Newsletter

Saturday Newsletter: July 10, 2021

Ember Cube (oil pastel) by Cyrus Kummer, 10 (St. Louis, MO) and published in the July/August 2021 Issue of Stone Soup A note from Ryan A Little Bit About Me Since this is my first newsletter as the editorial intern for Stone Soup’s Editor-in-Chief Emma Wood, I wanted to take a moment to briefly introduce myself. I’m a rising junior at the University of Richmond, where I’m double-majoring in Journalism and Leadership Studies. I currently reside in my hometown of Chicago, a few blocks away from the mailbox where I submitted my first Stone Soup story, which appeared on the “Honor Roll” of the September/October 2016 issue. Aside from being a passionate writer and avid reader, I enjoy running in my neighborhood, playing soccer, and going on walks with my friends and parents. Writing Activity Now that the Fourth of July has come and gone, we find ourselves immersed in the middle of the summer. Characterized by its longer days and warmer nights, this stretch of the year is effectively captured by Cyrus Kummer’s pastel drawing Ember Cube—its vibrant orange tones evoke the sweltering heat of summer. There is something comforting about the heat, enveloping you in a warm hug the second you step out your front door. As you head out, I urge you to grab the latest edition of Stone Soup and flip the pages to the first few chapters of The Other Realm by Tristan Hui, the 2020 winner of the Book Contest. The novel, which chronicles two friends battling familial conflict and discovering the meaning of home, engages readers from the beginning with descriptive details of the rooms within their respective homes. This week, I invite you to write about your favorite place, whether it be a room in your home, a store in your town, or a family-favorite vacation spot, and capture the small details in the environment. Think about the sounds in the location—can you hear a whisper of voices nearby or the cars rumbling past? Notice if there are any specific aspects within the place that you wouldn’t find elsewhere—is there paint missing on the walls from hanging photographs or are there rings on the coffee table left behind by mugs filled with warm beverages? Write down everything you observe there. You can use your written description to fill in the setting for a longer story or novel, or it can stand  on its own as a brief vignette or poem. Till next time, Book Contest 2021 For information on submitting to the Stone Soup Book Contest 2021, please click here. To submit your manuscript, please visit our submittable site. Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at Stonesoup.com! Ismini, 12, wrote a glowing five-star review of V.E. Schwab’s 2020 historical fantasy novel The Invisible Life of Addie Larue. Make sure to read April’s (13) review of Marissa Meyer’s 2016 novel, Heartless, a speculative prequel to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Priscilla, 8, wrote about her experience seeing Machu Picchu viscachas for the first time. Anirudh, 13, wrote a brilliant and fastidious essay on the history of socialism from the Age of Reason to the Cold War Calling all 9-14-year-olds to Virtual Summer Camp! It’s not too late to join our summer classes with Young Inklings–we have a few spaces left in all our July classes. Each interactive writing camp runs for two hours per day, Monday through Thursday, with plenty of prompts and activities for you to take away and use outside class, too. Have fun writing and learning with us this month! July 12-15 (starting this Monday!) – join our founder and original teacher William for his Playwriting class July 19-22 – practice creative Food Writing with Jane (grab a lemon and click the image on the right to try a sample activity) July 26-29 – learn from two generations who have started journals before in Start Your Own Literary Journal – with Stone Soup ’20—21 intern Anya & Jane July 26-29 – get a new perspective on Creative Writing Through Art with Jiang From Stone Soup July/August 2021 from The Other Realm By Tristan Hui, 15 (Menlo Park, CA) Illustrated by Rosemary Brandon, 10 (Nashville, TN) Chapter One Continued All About the Two Realms introduced the concept that there was more than one realm in existence, that there was another realm below the one in which Montero sprawled, made up of people similar to humans but not entirely the same. This was possibly the detail that sank the idea—no one in Montero was ready to welcome an alien race to their city. According to Dr. Colton, if you believed in both realms, it was possible to travel between them when a black moon coincided with a low tide—and in the lower realm, it was common knowledge that the upper one existed. Dr. Arnold Colton and his book were banned from Montero and the surrounding region almost immediately after its release, the publishers pulled out of their contract with the city’s library, and most anyone who had previously been fascinated by this new worldview stowed the book hastily somewhere dark and never spoke of their infatuation with it again—but Henry Morroe felt no shame in taking instruction from a banned book, and neither did his daughter. It was said that this realm held an island that provided the perfect star-charting vantage point, with spectacular views of a few planets not yet known to the people of Montero. The sleek black rock rose up out of the water and gave way quickly to dense forest—not a grain of sand to be found, despite the vast desert that stretched out across the strait. Apparently, this enclave was no tropical vacation spot but the trade capital of the realm and abuzz with all nature of activities. People of all shapes and sizes flocked to the isle to sell a variety of colorful, extraordinary goods, and many of them liked it so much that they simply stayed. The capital city

