Stone Soup contributor and 2020-21 intern Anya Geist, 14, talks with Stone Soup author Tatiana Schrayer about her poetry collection Searching for Bows & Arrows, which tied for second place in the 2019 Stone Soup book contest, as well as about how writing runs in her family, and the freedom that comes from creative writing. 0:25 – How were you introduced to Stone Soup? 1:13 – How did you decide to submit to the Stone Soup book contest? 1:55 – How hard was it to write the collection? 2:10 – How did it feel to finally submit? 2:30 – How did it feel to win second place? 2:57 – Do you find that it’s easier to write about your own life? 3:26 – What is your favorite thing about writing? 4:25 – How much time do you think you spend writing? 4:59 – Where is your favorite place to write? 5:16 – Is the writing you do for fun different from the writing you do for school? 5:57 – How did you decide to title your collection “Searching for Bows and Arrows”? 6:21 – Is there anybody in your life who has been a mentor or inspiration to you? 7:00 – Do you have any writing advice for your peers? 7:26 – If you could tell somebody about Stone Soup, what would you say?
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Flash Contest #28, February 2021: Pretend your favorite character has social media–our winners and their work
Our February Flash Contest was based on our weekly creativity prompt #138, asking writers to put themselves in the shoes of one of their favorite characters by pretending this character had social media, and entrants did not disappoint. From added wrinkles to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, to illustrations of beloved cartoons, and even to the outer reaches of space, we received a wide array of submissions that challenged traditional modes of thinking, and gave new perspective on what it means to grow up with social media. It is a marvel to be continually surprised by the amazing work we receive each month. So, well done to all who submitted! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “@pluto9planet” by Ender Ippolito, 9, Portland, OR “Insta Pusheen” by Maggie Kershen, 11, Norman, OK “Godley Scribblings: How I Came To Be Uncle Totey” by Iago Macknik-Conde, 12, Brooklyn, NY “Halloween with the Rooney’s” by Elizabeth Sabaev, 10, Forest Hills, NY “The Social Evolution of Our Beloved Wizard” by Pranjoli Sadhukha, 11, Newark, OH Honorable Mentions “Chihiro Posts from ‘Spirited Away’” by Scarlet He, 10, Scarsdale, NY “Tweets from Cricket” by Rex Huang, 11, Lake Oswego, OR Ariel—The Ocean Heroine” by Tang Li, 8, Palmetto Bay, FL “The Leader Who Gained Citizens with Twitter” by Chelsea Liang, 11, San Jose, CA “Better than Daily Prophet” by Jack Rubin, 9, Solon, OH Ender Ippolito, 9, Portland, OR @pluto9plane Ender Ippolito, 9 @pluto9planet Feb 1, 2017 Hey buddies, especially scientists, I am disappointed to learn that I do not count as a PLANET. It’s NOT fair because even though I am smaller, that don’t mean I ain’t A PLANET!!! COMMENTS @earth3planet: The scientists live on me so I should get to choose if you are a planet. @pluto9planet: Says Mister Goldilocks. #annoying#frenemy#bossy Add comment (__________) @pluto9planet Feb 2, 2017 Dear buddies, happy you could talk to me, still bummed about the planet thing, just talk in the chat. Ok, thanks!!!! COMMENTS @mercury1planet: Sorry Pluto not my fault and hi. @pluto9planet: What’s a dwarf planet? @mercury1planet: idk look it up. @pluto9planet: It says I am too small! @mercury1planet: But I am small?!?! @pluto9planet: 🙁 🙁 Add comment (________) @pluto9planet Feb 3, 2017 What’s up? I am great. Totally, over the planet thing. Really, it’s fine. I’m not crying in bed at night. Definitely, not having nightmares. Not hyperventilating in a paper bag. Nope, not me. And Jupiter, how are you? COMMENTS @jupiter5planet: fine thanks @pluto9planet: how many earths could you fit inside you? @jupiter5planet: 1,400 @pluto9planet: can you scare earth? @jupiter5planet: yes i am very good at it. why? @pluto9planet: can you annoy him? @jupiter5planet: yes @pluto9planet: can you do it now? @jupiter5planet: yes i will 8:46 @earth3planet: jupiter you are so annoying 8:49 @jupiter5planet: and then you were like so naaa naaa neeee neee . . . . Add comment (________) @pluto9planet Feb 4, 2017 Shhhhhhhh, do not tell Earth, Mr. Bossy is going to get a surprise! We are going to do a little prank. COMMENTS @mercury1planet: He is sooooo mean to me! Super bossy! @pluto9planet: Same super bossy to me too. @venus2planet: Earth