Jane Levi

“Wheat in Heaven” Photograph (Nikon D3400) by Delaney Slote, 12. Published in Stone Soup, October 2018. A note from William Rubel The Podcast Contest is accepting submissions until midnight, Pacific Time, April 15. That is only three weeks away! You will find details in the Partnership and Contest News section below, as well as on our website. Please look down to the “Highlights from the past week online” section for some news about Stone Soup contributor and blogger Sabrina Guo. William’s weekend project: photography I’d like you to look at Delaney Slote’s photograph, featured in our newsletter this week, from a technical point of view. There are only two objects depicted: the wheat and the sky. The wheat is much closer to us than the sky. This is a photograph that is exploring visual planes and space—the distance between the two planes. In this photograph there is foreground and background, but no middle ground. It thus shares a strong structural similarity with the photograph of umbrellas we used for the cover of the February issue. I wrote about that image in the February 9 newsletter. Delaney also explores blurring. The distant clouds are blurry. This helps focus our attention on the wheat in the foreground. But the wheat itself is also on multiple planes. The wheat has depth. Notice that some of the wheat is sharp and some blurry. Delaney’s camera offers fine control over what is called the focal plane—the precise distance from the camera where the image is sharpest. The focal plane is flat, like a piece of paper or a piece of window glass. You might even imagine your photograph as being composed of two painted parallel pieces of glass set far apart from each other. Your camera may or may not let you play with blurriness. If it does, then experiment with the feature. In the case of “Wheat in Heaven,” the contrast between the wheat that is sharply focused and the wheat that is a little blurry provides a feeling of depth and movement. Walk around your house or go outside looking for objects that you can imagine as being arranged on two parallel panes of glass but set very far apart from each other. You can also look for situations in which the planes are not parallel, where the imaginary panes of glass meet each other at an angle. As always, if you are super pleased with what you have done, then upload your submission to our website for editor Emma Wood to review. Until next time, P.S. If you happen to see the current issue of Mother Earth News in a magazine stand, then turn to page 26. You will find an article I wrote on vegetable gardening. You can also read the article online at the Mother Earth News website. Partnership and contest news Don’t forget about our current contest, in partnership with the By Kids, for Kids Story Time podcast, to write a short story about climate change or another environmental theme. Your work could become a dramatized reading broadcast on the podcast and be published in an issue of Stone Soup! All the details about entries and prizes are on our website contest pages. We’ve partnered with The Adroit Journal, a literary magazine for teens. Now in its seventh year, The Adroit Journal’s Summer Mentorship Program is an entirely free and online program that pairs experienced writers with high school and secondary students (students currently in grades 9–12) interested in learning more about the creative writing processes of drafting, redrafting, and editing. The 2019 program will cater to the literary genres of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is open for student applications March 15 through April 15. Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at Stonesoup.com! Abhi Sukhdial reviews the book BRAT and the Kids of Warriors by Michael Joseph Lyons. Find out what he thinks are the strengths and weaknesses of the adventure novel. Frequent contributor Sabrina Guo recently won a Scholastic Art & Writing Award for her Stone Soup blog post about the organization Another Kind of Girl Collective (in addition to a few other awards!). Congratulations to Sabrina! Read more here. From Stone Soup November 2018 The Legend of the Leaves By Marcus R. Bosley, 10 Long, long ago, in the days when dinosaurs roamed, and the Earth was filled with lush, green grass, the first people were born. The gods shaped them from the mud of the Earth, dropping them on the soft ground and giving them shelter from harsh weather. In the time before humans, the gods were lonely. They would eat and sleep and occasionally play bingo at the top of a volcano. But they never experienced joy or happiness like we do today. So they created humans. The gods would make houses and villages for the people to live in. They would give food to the people when they were in need. The gods were so generous they gave the people the most valuable resource of all. Leaves. Now, when you first think about it, doesn’t it sound a little silly? But, back then, they didn’t have the same animals as we do today. They wouldn’t be able to make clothes or blankets without the soft animal skins we have now. The gods saw the humans in distress. They were cold at night and made clothes out of tough alligator hides. So they took action. The gods thought up something that would solve the problem. Something common, that could be found everywhere. And so they created leaves. Lots and lots of leaves. The people used the leaves right away. They made soft clothing to wear that was a million times better than the scaly lizard skin. They stuffed pillows with them. They even used sticky tree sap to glue them together and make roofs. The gods gave them everything. But, the problem was, the humans were still not satisfied. They demanded more from the gods. Better food. Nicer homes. More recipes for Italian beef stew. The gods were astounded. “They must be put under control. They

