Avsnitt

  • Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Wishing Well” written by Mildred A. Wirt and published in 1942.

    In this story, an old abandoned estate is the location of a wishing well known for actually granting wishes. Penny investigates and discovers not only the secret of the well, but also a valuable treasure.

    If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out our other Penny Parker series episodes by searching for our show titled “Snoozecast Presents: Penny Parker” wherever you listen to Snoozecast. Or, you can find Penny at snoozecast.com/series.

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  • Tonight, we shall read the next part to “Persuasion”, the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, and published in 1817. The story concerns Anne Elliot, a twenty-seven year old Englishwoman, whose family moves in order to lower their expenses and reduce their debt, by renting their home to an Admiral and his wife.

    In the last episode, Mr. Shepard and Lady Russell draw up a plan for Sir Elliot to get out of debt. They decide that he must "retrench" by seriously cutting back on his expenditures, which the gentleman refuses to do. They then suggest that Sir Elliot move out of his home in order to rent it out. The plan is agreed to by Sir Elliot, with his stipulations that it not seem like he is renting it for cost-savings but rather as a favor to the renter. It is further agreed to that during this time they will stay in the city of Bath, which has a lower cost of living and where their more limited budget will go farther.

    We will start back in with an abbreviated opening to chapter 3, where Sir Elliot is discussing the matter further with the group.
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  • Tonight, we’ll read "The Wild", sometimes known as “Walking”, a lecture by Henry David Thoreau first delivered in 1851. It is a transcendental essay that analyzes the relationship between man and nature, trying to find a balance between society and our raw animal nature. Thoreau read the piece a total of ten times, more than any other of his lectures. This episode first aired back in 2021. 

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  • Tonight, we’ll read the story titled “The Bunnikins-Bunnies and the Moon King” written by Edith B. Davidson, and published in 1912. In this early science-fiction story geared towards children, the Bunnikin-Bunnies go on a family vacation to the Moon, via the Milky Way.

    While traveling to the moon was not possible when this book was published in 1912, scientists were diligently laying down groundwork for the future accomplishments. In 1903, a Russian study showed that physical space exploration was theoretically possible using rockets. And by the end of the 1910s, an influential paper from the US discussed reaching extreme altitudes through rocketry. As for the Bunnikins-Bunnies, you will soon learn that their means of transportation was not on a rocketship, but on a vehicle that looked much like a fishing boat, but with large wings.

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  • Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne.

    Have you ever wished that a continuing Snoozecast story was easily available as a playlist so you could either start from the beginning, or play multiple episodes from just that story in a row, so that you don’t need to go searching through the catalog? In case you didn’t know, we also produce standalone versions of these stories as its own separate Snoozecast podcasts, for easy listening. Just search for “Snoozecast Presents” to find all the options available. And if you subscribe to Snoozecast+, you get complete access to all these series, ad-free. To learn more, go to snoozecast.com/plus .

    In the last episode, the captives aboard the Nautilus awaken one day to learn that they are now underground, inside an extinct volcano. The cave is used by Nemo as a place of refuge, where he sources the elements needed to produce the electricity that makes the Nautilus run. While Nemo spends the day loading up the reserve stock of sodium they keep down there, Arronax, Conseil, and Ned explore the volcanic island. They forage for food including a beehive full of honey, before returning the ship.

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  • Tonight, we’ll read the opening section from FROM THE CAVES AND JUNGLES OF HINDOSTAN, written by Helen Blavatsky and published in 1883. This episode first aired in January of 2020.
    Madame Blavatsky was a Russian occultist and philosopher who traveled around the world, including India, before moving to New York City. She co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875 and gained an international following from the esoteric religion that the society promoted. Madame Blavatsky was a controversial figure, championed by supporters as an enlightened guru and derided as a fraudulent charlatan by critics. Her Theosophical doctrines influenced the spread of Hindu and Buddhist ideas in the West as well as the development of Western esoteric currents like the New Age Movement.

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  • Tonight, for our final selection in our “Woodcraft” series, we will read selections of the author’s poetry, published as “Forest Runes” by George Washington Sears and published in 1887. Sears was a writer and adventurer who penned essays on hunting, fishing, and camping for popular journals and magazines.

    Runic alphabets are native to the ancient Germanic peoples, before they adopted the Latin alphabet. The earliest runic inscriptions found on artifacts give the name of either the craftsman or the proprietor, or sometimes, remain a linguistic mystery. Due to this, it is possible that the early runes were not used so much as a simple writing system, but rather as magical signs to be used for charms. Although some say the runes were used for divination, there is no direct evidence to suggest they were ever used in this way. The name rune itself, taken to mean "secret, something hidden", seems to indicate that knowledge of the runes was originally considered esoteric, or restricted to an elite.