says I am gassy, smelly, and sweaty like a pig! @pluto9planet: That’s so mean! @earth3planet: What’s up? @mercuryvenuspluto129planet: Uh, nothing. @mars4planet: My brother is annoying! @pluto9planet:Yeah! @jupiter5planet: I also think he is annoying. @pluto9planet: I know! He says he should be in charge just because he’s got fleas growing on him! @mars4planet: Big deal. I have fossilized bacteria. @saturn6planet: He says I am the silliest planet because I have rings! But Uranus has them too! @pluto9planet: :-() :-()! @uranus7planet: Earth makes fun of my name! @pluto9planet: That’s sad. @neptune8planet: He sticks his tongue at me neighbor. @pluto9planet: He does what! Oh my!!! @earth3planet: You know I can see all of this, right? Why are you going to prank me? I have a big responsibility, taking care of these humans. I guess I am cranky because I don’t sleep. The pipsqueaks never turn off the lights. 24/7 all the time. LIGHTS LIGHTS EVERYWHERE! Sorry can you forgive me? @mercuryvenusmarsjupitersaturnuranusneptunepluto123456789planet: Can you change Pluto back to full planet status? @earth3planet: No, but . . . I can arrange an ellipse dance party!!! Add comment (________) @pluto9planet Aug. 21, 2017 6:00am Welcome, setting up computer and eclipse party. IT WILL BE FUN. #solarpower#hide&seek COMMENTS @earth3planet: Was the party good? 8:00pm @mercuryvenusmarsjupitersaturnuranusneptunepluto123456789planet: It was wonderful! Let’s do it again! @earth3planet: Sure. Talked with the Sun and Moon. June 10, 2021 is the next one. Put it on the calendar. @mercuryvenusmarsjupitersaturnuranusneptunepluto123456789planet: WOOHOO! Add comment (________) Maggie Kershen, 11, Norman, OK Insta Pusheen Maggie Kershen, 11 Iago Macknik-Conde, 12, Brooklyn, NY Godley Scribblings: How I Came To Be Uncle Totey Iago Macknik-Conde Godley Scribblings My divine insights into the art of writing, the universe, and the unknown (I actually mostly write about family feuds) __________ About Thoth is the Egyptian god of writing, wisdom, magic, and the moon, and rightly so. He has written over a million columns in the Egyptian Times, and he has at least one hundred podcasts. He has won nine Nobel prizes in literature. He also has his own editing company, Brawny Brains, INC. How I came to be Uncle Totey The story of Nut’s forbidden children __________ By THE REAL Thoth on March 09, 2019 Hi guys! This post is about the time I helped Nut have her children, as you requested in the comments of my last blog. So about 50,000 years ago, Nut and Geb wanted to have children, but Re was angry at Nut for being pregnant without his permission. So, he put a curse on her that banned her from having any children on any of the 360 (no this is not a typo, calm down my friends) days of the year. I was an innocent bystander until Nut told me about her dilemma: she was going to stay pregnant forever but never having any
Saturday Newsletter: February 13, 2021
Stone Soup Author Interview between Anya Geist and Lena Aloise. A note from William Wishing you all my best for this Valentine’s Day weekend! Hopefully, this is the last Valentine’s Day any of us will experience as part of a pandemic. When you are around strangers, please mask to stay extra safe. But, of course, take your mask off when eating chocolate! Our wonderful new employee, Caleb Berg, has been working behind the scenes to complete the Stone Soup Author Interview Project led by Stone Soup intern Anya Geist. We are now rolling out Anya’s Stone Soup Author Interview videos. This first release is a compilation of Anya, who is a Stone Soup intern, asking Stone Soup authors about the ongoing Saturday Writing Workshop. The thoughtfulness and eloquence of their responses should come as no surprise to those who’ve read their stunning work. Thanks to each of you who participated in this and the other Stone Soup Author Interviews. Now that they are edited, Caleb will begin releasing the remaining interviews on our blog, so make sure to look out for those over the coming week! Comments on blog posts are always welcome. Enrollment in the Saturday Writing Workshop is closed at this time. It currently has fifty-five students, which is actually more than we had planned! We are thinking of ways we may be able to increase our offering of writing classes—but for now I think the soonest we will have more classes is the summer.We will be posting the summer school schedule shortly. These shorter, more intensive workshops are conducted in association with the fabulous Society of