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Many a poet has passed through Stone Soup Poetry founded by the late Jack Powers on Beacon Hill over four decades ago. I had the privilege of being the president of Stone Soup one short year, about 20 years ago. I also conducted a series of interviews with Powers, and the interviews are online, and one is in the video collection at the University of Buffalo. Somerville resident Kirk Etherton is the  “interim host” of the venue now, so he offered to share a few words:

A 20 pound rock, from 20 feet down. Good for making a poem, but not soup.

It’s an honor – and lots of fun – to be the “interim host” of this long-running series. Stone Soup was founded by the legendary Jack Powers. In recent years it’s been hosted by the talented and tireless Chad Parenteau. I agreed to take Chad’s place for a little while, when he needed to go on hiatus.

We meet Mondays, starting at 7:00 p.m. and go until 9:00 p.m. (at the very latest). There are a number of great “regulars,” including Carol Weston, Martha Boss, and Lee Varon. Deborah Priestly, a very fine poet and storyteller, is sort of the “co-host.” Cambridge Poet Populist Lo Gallucio has stopped by, and read some amazing work. Berklee Prof. Lucy Holstedt has recited poetry, and performed original music.

I knew this would be a good experience, but it’s far surpassed what I imagined. Stop by if you can. Read a poem that means something to you (original or not); sing a song; tell a story. Now, more than ever, I think, we need to get out and do real things with real people.

Admission is only $5.

— Kirk Etherton

Somerville resident Kirk Etherton.