    The Bluetooth logo is the combination of two runes that are the initials of Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson's who was a king of Denmark from the Viking Age.

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  • Tonight, we’ll read the thirteenth chapter to “Anne of Green Gables” the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “The Delights of Anticipation”.

    In the last episode, titled “A Solemn Vow and a Promise,” Marilla is dismayed to hear about the wildflowers on Anne's Sunday school hat, and of course she lectures Anne about them. Though Anne points out many girls at church had bouquets pinned to their dresses—and many had artificial flowers on their hats—Marilla is worried about the bad impression Anne must have made.

    Marilla may have been more anxious than usual because she is about to bring Anne with her to meet Diana Barry, who lives close by and is Anne's age. As she has done in the past, she warns Anne of the importance of impressing Diana's strict mother.

    Out in the garden the two girls stare bashfully at each other until Anne breaks the silence by asking, "Do you think you can like me a little—enough to be my bosom friend?" It's an odd and startling question for someone Anne has just met, but Diana laughs and agrees. Diana says in response that, "I heard before that you were queer. But I believe I'm going to like you real well."

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  • Tonight, we’ll read the second half to “The Princess of Babylon”, found in the The Strange Storybook by Mrs. Lang, published in 1913. The first half aired last week. This story first aired way back in 2020.

    The story is taken from a lesser known philosophical tale by Voltaire, written in 1768. Voltaire was a French Enlightenment writer, philosopher, satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit and social critiques, he was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.

    In the first episode, the king holds a competition of the world’s rulers who were interested in marrying his daughter, the princess. The games would be impossibly difficult. A handsome and magical stranger appears out of seeming thin air to win the games, however he is suddenly called away to care to matters at home.

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  • Tonight, we’ll read a Snoozecast original story about a family who is visited by the fairy Luminastra Slumbornia, who gives the gift of peaceful sleep.

    Like Luminastra, all fairies are a type of mythical being, a form of spirit, often with metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural qualities.

    Let’s define those three common fairy qualities. The system of metaphysics is a philosophical branch dealing with the first principles of things. This includes abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space.

    And whereas a supernatural force is one that is beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature, a preternatural force is one which is simply beyond what is normal or natural. An example would be to say that “autumn arrived with preternatural speed.”

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  • Tonight, we’ll read the third chapter to “Good Wives” written by Louisa May Alcott. This is also known as the second half of the “Little Women” novel. Originally, Alcott had it published as a second book but in later publishings the two were combined.

    Our last episode was the chapter titled “The First Wedding” and it is Meg’s sweet, little wedding we attend. All of the March sisters look lovely as they’ve grown into themselves more over the last three years. When Laurie asks what happened to the fancy wine that his grandfather sent, Meg tells him that they have put a little aside for medicinal use and have given the rest away. Meg then asks Laurie to promise her to never drink alcohol. It is a tall order, but he can’t refuse her. As Meg departs to her new home down the road, she asks her family to keep her in their hearts.

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  • Tonight, for our monthly Snoozecast+ Deluxe bonus episode, we’ll read an original story that is about the dark side of birdwatching. And by dark, we simply mean that it is done in the cold and silence of a winter night.

    For the residents of Russell Mills, it’s the night of the first annual “Midnight Owl Prowl”. Expert and amateur birders alike convene at midnight at Parsons Field, guided by a RMNRT volunteer, with hopes to spot the elusive Snowy Owl.

    Mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey, owls are typified by their upright stance, large, broad heads, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight.

    Another notable feature of owls is their facial discs. These are the concave collection of feathers on owl’s faces surrounding their eyes. These facial discs collect sound waves and directs those waves towards the owl's ears. Owls can actually adjust their disc feathers to enable them to focus and locate prey by sound alone under snow, grass, and plant cover. In many species, these discs are placed asymmetrically, for better directional location.
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  • Tonight, we’ll read the first half to “The Princess of Babylon”, found in the The Strange Storybook by Mrs. Lang, published in 1913. The second half will air next week.

    The story is taken from a lesser known philosophical tale by Voltaire, written in 1768. The story focuses on Amazan, a handsome, unknown shepherd, and Formosanta, the Princess of Babylon, whose love and jealousy drive them to travel the world. Through their travels they encounter the basic values of the Enlightenment. This episode first aired in January of 2020.
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  • Tonight, we’ll read a light-hearted O. Henry short story that creates a pastiche out of the popular Sherlock Holmes stories.

    In this story, a man searching for his missing sister in New York realizes the official police detective can’t help him. Only one man can: the famous private consulting detective named Shamrock Jolnes.

    Although many of O. Henry’s stories involve crimes or contain some elements of mystery, the author never actually wrote detective fiction.