Facts & Fables #1: Why Lightning Exists

All was not well, up in the heavens. Tensions were building for what to do with the humans, who had disrupted the natural balance, and now were upheaving nature itself. They had forgotten their ancient promises, and now, a reckoning was in hand. However, the gods were also split on how to deal with the human problem. On one hand, they had been the most complex creations that the gods had made yet, and could not be wasted, but they had broken the sacred law, so a severe punishment had to be inbound, as they got more and more reckless with their expansion.  So one of them took the decision into their own hands, appearing before the council of the gods to ask for the destruction of humankind. “We must smite them down before they get full of themselves! We must not lose sight of our main focus, our duty to preserve nature itself, our real greatest creations, not these creatures!” Indignant responses followed the bold statements. “Preposterous!” one of the council bellowed. “We have spent enough time and resources creating and maintaining the survival of these intelligent beings! We must not destroy them now, just when they have ensured survival independent of us!” The council agreed. They would not smite down the humans, despite the grave offense of their long-forgotten treaty. But the elders did not forget. Neither did they forgive.   The humans, though just starting to use primitive tools, knew something was coming when they saw a massive storm, a mass of towering clouds, approaching them. The elders were coming, with permission or not, to end the humans. However, little did the elders know that the council had sent their operatives to trail them, and soon, there was infighting, a furious debate among gods as it became apparent that the council had found out about their secret mission. Someone had betrayed them. Tensions were high, as a mutiny occurred at the top of the cloud, and the gods began to quarrel, they sent gusts of wind against one another. The elders prepared to use their weapon. When gods fight, it is a battle of wills that determines who comes out on top. Charges of negative and positive built up, the difference between the two wills increasing, until… snap. The elder’s weapon was shattered as a flash of light crackled from the cloud, and struck the land below, an ominous booming sound following. The silence that followed was deafening. A huge scorch mark was all that remained of the white fire that had come from the sky, a reminder to the humans of the treaty, and the council began to speak. “For centuries, we have lived in harmony with nature. And as those centuries have passed, it seems as if you have forgotten your treaty with us, your devotion to protecting nature. Let this serve as a reminder to you of what happens when the delicate balance of nature is upheaved.” However, this also served as a reminder for the gods themselves, who had not meant to create such a powerful weapon. Today, whenever the gods have a heated debate or disagreement, and pressure builds up, lightning strikes, not necessarily us humans have done anything wrong, but as a sign that the ancient gods of nature are in conflict with one another.

