Water on Wood (OPPO Find X2 Lite) by Karuna Yang, 12; published in the January/February 2024 issue of Stone Soup A Note from Tayleigh Greene Hello and Happy Saturday! I’m writing to you from Houston, Texas, but as I contemplate Karuna Yang’s Water on Wood, shown above, I’m transported to Venice, Italy. Venice brims with magnificent artworks and exquisite architecture. However, last I traveled there, I found myself more moved by the way that reflections of apartment buildings and strung linens danced in the water. Karuna’s photograph is mesmerizing and beautiful in much the same way. I love how the leaves’ shadows blend with their reflections. Taking inspiration from Karuna’s photograph, here’s a prompt for you this long weekend: select your subject, then shift your perspective to explore its shadow, its reflection, or perhaps both. (Madeline Male’s Sapling Shadow, also featured in the January/February issue, is another brilliant example.) Don’t limit yourself to photography, or even to drawing or painting. This prompt can also be used as a writing exercise. As always, if you like what you create, please submit your work to Stone Soup. We are currently accepting submissions for our Short Story, Poetry, and Artwork Prizes. Winners will receive three free expedited submissions ($30 value) and a one-year print subscription to the magazine ($90 value). We will select a single winner from each category—one story, one poem, one piece of art—and publish them in the magazine. The deadline to submit is May 1, 2024. As they say in Italy, in bocca al lupo (good luck)! Until next time, The Stone Soup Story Contest The Stone Soup Poetry Contest The Stone Soup Art Contest Stone Soup is published by Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization registered in the United States of America, EIN: 23-7317498.
Newsletter
Saturday Newsletter: February 3, 2024
The Arcadia (acrylic) by Arwen Gamez, 14; published in the January/February 2024 issue of Stone Soup A note from Emma Wood Hello, all! I’m thrilled to share with you that… today the sun is out in Cincinnati! It has been raining and gray (or snowing and gray) nearly every day since we got back from our trip west over Christmas, and it feels so good to finally feel the sun on my face—even in the cold! For those of you experiencing winter right now, I hope you are still getting some occasional sunshine, and soaking it up when you do. The other (actual) news I am thrilled to announce is that this spring, Stone Soup is launching a new contest series! Starting today, we are accepting submissions for our Short Story, Poetry, and Artwork Prizes. We will select a single winner—one story, one poem, one piece of art—from each category and publish them in the magazine. Winners will also receive three free expedited submissions ($30 value) and a years’ print subscription to the magazine ($90 value). We may also select some runners up for publication, and all entries are always considered for publication in the magazine as well. The deadline is May 1, 2024. We can’t wait to start reading and viewing your work! The Stone Soup Story Contest The Stone Soup Poetry Contest The Stone Soup Art Contest Stone Soup is published by Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization registered in the United States of America, EIN: 23-7317498.
Saturday Newsletter: January 20, 2024
Sapling Shadow (Canon Rebel) by Madeline Male, 14; published in the January/February 2024 issue of Stone Soup A note from Laura Moran Dear Readers, I hope this message finds you well and that you’re settling into the rhythm of the new year with renewed energy and focus for the year ahead. In that vein, I have some exciting Refugee Project news to share. Firstly, I’m so excited to share that Caroline Gao, a member of the Stone Soup community and frequent participant in Refugee Project initiatives, won first place in the San Jose Library Fall into Fiction contest (10-12 age group) for her short story, titled “To My Penpal.” As Caroline explains, her story was inspired by her participation in the Stone Soup Refugee Project pen pal exchange and Half-Baked Art Collaboration. Drawing inspiration from the handwritten letters she received from young people in Kakuma Refugee camp, and the subsequent independent research she conducted on the UNESCO website, Caroline constructed a fictionalized narrative of a refugee family’s life in Kakuma Camp, seeking to represent the unique writing style of the young people with whom she corresponded. Read Caroline’s story and share in our heartfelt congratulations on this fantastic achievement! In other news, the Refugee Project is the recipient of the 2023 ruth weiss foundation School Poetry Award grant. In the words of the funding body: “The poet ruth weiss was a child survivor of World War II and dedicated her entire life to raising awareness of the ramifications of war on children. Her poetry often expresses a child’s war trauma and the joy of being safe and free to grow as a child. This year’s poetry prompt focuses on the effects of war on children and what is good for children. We feel the work that your organization is doing is incredibly important and wish to support it.” We are so honored to receive this award! To see some new Refugee Project writing, please check out the web page for our new Refugee Project collaborators, Humanitarian Service Team. Thank you for your continued support of the Stone Soup Refugee Project—without it, collaborations such as those featured here would not be possible—and happy winter writing! Yours sincerely, The Stone Soup Refugee Project Stone Soup is published by Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization registered in the United States of America, EIN: 23-7317498.