    The character of Shamrock Jolnes also appears in O. Henry’s short stories "The Adventures of Shamrock Jolnes" and "The Detective Detector".

    In reading about these stories, we found different but similar terms like pastiche, parody, spoof and satire. While both parody and pastiche imitate the works of others, pastiche does so respectfully. It is used to highlight and pay homage to the original works while not stealing directly from it. Parody, on the other hand, mocks and ridicules the original works. It exaggerates its form and language, often replacing serious subjects with silly ones. And whereas a parody imitates a specific work, a spoof imitates a general genre. Finally, satire is similar to parody in that it uses ridicule, exaggeration and irony, but instead of poking fun at a specific creative work, it comments on society, religion and politics.
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  • Tonight, we shall read the next part to “Persuasion”, the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, and published in 1817.

    The story concerns Anne Elliot, a twenty-seven year old Englishwoman, whose family moves in order to lower their expenses and reduce their debt, by renting their home to an Admiral and his wife. The novel was well-received at it’s debut, but its greater fame came decades later, and continues to this day.

    In the first episode, we read chapter 1, in which we meet Sir Walter Elliot, a 54-year-old man of distinct ancestry, and his three daughters. The father prides himself on his good looks and family lineage.
    His eldest daughter, who most resembles him in personality and looks, is named Elizabeth. At 29 she is unmarried but attractive. His youngest daughter, Mary, has married a respectable local man. And then there is the middle child- Anne. She is also unmarried like Elizabeth, but at 27 years old has grown less attractive with age. Sir Walter feels that Anne is inferior to her sisters and often overlooks her.
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  • Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Mr. Midshipman Easy,” an 1836 novel by Frederick Marryat, a retired captain in the Royal Navy. The novel is set during the Napoleonic Wars, in which Marryat himself served with distinction. This episode first aired in February of 2021.

    At fourteen, the naive Jack Easy leaves the luxury of his family estate in England and sails into a world of adventure aboard the sloop of war HMS Harpy. At first, Jack finds it hard to bear the discipline of naval life and is always getting himself into trouble. But soon he is bravely taming a band of mutinous seamen as the Harpy chases Spanish ships on the Mediterranean.

    This episode is dedicated to our many listeners who have requested Roald Dahl stories. Alas, he is not in the public domain yet for us to read. However, this particular author was listed as a literary influence on Dahl.
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  • Tonight, we’ll read an excerpt from “American Notes” a travelogue written by Charles Dickens detailing his trip from the year 1842. While there he acted as a critical observer of North American society, almost as if returning a status report on their progress. Having arrived in Boston, he travelled as far south as Richmond, Virginia, as far west as St. Louis, Missouri and as far north as Quebec, Canada. The city he liked best on his trip? Boston.

    The inspiration for this episode came from our recent “Helen Keller” episode. Her autobiography references a story within another section of tonight’s book as inspiring Helen’s mother to seek out specialized education for her daughter.

    Dickens’s American journey was also an inspiration for his novel “Martin Chuzzlewit”. If you’ve been listening to our “Woodcraft” series of episodes lately, you may have heard mention of how the Woodcraft author named one of his famous hand-crafted canoes after a Chuzzlewit character.
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  • Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne.

    In the last episode, Aronnax accompanies Nemo on an expedition at night without lanterns or anyone else. The two walk in darkness toward a red light for a couple miles before they climb up a platform of man-made stones and pillars. Aronnax realizes that the mountain they are climbing is a volcano, still emitting lava. They are visiting the fabled underwater ruins of Atlantis. The two men contemplate the scene and the history while the moon rises, before returning to the Nautilus as the sun rises.
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  • Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Around the World in 80 Days,” a novel by Jules Verne published in 1872.

    In this story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate the world in 80 days on a 20-thousand pound wager ( over two million pounds now) set by his friends. It is one of Verne's most acclaimed works. 

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  • Tonight, we’ll read an excerpt from “The Story of My Life” written by Helen Keller and published in 1903. The book details her early life, and especially her education.

    Helen Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. Born in Alabama, she lost her sight and her hearing after a bout of illness when she was still a baby. She had limited communicative capability as a little girl. Her mother became inspired after reading a travelogue from Charles Dickens that described a similar girl being educated. This led the family on a quest to find such education for their daughter. Finally, at the age of seven, Helen met her first teacher and life-long companion Anne Sullivan. Sullivan taught Keller language, including reading and writing. Keller later became the first deafblind person in the United States to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

    In 1920, Helen Keller helped to found the American Civil Liberties Union. She traveled to over 40 countries with Sullivan, making several trips to Japan and becoming a favorite of the Japanese people. Keller met every U.S. president of her time, and was friends with many famous figures, including Alexander Graham Bell, Charlie Chaplin and Mark Twain.

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