Snoozecast

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Patagonia” a story written by Henry James and published in 1888. Like many of James’s other stories, its origins were inspired by an anecdote relayed to him over the dinner table. It features a young woman on a long sea voyage going to meet the man to whom she is betrothed.

This story also exemplifies two themes James is well known for. One being the contrasts between old and new worlds of America and England. The other is of the ‘new type’ of woman or the ‘self-made girl’ who pushes against the boundaries of social convention – at a cost to herself.

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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, Admiral and Mrs. Croft visit Kellynch to the great satisfaction of all parties. The deal of the renting of Kellynch Hall is settled. Mary complains that she is feeling unwell and Anne must stay with her instead of heading straight to Bath with Sir Walter and Elizabeth. Anne is pleased with the opportunity to be useful and not go to Bath so soon. Lady Russell and Anne share concern that Mrs. Clay plans to travel to Bath with Sir Walter and Elizabeth. She warns Elizabeth of the danger that their father may fall for the young woman, but Elizabeth rejects the notion as ridiculous and offensive. When Anne visits Mary, she finds her in a sour mood as is usual. Anne patiently perseveres in cheering up her sister, and the two take a walk to visit the Musgroves.

We will pick up at the beginning of chapter 6.

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Tonight, we’ll read the classic Norwegian folk tale “Soria Moria Castle” originally written by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, and collected in “The Red Fairy Book”.

In this story, a poor, lazy son named Halvor is offered the opportunity to go sailing at sea. A storm blows the ship far off course. Halvor eventually finds a mysterious land and starts his journey towards a castle.

According to legend, the path to the castle is not clearly marked, and the journey is solitary because all people are different and therefore cannot reach the goal in the same manner. One of the most common values expressed is the idea of a common person rising above the circumstances of his birth and finding his own happiness and success.

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Tonight, we’ll read a section from “At Home In the Smokies”, a History Handbook for Great Smoky Mountains National Park produced by the National Park Service and written by Wilma Dykeman and James Stokely.

The Great Smoky Mountains, a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, are renowned for their breathtaking beauty and rich history. Straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, they boast the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States. This majestic area draws millions of visitors each year with its ancient mountains, diverse ecosystems, and vibrant display of wildflowers, which bloom year-round.

The Smokies are named for the natural fog that often hangs over the range, appearing as large smoke plumes from a distance. This mist is caused by vegetation exhaling volatile organic compounds, a phenomenon that adds to the mystical quality of the landscape.

For tonight’s selection we’ll be reading the section titled “Birth of a Park”

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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, Arronax is puzzled over the direction in which the Nautilus is heading, wondering if Nemo is aiming to reach the South Pole. They are so far south that there are only a few hours of darkness per night. The Nautilus navigates through icebergs, and Arronax sees cities in their “surprising” shapes.As the submarine progresses, ice forms over its surface, and Arronax realizes that they have become trapped in a kind of vice. Nemo however, is confident that it will come loose, and that they will be able to go even further south. The Nautilus descends into the icy depths of the sea.

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Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Bad Little Owls” from the “Told at Twilight” series by John Breck. It was published in 1923. This episode first aired in May of 2021.

A group of owls is called a parliament. This term supposedly originates from C.S. Lewis’ description of a meeting of owls in “The Chronicles of Narnia.”

Many of the avian collective nouns originate in an anonymously published book from 1486 titled “ The Book of Hawking, Hunting, and Blasing of Arms”, later discovered to be written by a nun named Juliana Barnes. Some of the many terms from this book still in use today are an “exaltation of larks”, a “murmuration of starlings”, a “watch of nightingales”, a “sedge of herons”, and an “unkindness of ravens”.

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Tonight, we’ll read a Snoozecast original tale about a furry friend. After 2 weeks of rain showers, Olive, the family’s “sassy senior” jack russell terrier takes it upon herself to bring an end to the ongoing downpour with the help of some other city creatures.

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Tonight, we’ll read the 15th chapter to “Anne of Green Gables” the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “Anne’s Confession”.

In the last episode, Marilla believes Anne lost Marilla’s special brooch and accuses her of lying. To punish her, Marilla disallows Anne to attend the much anticipated Sunday school picnic. Eventually, after much despair, Anne confesses for the crime she did not commit. Then Marilla finds that she herself lost her brooch when she finds it. Anne then gets to attend the Sunday school picnic after all.

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Tonight, for our monthly Snoozecast+ Deluxe bonus episode, we invite you to immerse yourself in a tale crafted by Snoozecast, set at a one room school house in the 1910s. If you would like to learn more about what Snoozecast’s premium subscription service offers, please go to snoozecast.com/plus.

A spelling bee is a competition in which contestants are asked to spell a broad selection of words, usually with a varying degree of difficulty. To compete, contestants must memorize the spellings of words as written in dictionaries, and recite them accordingly. The concept is thought to have originated in the United States, and is almost exclusive to the English language.

Historically, the word “bee” has been used to describe a get-together for communal work, like a husking bee, a quilting bee, or an apple bee. Why was it referred to as a “bee”? The word bee probably comes from the dialectal “been” meaning "help given by neighbors". This in tern originated from Middle English’s “bene”, meaning "prayer", "boon" or "extra service by a tenant to his lord".

Spelling bees became widespread across the United States during the 19th century, as a way to motivate students to learn standardized spelling. These spelling bees were usually held within individual schools and towns, and were not nationally organized. Soon after the dawn of the 20th century, the "first national spelling bee" was held. Marie Bolden, a young Black student from Cleveland, was named the first champion in 1908.

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Tonight, we’ll read “The Ugly Duckling”, a Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, originally published in 1843. Snoozecast originally aired this episode back in 2021.

Unlike most fairy tales, this one is completely Andersen's invention and owes no debt to humanity’s vast cultural catalog of fairy tales or folklore.

Apparently Andersen grew up awkward and tall, with a big nose and feet.

Furthermore, speculation suggests that Andersen may have been the illegitimate son of Prince Christian Frederik who later became king of Denmark. Being a swan in the story was a metaphor not just for inner beauty and talent in that case, but also for secret royal lineage.

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