Stream of consciousness can be an effective writing style to use when you have a character who sees and thinks very differently from the other characters. This project is inspired by the language of a very young boy. In the first years of Stone Soup, in the mid-1970s, we were fortunate to publish poems and stories written by an extraordinary child, James Lindbloom. The works published in Stone Soup were dictated by James to his mother, the author Nancy Willard, when James was between the ages of three and six. Watch a young child playing a fantasy game and you wonder, where is he? Where is she? What do those eyes see? At least from the vantage point of us older people, it can certainly seem as if very young children have the ability to dip into a world of seemingly magical happenings. As James simply spoke the words that follow, it was his mother who wrote them down and presented them in the form of poetry. There are some who say that young children can’t write poetry because poetry can only be created by writers who are in full control of the words they are choosing. So, perhaps it might make sense for us to think of these as “found poems” or “accidental poems.” But, what is not “found,” or “accidental,” is the obvious ability James has to use words to express powerful visions. The first work, “Make the Morning,” starts out with the very strong, “I want make it dark/I want it way, way dark.” As you read these two works by James let the words flow through you, and imagine the small child who is saying and feeling these words. Project: Write a stream of consciousness narrative, as a short story or as a poem. One thing writers do is explore ideas and problems and life itself through invented characters and invented voices. It can have huge impact to create a character whose unique way of seeing is expressed through a uniquely different way of talking. You can enjoy these two pieces by James as two expressive works of literature, but I’d also like you to think of them the next time you write a story or a poem. James’ style of writing fits into the literary definition of “stream of consciousness.” Create a character whose streaming thoughts introduce us into a different way of thinking and seeing. Read James’s poems Make the Morning Sheep Story
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Writing Activity: write a recipe and send it to Stone Soup
Quail Kabob ingredients. The recipe is by a nine-year-old. Instructions for the Quail Kabob. We all eat, and many of us like to cook. If you are 13 or under and like to cook, we’d like you to submit recipes to Stone Soup. We will publish the best of them in Stone Soup Online and, over time, when we have a enough really really good ones, we will publish a cookbook. The manuscript for Quail Kebobs at the top of this page was written by my daughter when she was nine. Here is the format we would like your recipe submission to be in: Recipe title. The Headnote. Maximum 250 words. Many cookbooks use a recipe format that includes what they call a “headnote.” The headnote is a little story. You can think of it as a short story. What you say there is really up to you, the recipe author. You can talk about how the dish is your favorite. You can tell about the first time you tasted it. Or smelled it. Or made it. Or, you can give some advice about the recipe. For example, if there is a tricky part, you can talk about it here. Whatever you say, you should think of the headnote as a little jewel. The list of ingredients. This is where you say what goes into a recipe, and usually, how much of it that is needed. But, there is leeway here. For example, if you are writing a recipe for fried chicken, you can say, butter or oil for frying. If making crepes you could say, add milk to make a thin batter. On the other hand, you can also give exact measurements for everything. Instructions. The instructions are step-by-step procedures that need to be followed to make the recipe work. One way to think about it as you write them is to imagine that you are talking to a friend. You are standing next to a friend in a kitchen, explaining to the friend what to do. If, in the list of ingredients, your recipe called for two eggs, then in the instructions you might say, “Break two eggs into a bowl and mix.” Depending on what you are making, you might say, “Break two eggs into a bow and mix until light and fluffy.” In other words, tell people what they need to do. Flour and milk mixed together can be lumpy. If the batter needs to be smooth, say, “Mix until there are no more lumps.” Before writing your recipe, look in cookbooks at your home or at the library to get an idea of how cookbook authors do it. Of course, also, look online. Great recipes are a literary form all their own. Because you are writing about things that are hard to describe — for example, taste and smell — it can be a real challenge for you, the writer, to come up with original prose. “This waffle tastes wonderful!” “This steak tastes wonderful!” “This bean-and-cheese taco tastes wonderful!” OK. Wonderful! But, how does that bean-and-cheese taco taste? What makes it so wonderful that I should bother making your recipe? Why your waffle, and not someone else’s? We will test recipes. So, your recipe needs to work. We are looking for originality, evocative writing, and for instructions with absolute clarity. Happy cooking, and good luck!
Joey Alexander (born 2003): Indonesian Child Jazz Master
Joey Alexander (born Josiah Alexander Sila; June 25, 2003) is one of the world’s most recognized child composer/musicians. Born in Bali, Indonesia, he began playing jazz at the age of six. Joey’s first album, My Favorite Things, was published in 2015 and his new album, Joey Alexander: Countdown, are both available from both iTunes and Amazon. To follow his career, bookmark his website. The website also includes several videos of him performing. This performance, at age 10, at the Lincoln Center in New York, one of the most prestigious venues for any musician, highlights his talents. Joey Alexander is playing “Round Midnight” by Thelonius Monk (1917-1982) and Cootie Williams (1911-1985). His music speaks for itself.
