The Class of ’74

Cynthia is invited to a quarter-keg and pizza party by football captain Teddy Hamilton and reluctantly allows Mimi and Cathy to dress her in a bold outfit, setting the stage for a night of attention and awkward excitement.

Cynthia's parents fill her in on the accounting disaster at Goodbody that ended the career of Teddy's father on Wall Street and has necessitated the need for Teddy to win a scholarship to go to college. The surprise appearance of head cheerleader Suzanne Sayer at the Schuyler's house creates more tension and curiosity about how the evening will unfold.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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After Brighton's big football win, Katey's angry mother drags her home because she didn't pick up her room; Mimi and Cathy examine the big surprise Mr. Watson has sent; Cynthia fills in her mother about the new kids from Jamaica, while Mrs. Schuyler fills Cynthia in on the significance of the name Lilibet; Phil reports on his trip to the police station; Annabel's brother offers to drive the girls to the beach tonight and Mimi produces stolen wine for the occasion.

Cynthia plans to visit Clay in a Boston hospital in the morning, but receives a stunning invitation to go out with someone else tonight.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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Ending Music: "Skeleton Dance"' by Danijel Zambo @ Uppbeat.io  https://uppbeat.io/c/danijel-zambo

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Mrs. Watson returns after a lengthy absence bearing a rare oil study of John Frederick Kensett’s "The Old Pine," surprising Mimi and her friends when she invites them to view and discuss the work. The scene reveals Mrs. Watson’s unexpected warmth, sparks conversations about art and fashion, and highlights the kids’ relationships.

Amid the excitement, family dynamics surface: Mimi’s complicated feelings about her mother, Katey’s tense arrival with her own strict mom, and Cynthia and Clark’s quiet observations. The episode blends art appreciation, budding plans for a fashion fundraiser, and hints of shifting alliances in the ongoing story.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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The cover detail is from The Old Pine, Darien, Connecticut  (1872) by John Frederick Kensett. It hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, of which Kensett was a founder.

Ending Music: "'Das Übel Soll Weichen Von Hier" by  Arnito

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After a dramatic last-play victory over Westport, Cynthia and her friends accept an offer of a ride to her house, but on the way the car starts smoking and the girls evacuate, fearing it is about to blow up. Cynthia's father demonstrates quiet generosity toward the broke and embarrassed teenager who owns the car, while Cynthia, Mimi, Katey and Cathy start walking home., only to get detoured into Clarke Allerton's yard to watch his homemade solar water heater in action.

Cynthia, Katey and Mimi can hardly believe it, but there is an obvious spark of attraction between Clarke and Cathy.

Mimi receives unexpected news when a limousine arrives, hinting at more to come. The episode mixes teenage awkwardness, small acts of kindness, and the promise of new connections.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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Ending Music: "Strange Things" by Enrique Molano

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Victory, secrets and small-town tensions. After a dramatic two-point conversion wins the game, Brighton erupts in celebration as friends and newcomers mingle on the field. The episode follows Cynthia, Katey and Lilibet as they navigate post-game joy, a tense family situation for Victor Wronski, and the scout’s interest in Teddys future.

Underneath the revelry, darker threads surface: police worries, a stolen jacket, Clay's mysterious involvement leading to arrests, and Not-Fred's anxious secrets. The episode mixes lingering danger and uncertain loyalties with teenage triumph.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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Ending Music:  " Unite The Clans" by Paulo Kalazzi

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After visiting Clay on the floor of a makeshift medical tent in a Brighton High classroom, Cynthia tries to act normal at the Brighton–Westport football game, juggling friends, gossip, and small-town tensions as the team attempts a dramatic comeback.

New faces, a jacket being held by the police as evidence, and a surprising kiss create twists that leave Cynthia questioning loyalties and secrets long after the final whistle.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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Ending Music::  "Freedom Ship" by Iros Young

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Cynthia finds Clay semi-conscious in a makeshift medical tent at the Brighton vs. Westport football game after he secretly left Mass General. He says he "got" the men who tied him up, the FBI arrests suspects, and Detective Fiduccia presses Cynthia for more answers.

As Clay's parents prevent the authorities from questioning his brother, Patrick,  family secrets about Clay's parents create new complications — leaving the episode on a tense cliffhanger.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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Ending Music:: "Scary Treat" by El Depravo

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An episode of surprising arrivals and mounting secrets, Cynthia Schuyler is confined to a small corner of the stadium by Detective Fiducia, witnesses the disastrous game opening with Katey, admonishes not-Fred for being a snob, meets new students Winston and Lilibet Hartley, and is invited by the principal, Dr. Mullen, to join him in the press box, but instead leaves the stadium with Explorer Post 49 EMT, Derek, to discover where Clay is.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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At Brighton High's first football game of the season, Cynthia is stunned when Not-Fred tells her he just saw Clay—who is supposed to be in a Boston hospital. As the crowd roars, Cynthia and Katey navigate the chaos of the grandstand, seeking information about Clay, but are distracted by acts of mischief, school rivalry, encounters with friends, enemies, quirky characters and amazing surprises to leave the mystery of Clay's whereabouts unresolved.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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Ending Music:: "Liberation" by Iros Young

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Laura Van Wormer appears on Conversations with Rich Bennett to talk about her serialized audio drama, The Class of ’74 — a nostalgic, character‑driven podcast story that opens on September 8, 1971.

The bestselling novelist describes how a drunk driver wrecked her life in a head-on collision, her despair over the physical and cognitive damage she sustained, and how, 8 years later, multiple miracles began unfolding with her creation of The Class of ’74.

Laura describes the remarkable listener support and feedback she has received from "The Detention Club" at Patreon; she and Rich talk about how terrific podcasters are as a breed, and how she wishes all seniors would try listening to podcasts to experience the medium's special intimacy in what can be a lonely world.

The Class of ’74 resumes in August with a 16-straight-week run to end season 2. She is also working on a new non-fiction discussion show about what distinguishes Americans born between 1954 and 1965 from the rest of the baby boomer generation. And yes, she is doing it with 3 other members of her 1974 high school class.

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