Narrated Archives

Today, we are listening to one of Henry Cuyler Bunner's most famous satirical sketches, first published in his 1891 collection Short Sixes : "The Nice People." Set in a summer boarding house perched on Orange Mountain, this story explores what happens when a polite, seemingly perfect young couple arrives and turns a group of small-town gossips completely upside down. It is a clever,...

In our last regular episode, we explored Guy de Maupassant’s famous masterpiece, “The Necklace”.  We witnessed Mathilde Loisel spend ten years in grueling poverty to replace a piece of costume jewelry she believed was real. Today, we dive into a fascinating companion piece by the very same author. This short story is called “The False Gems” . It acts as a brilliant, mirrored reflection to “The Nec...

This episode holds  a story that has become a universal cautionary tale about vanity, class, and the crushing weight of a single mistake. Published in 1884, 'The Necklace' is perhaps the most famous work by the master of the short story, Guy de Maupassant. It follows Mathilde Loisel, a woman consumed by a longing for a life of luxury she believes she deserves, only to have her world shat...

Today, we are cracking open a specific piece of literary history. We’re looking at two tales that were hand-picked over a century ago for the classroom in the 1921 collection, Modern Short Stories: A Book for High Schools . This influential volume was edited by Frederick Houk Law, Ph. D., a scholar who believed that short fiction should not just entertain, but challenge the reader to think deeply...

Today, in this bonus episode we’re exploring the work of C.A. Mercer.  In this story, we follow a man returning to his childhood home after twenty years away. He expects to find the sprawling, majestic domain of his youth; instead, he finds a garden that has grown "dreary and desolate," past its prime and its paths narrowed by neglect. Send us Fan Mail Narrated Archives Bonus Episodes ar...

 Today, we unseal a file from Perceval Gibbon, a man who saw the world from the deck of a merchant ship and the frontlines of war. Gibbon was a master of the 'ironic twist,' and today’s story is a masterclass in the high cost of human desperation. It’s a tale where the currency isn't just gold, but morality and survival. In 'A Deal in Exchange,' we see that exact mastery o...

Today, we’re exploring True Crime of the early 20th Century. In 1927, a man named Edward Henry Smith sat in a New York apartment, surrounded by the files of the world’s most baffling disappearances. He wasn't just a reporter; he was a student of the human shadow. Before his untimely death that same year, Smith would publish Mysteries of the Missing , a collection of cases that defied logic an...

In this episode you’ll hear a short story by Manuel Komroff: “The Little Master of the Sky”.  This is one of Komroff's  most celebrated early works, first appearing in the prestigious literary magazine The Dial in 1921, establishing Komroff's reputation as a master of the "mystical-realistic" style. It follows his interest in characters who exist on the fringes of society or po...

In today’s Bonus Episode “How Does It Feel To Be Free” by Manuel Komroff is in contrast to his story “The Little Master of the Sky”. Both explore the concept of liberty, however they approach it from opposite directions—one through the eyes of a free soul and the other through the eyes of a prisoner. Send us Fan Mail Narrated Archives Bonus Episodes are now free.  Support the show Thanks for liste...

In this episode we hear "The Spider's Eye" (1884), a short story by Lucretia P. Hale that explores themes of perception and social consciousness. Originally published in the anthology Stories by American Authors, Volume 3 , the narrative is set in a theater where the protagonist reflects on the nature of sound and acoustics.  As the story develops, the protagonist experiences a shif...

In this episode we’ll explore Clayton Edwards’ recounting of two remarkably courageous women, Molly Pitcher and Edith Cavell, from his 1920 book A Treasury of Heroes and Heroines . Both of these stories sit at the intersection of fact and folklore. Their stories teach us how history is preserved. Molly Pitcher is likely a "composite" of several real women (like Margaret Corbin and Mary L...

Welcome to a bonus episode of Narrated Archives. Today, we look back to a stormy September night in 1838 to uncover the story of a young woman whose name would soon be carried on the wind across all of Victorian Britain: Grace Darling. In his 1920 collection, A Treasury of Heroes and Heroines , Clayton Edwards presents the story of Grace Darling as a prime example of "quiet, unassuming braver...