Detective Denny #1

Spaghetti Sam was notorious for sneaking off during the day and leaving people tied up on the street, though the law enforcement didn’t acknowledge the strange claims. However, most of the neighborhood didn’t trust him much, as the one piece of evidence found at every single crime scene was a single rope of spaghetti. One day, when Detective Denny was going on his morning walk, he saw Pasta Parker tied up to a fire hydrant, blindfolded. “I said I liked macaroni better than spaghetti.” Pasta Parker wailed. “I really shouldn’t have said that.” “Don’t worry, I can help you, Pasta.” said Detective Denny. “Thank god someone finally decided to untie me!” Pasta said. “I’ll help you catch the perpetrator!” Denny looked around the crime scene, finding one singular strand of spaghetti. “It was Spaghetti Sam for sure!” Pasta Parker proclaimed indignantly. “Everyone knows that he ties people up using spaghetti! It is just that no one takes us seriously!” “I assure you, I am taking this very seriously, but I think the reason law enforcement hasn’t taken any prior actions is that Spaghetti Sam is a well established businessman.” Denny reassured, looking at the evidence very carefully. “However, I will look into it. I must take this back to my crime lab to examine.” “And I, Spaghetti Sam’s brother, shall help you!” Pasta Parker exclaimed, gladly following Denny to his home. Inside his lab, Denny pulled out other samples of past victims. Each of them were spaghetti ropes, almost indistinguishable from the one used to tie Pasta Parker up. But Denny was a thorough and patient detective, and knew there was more to this crime than it seemed. “You and Sam live in the same household, correct?” Denny asked. “Yes.” Parker answered. “What was the last conversation you had with Spaghetti Sam?” “It was last night. We were arguing over what type of grain to eat, along with our other brother, Macaroni Mason.” Parker recalled angrily. All evidence seemed to point toward Spaghetti Sam, but there was one more clue that Detective Denny hadn’t touched on yet. The blindfold. Looking at the blindfold carefully, Detective Denny saw that it seemed to be an intricate weave of spaghetti. Again, more evidence in the case against Spaghetti Sam. It was time to do a more thorough investigation on the prime suspect. “Let us talk to Spaghetti Sam,” Denny said. “Can you give me his address?” “Gladly.” Pasta Parker said fervently. Denny drove them both to the given address, and soon, they were on his doorstep, Parker fumbling around his pocket for his housekeys. His hand emerged empty-handed. “It seems that Sam took my housekeys after tying me up.” Pasta Parker exclaimed sheepishly. So they knocked on the thick pasta door of the menacing house, and Spaghetti Sam greeted them at the door. “Oh, brother!” Spaghetti Sam exclaimed. “I had been looking all around for you! Where did you go these last few hours?” “You know where I was!” Pasta Parker yelled, pointing his finger accusatorily. “Don’t pretend, you tied me up to a fire hydrant, and blindfolded me! You even stole my house keys!” Detective Denny restrained Pasta Parker before he could do anything brash. “I think that we should have a civilized discussion before we start pointing any fingers.” Denny stated. “Let us go to the living room to talk.” This was a classic test that Denny used on many occasions before this, and by watching the suspect’s reaction, he had caught many guilty criminals this way. However, Spaghetti Sam seemed calm and somewhat indignant, as if the claims Pasta Parker made were ridiculous. Again, Detective Denny thought, Sam had a lot of experience with the law, and was definitely capable of keeping a poker face. But Spaghetti Sam had never been through a full on interrogation before. Sam guided them to their seats in the living room with the gracious nature of a good host. This would not be an easy interrogation. “Pasta Parker had made some claims about you.” Detective Denny started, trying to keep the conversation from heating up. “What were you doing this morning, when Parker was taking his morning jog.” “Why, I was having my morning coffee at the local Cappuccino store.” Spaghetti Sam said with an easy grace that made Parker snarl. “The store is 30 minutes away, and I had left at 7:30 in the morning, 15 minutes before my dear brother starts his morning jog. In fact, it is somewhat routine, as you know, Parker.” “Parker, what do you have to say?” Detective Denny asked.  “Well, come to think of it, that is true.” Parker said, “But his drive to the Cappuccino Coffeeshop closely follows my morning jogging route at some places, so he could have pulled over and ambushed me.” Detective Denny checked the weather report for that morning. It was indeed foggy, perfect weather for such an ambush. “Have you ever tied people up before, Sam?” Denny asked strategically. “Well… yes.” Sam admitted. “But those are past mistakes, and ones that I have been reprimanded for by our eldest brother, Macaroni Mason. He seems to find satisfaction in catching others doing crimes, and being all crime and justice about it. He is a police officer, after all.” Detective Denny was quick on the uptake. “But you have never been sent to jail before, or even incriminated, have you?” Sam’s quick response surprised him. “Of course I have! Macaroni Mason has sent me to jail many times!” “That is true…” Pasta Parker admitted. “You have disappeared for a few days at times, though Mason always said it was unexplained business trips.” Detective Denny frowned. This was a new twist. It seemed like they had a new suspect to deal with. But first, the evidence warranted more investigation. Spaghetti Sam had a solid alibi. The three of them drove to Denny’s lab once again, where he pulled out his finer instruments. “I think that this is the job for a magnifinding glass.”

Moonlight

Moonlight  Dazzaling In white,  In the middleof the night Just close your eyes, And feel the vibes In the moonlight  Shouting in the quite  It feels so tight  When there is noone by your side  It’s moonlight  Forcing to ride, when i dont wanna be high  Just let me fight  You’re shattering my life  It’s moonlight floating on the sky I’ll shine so bright  If, they’ll let me rise All the fear inside  I’ll let them slide It’s moonlight  I know I’m right, but You’ll make it hide Maybe, one night I’ll be in the moonlight