It was the most magnificent thing I have ever felt. My soul just soared. Illustrator Devon Cole, 12, for “Red Comet” by Philip Grayeski, 11. Published March/April 2004. A note from Sarah Ainsworth Sarah here writing the newsletter this week. Last month I went to see a stand-up comedy show, which has got me thinking about the art of comedic writing. Of course, performing on stage is quite different from writing a comedic story meant to be read, but for now I want to focus on the written word. What makes a story humorous? Does a story have to revolve around a single joke, or should it consist of many amusing moments? One of my favorite comedic writers is Jack Handey, who wrote for the television show Saturday Night Live and frequently contributes to The New Yorker’s humor section. Often his writing is composed of very short lines (“Deep Thoughts,” as he calls them) that are so utterly ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh. Here’s one that I like: “Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.” Or another: “The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.” And one more: “Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself. Basically, it’s made up of two separate words—‘mank’ and ‘ind.’ What do these words mean? It’s a mystery, and that’s why so is mankind.” Handey’s approach is to turn an idea or phrase on its head and surprise the reader. His lines completely misinterpret an expression or idiom that the reader is likely familiar with. He is able to surprise the reader in just a few sentences, which may seem easy in such a short length, but those who participated in our short short fiction contest last year know that it is often more difficult than it sounds. Can you incorporate Handey’s method in some of your own writing? How can you take a seemingly straightforward premise and turn it into something unexpected? What kind of twist in a story might make you or your reader laugh? If you come up with something you like, please submit it! All best, Calling all critics! We are planning to make our July/August issue a review issue! We’re especially in need of movie and TV show reviews, particularly well-known children’s movies like Mary Poppins, The Lion King, The Princess Bride, and Frozen—as well as film and TV adaptations of classic literary works, such as A Wrinkle in Time, Matilda, The Borrowers, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and The Jungle Book. If you would like to send us a book review, we are most excited to read about classics rather than newer titles, and are also seeking reviews of classic poems. We simply recommend that you check our site for any existing reviews before deciding on a piece, to avoid duplication. To be considered for publication in the issue (and not on the blog), reviews—which should range from 400 to 700 words—must be received via the “Review” section of our Submittable site no later than April 20. Please email editor@stonesoup.com with any questions. Partnership news We’ve partnered with Adroit Journal, a literary magazine for teens. The applications for their Summer Mentorship program have just opened. This program pairs young writers in grades 9 through 12 with an experienced writer who helps them learn more about the creative process. We know this is for an audience older than ours, but if you know any teenagers who are aspiring writers, encourage them to apply! Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at Stonesoup.com. On Monday, we published a heartfelt piece by contributor Sabrina Guo about her initial hesitations about writing and how she pushed through them to discover the power of words: “Although I had a complicated relationship with books, I did love writing song lyrics. After school, I would transform my tangled thoughts into strings of words, which I wrote down in a tiny notebook about the size of my hand. Little did I know that these song lyrics were actually poems; later I would take a risk and reshape my lyrics into a more literary form. And that was how I took my first step into writing.” Read the rest here. Wednesday, we featured a piece about the importance of animation from blogger Dylan: “Animation, while often thought of as a more or less modern medium, has been being used in different forms since 1906! Throughout the last century, we have used it to entertain, as propaganda, and to tell stories that invoke emotion.” Do you like animation? Check it out and leave a comment! Plus, read the other animation-related posts by Dylan on the blog. From Stone Soup, March/April 2004 Red Comet By Philip Grayeski, 11 Illustrated by Devon Cole, 12 The soaring red sparkler flew over my head with clouds chasing behind. I gazed up and pondered what it would be like sitting in the Red Comet, wind rushing at your face, an old greasy leather cap on, with goggles bigger than your eyes, and you’re just looking ahead feeling so free. My granddad landed the plane as smoothly as a feather falling. When he was gliding down, the engine purred like a cat. He hopped out of the plane he received as a gift from the Air Force, the Red Comet. No one ever was allowed to ride in it because he wanted it to be so clean because he believed that it’s important to take care of things close to you. The Air Force gave it to him because he was the best pilot in the world. At least that’s what he said. He did many tricks that would make your stomach fall like you were on a roller coaster. My granddad and I are more like friends than family. He always says I’m his favorite grandson because I’m his only. We always watch TV together.