In this episode, we present three distinct tales that showcase Bostonian author, Francis A Durivage's range as a storyteller: "The Obliging Young Man" - A witty look at the pitfalls of being too helpful, where good intentions meet the unpredictable whims of society. "Love in a Cottage" - A classic exploration of romantic idealism versus practical reality, set against the b...

Today, we’re heading into Friendship Village to meet Miggy .  You’ll hear a chapter taken from the 1909 collection Friendship Village Love Stories .  The woman behind this story, Zona Gale , was a force of early 20th-century American letters.  In this chapter two women from different walks of life who discover they have much to offer and learn from one another.  Send us Fan Mail Narrated Archives...

Today, we explore three stories that, with a sense of humor, delve into the complexities of reputation, political and journalistic and the mathematical quirks of time. These tales from the early 20th century showcase authors who found the extraordinary within the seemingly ordinary. "The Boulevard of Rogues" by Meredith Nicholson: A humorous and satisfying tale of one man's attempt...

We’re stepping into the experimental world of the 1920s with a haunting piece of short fiction titled “The Old Lady”, by Evelyn Scott.  Originally published in the May 1925 issue of The Dial —the premier magazine of the American modernist movement—this story, “The Old Lady”, was so well-regarded it was selected for The Best Short Stories of 1925 . In it, we see a master of psychological depth at w...

Today, we’re stepping out of the high-brow literary salons and into the world of Clarence Louis Cullen, a man who wrote about the hustle, the gamble, and the gritty humor of the American underdog. In this episode, we have a double feature of Cullen’s sharp-witted prose First, is an introductory note from the author for his book Taking Chances .  Then we follow a man chasing the elusive dragon of a...

In this episode we’re unearthing the legacy of a woman whose mind was once called the 'most original and challenging' of the entire women’s movement. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a philosopher, a sociologist, and a writer who dared to imagine a world where women were defined not by their domesticity, but by their economic independence. Her short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” is regarded...

Welcome to a special bonus episode of Narrated Archives. I’m your host, Sally Barron. In this bonus episode featuring the story “If I Were A Man”, published in 1914, the influential feminist author and sociologist Charlotte Perkins Gilman gives insight into a male-only social space and highlights the absurdity of gender stereotypes and the condescending ways men often spoke of women when they beli...

In this episode of Narrated Archives , we explore the sophisticated yet surprisingly tender world of the Gilded Age through three of Richard Harding Davis's most evocative stories: "A Walk Up the Avenue," "Van Bibber and the Swan-Boats," and "Van Bibber as Best Man." These narratives offer more than just a glimpse into high-society New York; they capture the univ...

In this episode we’re stepping back into the Gilded Age with a writer who didn't just report on history—he lived it. Richard Harding Davis was the ultimate 'journalist-adventurer,' a man who charged up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt and narrowly escaped execution as a spy during the Great War. But when he wasn't on the front lines, Davis was the undisputed chronicler of New...

In this episode we’re celebrating the pure, nonsensical joy of Carl Sanburg’s Rootabaga Stories and Rootabaga Pigeons.  Know for his monumental 6 volume biography of Abraham Lincoln, Sandburg also wrote poetry and children's fairy tales.  These stories are set in a world where the railroad tracks run off into the sky and the Village of Cream Puffs floats away in the wind! Join me to step into...

In the bonus episode of Narrated Archives we’re stepping further into a world that feels like a fantasy in Rootabaga Country. In 1922, the legendary American poet Carl Sandburg decided that American children didn’t need any more stories about European knights or kings. He wanted a folklore that belonged to the prairies, the skyscrapers, and the railroads. The result was Rootabaga Stories —a collec...

In this bonus episode we’re looking at a moral and legal puzzle by the Scottish-Canadian master of irony, Robert Barr.  We’ve heard from Mr. Barr in the episode “The Doom of London”.   First published in his 1896 collection Revenge! , Barr’s story “Which Was the Murderer?”  presents a case that feels modern in its critique of the justice system. It’s a story where the body is cold, the assailant i...

In this episode we’re unearthing a chillingly prescient piece of Victorian science fiction by Robert Barr that feels all too modern. In 1892, Robert Barr—a writer who influenced the likes of Agatha Christie—penned a pioneering harrowing account of urban catastrophe titled “The Doom of London”. Set in a then-future mid-20th century, our narrator looks back on the final days of the 19th century, whe...