I will be reading to you now from two of my own fiction stories.

These two were both written in response to the same type of prompt. For each I got three random but interesting photos, and had to use them for a story, 1000 words max. I like writing to a variety of challenges, and have done over a hundred of these so far. You can find all my short stories via my website .

The first story was written this January, just a week ago. The three photos were: several happy people sprawled on a hill below a scarecrow-like sculpture; a detailed image of the Horsehead nebula; and an empty VW camper van in a parking lot.

The second was written twelve years ago, in January of 2012, so is maybe not quite as polished. Same type of prompt, three photos. The images were of a building in downtown Taipei,Taiwan; two guys sitting together on a rooftop; two girls biking down a road.

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you'll the next installments as soon as they are ready. If you enjoy this reading, and would like more of my stories or maybe some of the classics, leave me a comment.

And remember that you can manage here which sections from my SubStack you'll get emails for - Fiction, Odds and ends, Podcastings, or all. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

This story is from The Inimitable Jeeves, a collection of short stories written by P. G. Wodehouse in 1923. In Chapter 1 we saw Jeeves come up with a plan to help a friend of his employer Bertie Wooster navigate the challenges of a romance. We will now see how well that clever scheme works out.

I might read from some of my own stories next time. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you'll the next installments as soon as they are ready. If you enjoy this reading, or have other classics you'd like to hear, leave me a comment.

And remember that you can manage here which sections from my SubStack you'll get emails for - Fiction, Odds and ends, Podcastings, or all. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

This story is from The Inimitable Jeeves, a collection of short stories written by P. G. Wodehouse in 1923. In today’s chapter, Bertie, with the help of his valet Jeeves, devises a scheme to help Bertie’s friend Bingo. In the next chapter, we’ll see how that seemingly foolproof plan works out.

Jeeves and Bertie, were characters in dozens of short stories by Wodehouse. In addition, there was also a very successful TV series where the two characters were played by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, respectively. I'll do a chapter of this collection per podcast, but may not get to all 18 stories. Do remember to check back. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you'll get the next installment as soon as it's ready. If you enjoy this reading, or have other classics you'd like to hear, leave me a comment.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

Tonight I have a cute little short story by the Canadian humourist Stephen Leacock. He describes the financial challenges of opening a bank account, back when it was all done through an oak and brass wicket.

Leacock was a Canadian teacher, political scientist, writer, and humorist, in the early 1900's. He had a summer home in Orillia and wrote with a dry wit about life in small Ontario towns.

I hope you enjoy this tidbit - does it remind you of having to apply for a loan or mortgage?

Would you like more by Leacock? Maybe in bundles of 2-3 at a time? Or other classics like Huck Finn or Jeeves and Wooster or Alice in Wonderland or -- even my short stories?

Let me know in the comments.

And Happy New Year. It can't be as bad as 2023, right?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

In 1823, the poem A Visit From St. Nicholas was published anonymously in a small New York newspaper. Four years later, Clement Clarke Moore admitted it was his - he’d been reluctant at first because he didn’t think it was fitting for a scholarly professor such as he. I assume the popularity changed his mind.

Here’s a link to some history on the poem.

Note 1 - I originally had added this to a post on Christmas Eve, but here it is as a separate podcast. Also, I deleted a word in one line. The added syllable ruined the cadence.

Note 2 - And suggestions for more readings? I could do some of my own short stories, or some classics - as in old enough to be copyright-free. Some Leacock or Wodehouse or Twain.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

Part 4 of my reading of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. This is from the prompt copy that he used for his own readings. Comments are welcome, of course.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these readings, I plan on doing some more. I’m considering maybe some Jeeves and Wooster by P. G. Wodehouse, maybe some Stephen Leacock or Mark Twain. Let me know what books you’d like to hear. They just need to be old enough to be in the public domain and thus copyright free.

Edit - I’m adding a link to a related story I found a few days after posting this - enjoy it here.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

Part 3 of my reading of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. This is from the prompt copy that he used for his own readings. Comments are welcome, of course.

I’ll post the last stave in a day or two. If you'd like me to do other readings, let me know - they just need to be old enough to be in the public domain.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

Part 2 of my reading of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. This is from the prompt copy that he used for his own readings.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

Part 1 of 4 of my reading of A Christmas Carol, by Dickens. Read from the copy he'd edited for his own readings.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ravensview.substack.com