“Profile of a Guardian”Photograph (Nikon Coolpix L830) by Hannah Parker, 13. Published in Stone Soup, March 2019. A note from William Rubel Refugee project update I’d like to welcome Margie Chardiet, a former Stone Soup reader now working for the Oakland, California, writing program Chapter 510, as the newest member of the Stone Soup team. Margie is starting out with us working on the Refugee Project. She has started developing contacts with people working with resettled refugees and with people working with refugees in camps. Updates will follow over the next few months. March issue As I was reading the March issue, I was reminded of something that I have been wondering about lately. Is Stone Soup a magazine by kids for kids? Or, is Stone Soup a magazine by kids for everyone? Reading the current issue confirmed for me that there is no question about it: Stone Soup is for everyone who reads fiction, poetry, and looks at art. If we were to take the photos and ages off of the Stone Soup material, you’d you be hard pressed to identify Stone Soup as being a magazine by kids. As I was reading the March issue I just wanted to shout out, “Guys! Subscribe!” I’ll put it his way: regardless of your age, by not subscribing to Stone Soup you are denying yourself a lovely pleasure. To remind you, print is available on a monthly or annual basis. So, order for a month, get your issue, and if you don’t want another, then cancel. Stone Soup is great for kids too. Subscribe today. (Please note that print subscriptions are currently only available in the US and Canada, but watch this space for exciting news on that front in the coming weeks.) Here is Editor Emma Wood’s introduction to the March 2019 issue: This issue includes the winners of our concrete poetry contest; the winning poems are both beautiful visual works in their own right and inventive, singular texts. However, it is the combination of both shape (the form) and text (the content) that made these poems stand out. I hope when you sit down to write any work, but especially a poem, that you think about its form: Will it have stanzas? Will the lines be short or long? Will you use any rhyme or other sonic devices? These decisions are as important as what you end up writing. In addition to the concrete poems, there are many incredible photographs that I hope will encourage you to pick up a camera (or a phone), as well as stories and poems engaging with the theme of selfhood and belonging. I’d like to say something more. Holding this issue in my hand it was really clear that the issue is more than the sum of its parts. The design of the magazine, the selections Emma has made and the way she has organized them creates something very powerful. For example, the fabulous first prize-winning concrete poem, “Steam,” by Sabrina Guo, stands on its own, as does the evocative photograph “The Bridge,” by Marlena Rohde, in which you see one of the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge disappear into the fog. But Emma brings them together on facing pages to they can speak together. Sabrina’s elegant concrete poem is in the shape of a teacup. The literal subject of the work is the steam rising from the spout of the boiling teakettle. However, as with any literary work—the work itself is about more than one thing. This work seems simple, but isn’t. “Octopus,” by Marco Lu, the second-place winner, is a tour de force of alliterative verse. Alliteration is when several words in a row begin with the same letter—as in “tender, twisting tentacles.” This is a form of poetry that has ancient roots in English verse. One of the first and most famous examples of this is in the wonderful poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from England in the 1300s. For the adventuresome amongst you read the first few lines of the poem in its original English along with the glossary that J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, added to make it more possible to read. Even if you can’t understand all of the words in the opening lines you will see the ancient roots to Marco’s alliterative voice. The unfamiliar character “Þ” (called “thorn”) is pronounced “th,” so the first word, “SiÞen,” is pronounced “Sithen,” which means “since” or “after.” There are many modern translations of the poem. A good family out-loud reading project. We all hate the aspect of contests that rigidly orders the winners. We are always struggling with this at Stone Soup. “Moonlight,” the third-place winner, by Ashley Xu, is a brilliant, evocative, lovely, extraordinary work. “Moonlight paints / the water white, rippling / like autumn frost on a window/pane, the texture of lace . . ..” But, of course, this is concrete poetry so these words join with others to make the shape of the full moon, and the poem, complex, continues beyond the shape of the moon’s face. William’s weekend project Aditya Sing’s collection of stories, “Unmasked,” is brilliant. This is a group of five incisive short short stories (pieces of flash fiction) that draw on the author’s life and experiences—but go far beyond simple autobiography. The works are varied. And insightful. We had a flash fiction contest last year and so have previously spoken about this genre. For today’s weekend project I want you to pick up your March issue, turn to page 6, and read his collection. If you have a digital subscription, then go to the current issue and and read his work. If you don’t subscribe and are still under your four free articles for the month, then go to the page and read. Then, with his works still fresh in your mind, pick a subject and write. Keep your pieces—you can think of them as sketches—to between 150 and 300 words. As always, if you are excited about what you write, upload it to