35 Years of History
Moonstone began in 1981 on the second floor of Robin’s Book Store, where Sandy Robin developed a series of Saturday morning children’s programs and Larry Robin presented poets and authors.
Incorporated as a 501©3 non-profit corporation in February 1983, Moonstone Inc. was established to manifest the Robins’ belief that learning is a life-long activity and that art stimulates both cognitive and effective learning at all ages. While literature has been at the center of Moonstone’s programming, Larry and Sandy believe that Art, in all its forms, is more than enrichment for occasional dabbling; it affects how one thinks, sees, interprets, describes, meets life and functions in society. Today, the work of Moonstone Inc. is to operate the Moonstone Preschool and the Moonstone Arts Center, bringing together a community of parents, teachers, staff, board members, artists, poets and writers who believe that creativity and imagination are essential aspects of life.
Moonstone Arts Center began as Moonstone Readings at Robin’s Book Store. Although the bookstore closed in 2012, Larry’s connection to books and publishing created the opportunity to develop the Arts Center’s programs, which have brought writers into contact with each other and the reading public. Some notable Moonstone Arts Center programs were: The Celebration of Black Writing, which Moonstone presented for 18 years; The Paul Robeson Festival, presented for eight years; The Ink Programs (Philadelphia Ink, Women’s Ink, Children’s Ink, Red Ink, Poetry Ink) which remain ongoing. The Moonstone Arts Center strives to create a space where everyone has a voice. In recent years we have focused on poetry and history. (See detailed information about notable Moonstone Arts Center programs.)
Among the many distinguished writers and historians that Moonstone has presented to Philadelphia audiences are two United States Poet Laureates: Daniel Hoffman and Rita Dove; as well as all the Philadelphia Poet Laureates. We featured Pete Seeger twice, as well as Amiri Baraka, Howard Zinn and Nelson George.
Our Moonstone Gold Series has presented Major Jackson, Gregory Pardlo, E. Ethelbert Miller, Stephen Dunn, Samuel R Delany, Tim Seibles, Gerald Stern and Afaa Michael Weaver.
On Going Programs
Poetry
While we have introduced many distinguished nationally-known poets through our programs, our real objective is to support emerging artists. Many of yesterday’s “emerging” poets have become household names. A flyer for Moonstone Readings at Robin’s Bookstore for October/November 1993 included readings by poets and authors: Dennis Brutus (Oct 7), Ernest J. Gaines (Oct 8), Arthur Waskow (Oct 13), Ted Joans & Sonia Sanchez (Oct 19), Ernesto Cardenal (Oct 24), Derrick Bell (Oct 25), Sandra Benitez (Oct 27). Marjorie Agosin (Nov 5), David Levering Lewis (Nov 10), Maya Angelou (Nov. 15), Eleanor Wilner (Nov 17), and Michael S. Weaver (Dec 8).
Today, The Moonstone Poetry Series presents about 80 readings a year at four venues with two featured poets followed by an open reading. Our Philly Loves Poetry program on PhillyCAM (public access television) looks at the amazing variety of poetry groups in Philadelphia through discussion and reading. Our newest program is New Voices: Philadelphia’s Emerging Poets, being presented at the South Philadelphia Branch Library. New Voices features poets under the age of 25, including high school and college students.
The Moonstone Press publishes poetry anthologies from our group readings, poetry books and chapbooks by emerging and established poets. More information about Moonstone Press is included in this book.
Poetry Ink: 100 Poets Reading
is a seven hour poetry reading held every April, in which poets present their work back to back, often in pairings that create contrasts between styles, levels of experience and the culture of the poets themselves.
“Nowhere else in Philly do we get such a wonderful mix of people, voices, and generations, and it is an experience in varieties of personalities as much as in poetry and poetics – everything from uplift to satire, from political protest to personal sorrow, love poems and tirades, transgression an decorum, the outrageous and the outraged, ranters and restrained formalists, street and academy, performance poets and shy ladies barely audible – pretty much the human spectrum. I loved listening…stayed a while, came back for more. Anyway, it was a great day…Only death is as great a leveler as Moonstone [Arts Center].”
– Eleanor Wilner, author of Tourist in Hell and six other books as well as fellowships from MacArthur Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.