques for memorization 

5. And go home with homework Soup poets love giving homework 

Come and build community with words one at a time.

It's all taking place Two Tuesdays from now at the Dudley Cafe. Let them know you're coming via the Facebook event page.

Tonight's The Night

The SOUPed Up Poetry Slam is happening at The Dudley Cafe tonight at 7:00 PM.

DiDi Delgado is hosting. Hopefully, I'll be there too, keeping score.

Purchase your tickets here.

People I Want to See Tonight at Stone Soup

Angelica Maria Aguilera and Gladys Teresa Hidalgo

 

Gladys (seen right) came back to Stone Soup this past Monday. Angelica (left), on the other hand, I last saw when it was still jacket weather.  Hopefully, she'll be back for Dexter Garcia's feature in a couple of weeks.

 Matt Parker

One of SOUP's mainstays, I haven't seen enough of him these past few months. If I don't see him tonight, I'll be sure to see him (along with Angelica and Gladys) on July 5th for the SOUP'ed Up Poetry Slam.

July 5: The SOUP'ed Up Slam

Join the SOUP's (Society Of Urban Poetry) Monthly Slam at the Dudley Cafe, either as an audience member or feel free to compete! If you think you got what it takes, then step to the Soup Mic and just, just: Just Slam!!

The Time: 7:00 PM.
The Deal: 12 poets, 3 rounds, 5 judges, and amazing poetry
The Bounty: Three cash prizes: $50 for First Place, $35 for Second Place, and $15 for Third Place.
Slam Poets: Please come early to ensure your spot on the list.

Tickets are $10 at the door and $8 if pre-purchased online.

SOUP will have merchandise for sale. So feel free to get some "SOUPer Swag"

Click here to purchase tickets.

SOUP on Display

This is just one part of the poetry and art on display for the Society of Urban Poetry at the Dudley Cafe all during National Poetry Month. Stop by there and check out work by DiDi Delgado, Timothy Hall, Navah The Buddaphliii, Jeannie Nunes, and Tu Anh Phan.

April 4: Miles Hodges, One Night Only, at Stone Soup

 

This is the biggest kickoff to National Poetry Month Stone Soup has ever attempted in my ten years of organizing it. We couldn't have gotten it done without Dexter Garcia, DiDi Delgado, Navah The Buddaphliii and the Society of Urban Poetry. I promise you that we will have much more exciting news as we count down to National Poetry Month and then to Stone Soup's forty-fifth anniversary. You'll probably see it first on the Stone Soup website and Facebook page. It's not the Stone Soup I started with, but I wouldn't have it any other way, no matter how much more things change over the next ten years, or even the next ten weeks. So much has happened, and if you've been away for a while, you can reserve your ticket for this special show and be in the audience on April 4.

In Less Than Two Weeks

Stone Soup Croutons, 3-8-16, BONUS POEM, Game On

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 either then or later. It's likely some of the poets I thank at the end won't even be able to figure out which lines were inspired by their work. My poem for this week came out on Wednesday. Today's is a special bonus poem.

On Tuesday, I attended the SOUPED Up Poetry Slam at The Dudley Cafe held by the Society of Urban Poetry and hosted by DiDi Delgado. I ended up being both keeping score and keeping time. Despite this, I was able to compose a poem from the first couple of rounds of slammers.


Game On

There is no calisthenic
for training in double talk
and yet we learn to speak in genocide.

Coming Tonight

Thanks to the Society of Urban Poets for making this happen.

December 21: And The Poet Laureate Comes to Stone Soup

On December, the Society of Urban Poets and Stone Soup Poetry (or as Neiel Israel put it during her recent feature, "Soup/Soup") will be holding a big holiday bash, and we're having Boston's  Poet Laureate Danielle Legros Georges kick off the festivities. This is going to be a tremendous night as we celebrate Stone Soup's amazing year and the friends who helped make it happen. And you get to hear an extended feature from Georges, who had an amazing year of her own as Poet Laureate. Let's start the holiday week and help end 2015 with the great style everyone at Stone Soup has been showing since the year began. IMPORTANT: Unlike previous weeks, the feature will go on first. Be at the event as close to seven o'clock p.m. as you can.

In The Spotlight!

Yesterday, I was highlighted as November's Poet in The Spotlight by Mass Poetry. Thanks to the poets of SOUP for the nomination.

November 2: Stone Soup Poetry Slam Returns and Says Goodbye for Now

This coming Monday, the Stone Soup Poetry Slam returns for its last hurrah of 2015. It will not be gone for long. Come January, the Slam will start up once again with the ever-loving assistance of the Society of Urban Poets. I thank SOUP for all they have done for Stone Soup, and I thank everyone else who has attended these past few months. It's been a wild ride and much great poetry has been created and witnessed for our always-evolving audience. I hope you will help in making next Monday's slam the most highest attended feature of the year (at least until the holiday party we hope to have). Given some of our past shows in 2015, it's a tall order. Still, I think we're up to the challenge. Thanks once again to you all. Stay tuned to what Stone Soup has in store for 2016.

October 26: Fly, Fly, Buddaphliii! Fly to Stone Soup

Navah The Buddaphliii has been a mainstay in the Stone Soup Poetry family for the past couple of years. On top of that, she has really hit her stride as both a performer and an organizer for the Society of Urban Poets, a group you've read a lot about here and will no doubt continue to for the foreseeable future. This month at Stone Soup has been a celebration of SOUP, and this Monday, we close the month off with Navah's return feature! Navah was also one of the poets who featured during the Boston Blizzard this year. If you missed her in February (and many did), now is your time to make it up to her.

October 19: Hannah Brown Comes Back to Stone Soup

Hannah Brown's first ever feature at Stone Soup had a lot of obstacles, thanks to the blizzard of 2015. He's had a lot of great moments, some of which were shared with us at the Stone Soup Poetry Slams. It's only natural that we have have her back on the nineteenth during better weather (though a few hours before I started writing this, my girlfriend reported snowflakes outside). Hannah is another member of the Society of Urban Poets, who we are glad to be featuring this month. If you've ever seen Hannah deliver her words, you know Stone Soup is continuing to make Mondays more exciting.