Young Inklings. We have the teachers lined up and class descriptions written, so all that is left is for the final schedule to be worked out and published. “Wild World”—this story, with its fantastic descriptions, precise language, and unexpected twists and turns by Ever Sun, a writing workshop student, has so much going for it, I don’t know where to start. I could write about this story for an hour! The combination of realism and fantasy is, well, fantastic. Such an evocative story. Challenging. Thought-provoking. It is a story that rewards re-reading. Being practical, what I’d like focus on is the descriptive language. As you read the story, please note the vivid imagery. In the first paragraph, you have buildings that loom. In the second sentence, you have Luxi loving the “flash and lights” of the city. “Flash” and “lights” work together—we are all familiar with “flashing lights.” But, Ever speaks of the “flash and lights” of the city. Thus, she is using “flash” in the sense of “flashy,” “exciting,” “vibrant.” Throughout this story, Ever uses language that is both precise and carries us beneath the surface. In describing a tree she says, “Its trunk was old and rough, its branches weak but sturdy . . ..” “Weak” and “sturdy” are both words with precise meanings. “Weak but sturdy” takes us someplace special. It takes us into the inner nature of a tree. All those branches dancing in the wind—another term Ever used to talk about the trees—so weak, and ye so sturdy. Luxi is researching nature in a place that is both natural and supernatural. Thank you, Ever, for this wonderful story! Weekend project: after reading Ever’s story and paying attention to her descriptions, write about a piece of nature that you are familiar with. If the spirit moves you, allow a bit of the spirit world into your story. A little bit of the supernatural. As always, if you like what you come up with, please go to our website and submit what you have written to Emma to read for possible publication. Until next week, Congratulations to our most recent Monthly Flash Contest Winners! Our February Flash Contest was based on our weekly creativity prompt #138, asking writers to put themselves in the shoes of one of their favorite characters by pretending this character had social media, and entrants did not disappoint. From added wrinkles to the wizarding world of Harry Potter to illustrations of beloved cartoons—and even to the outer reaches of space—we received a wide array of submissions that challenged traditional modes of thinking and gave new perspective on what it means to grow up with social media. It is a marvel to be continually surprised by the amazing work we receive each month. So, well done to all who submitted! In particular, we congratulate our honorable mentions and our winners, whose work you can appreciate below. You can read the winning entries for this contest (and previous ones) at the Stone Soup website. Winners “Insta Pusheen” by Maggie Kershen, 11, Norman, OK “Godley Scribblings: How I Came To Be Uncle Totey” by Iago Macknik-Conde, 12, Brooklyn, NY “The Social Evolution of Our Beloved Wizard” by Pranjoli Sadhukha, 11, Newark, OH “@pluto9planet” by Ender Ippolito, 9, Portland, OR “Halloween with the Rooney’s” by Elizabeth Sabaev, 10, Forest Hills, NY Honorable Mentions “Better than Daily Prophet” by Jack Rubin, 9, Solon, OH “Tweets from Cricket” by Rex Huang, 11, Lake Oswego, OR “Chihiro Posts from ‘Spirited Away’” by Scarlet He, 10, Scarsdale, NY “Ariel—The Ocean Heroine” by Tang Li, 8, Palmetto Bay, FL “The Leader Who Gained Citizens with Twitter” by Chelsea Liang, 11, San Jose, CA Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at Stonesoup.com! Read Anya’s update from our most recent Book Club, where they discussed The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani. The next book to be discussed will be The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. Nora, 12, reviewed Lloyd Alexander’s The Book of Three, which is part of the Chronicles of Prydain. Check out her review to find out why she enjoyed the series and found the characters relatable. In “The Courtroom Choir,” Charlie wrote a moving poem about former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Check out Aditi’s review of Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. Aditi writes that the book will “teach kids that confidence, self-appreciation, and belief in oneself are essential in whatever they do.” Don’t miss Adhi’s post on how you can combine Math and Art through drawing
