The Radio Reading Room

Join host Myron Hieronymus Thomas in the Radio Reading Room for “Why He Carried the Turkey,” a Thanksgiving tale of humility and kindness. When a young gentleman refuses to carry his purchase home, a plainly dressed stranger offers to help—with an unexpected revelation. This warmhearted story reminds us that true greatness shines through simple acts of generosity.

In this Halloween edition of Radio Reading Room: Stories of Americana Podcast, host and reader Myron Hieronymous Thomas presents “The Ghost with Two White Eyes,” an original retelling inspired by a classic campfire tale. Nearly a decade after the Civil War, weary travelers seeking shelter at a run-down Appalachian hotel are warned that room 13A is haunted by the glowing-eyed spirit of a Confederate soldier. Atmospheric, suspenseful, and playful, this family-friendly story offers a memorable lesson about standing up to bullies and calling their bluff. Written and read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.

Step inside Mark Twain’s A Ghost Story, where a night of rattling chains, giant footprints, and supernatural terror takes an unexpectedly comic turn. This Halloween Classics episode first explores the remarkable Cardiff Giant hoax that inspired Twain’s 1870 tale, then follows a frightened narrator’s encounter with the enormous, weary phantom—only to reveal that even a ghost can be fooled. A witty blend of eerie atmosphere, American history, and satire, this reading shows Twain at his playful best. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.

Step into the shadows with the Radio Reading Room: Stories of Americana Halloween Classics Special. Host and reader Myron Hieronymous Thomas explores the personal struggles and literary ambitions that shaped Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting masterpiece, The Raven, explains key allusions—including Pallas, nepenthe, the Balm of Gilead, Aidenn, and Night’s Plutonian Shore—and then delivers a dramatic reading of the celebrated poem. This atmospheric episode offers both helpful context and a chilling encounter with Poe’s enduring themes of grief, memory, and “Nevermore.”

In this special Halloween Classics episode of Radio Reading Room: Stories of Americana, host and reader Myron Hieronymus Thomas presents the chilling Edgar Allan Poe classic “The Masque of the Red Death.” After introducing Poe’s lasting legacy as a master of the macabre, the episode presents his haunting 1842 tale of Prince Prospero, a masked ball, and the inescapable presence of death. Atmospheric, suspenseful, and timeless, this reading reminds listeners that no walls can keep out the darker realities of the world.

In this episode, we take listeners into the mist‑covered hollows of early America, where superstition lingers in the treetops and every rustle in the underbrush feels like a whisper from the past. Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow remains one of the most enduring tales in American folklore—rich with humor, mystery, and the eerie charm of a village caught between daylight reason and nighttime imagination. The story unfolds like an autumn evening by lantern light. You’ll meet the lanky schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, the spirited Katrina Van Tassel, and the boisterous Brom Bones—each brought to life with character, cadence, and the gentle theatricality that defines The Radio Reading Room. As the tail winds toward its famous midnight ride, Myron’s reading captures both the playful satire and the creeping suspense that have made Sleepy Hollow a classic for generations.   Settle in, slow down, and let this timeless American ghost story carry you into a world where legends ride at night… and where the line between myth and memory grows wonderfully thin. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.

In this episode of Radio Reading Room Podcast: Stories of Americana, host and reader Myron Hieronymous Thomas presents Ambrose Bierce’s haunting Civil War short story "A Horseman in the Sky". First published in 1889, the story follows a young Union soldier facing an impossible choice between family loyalty and military duty, offering listeners a dramatic reflection on courage, conscience, and the human cost of war.

In this episode we present Mark Twain’s Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is a gloriously ridiculous frontier yarn in which a well‑meaning visitor asks a simple question and immediately gets trapped in the verbal quicksand of Simon Wheeler — a man who can talk longer than a summer day. Wheeler launches into the saga of Jim Smiley, a gambler who would bet on anything: horses, dogs, birds, sermons, and probably the weather if you gave him a minute. Smiley’s pride and joy is Dan’l Webster, a frog he “educates” to jump like a green lightning bolt. Everything goes great until a stranger cheats by secretly filling the frog with quail shot, turning the champion jumper into a paperweight. Twain’s tale is a celebration of tall stories, bad bets, and the eternal human talent for being bamboozled — all told with a straight face and a wink.  is a gloriously ridiculous frontier yarn in which a well‑meaning visitor asks a simple question and immediately gets trapped in the verbal quicksand of Simon Wheeler — a man who can talk longer than a summer day. Wheeler launches into the saga of Jim Smiley, a gambler who would bet on anything: horses, dogs, birds, sermons, and probably the weather if you gave him a minute. Smiley’s pride and joy is Dan’l Webster, a frog he “educates” to jump like a green lightning bolt. Everything goes great until a stranger cheats by secretly filling the frog with quail shot, turning the champion jumper into a paperweight. Twain’s tale is a celebration of tall stories, bad bets, and the eternal human talent for being bamboozled — all told with a straight face and a wink. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas

In this episode of The Radio Reading Room-Stories of Americana, step into the charged summer of 1776 as young Elias Carter, along with Mara Whitcombe and Jacob Turner, are drawn into the dangerous work of carrying the newly printed Declaration of Independence through the streets of Philadelphia. Set against the heat, secrecy, and uncertainty of the American founding, The Night the Wind Shifted is a story of ordinary people risking everything to help give voice to an extraordinary idea: that liberty belongs not to kings, but to the people. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.

*This work is an original creation conceived and directed by Myron Hieronymous Thomas. The drafting process incorporated the use of an AI writing model, which generated prose under the author’s explicit guidance and creative supervision. All intellectual property, narrative design, and final editorial decisions originate with and belong to Myron Hieronymous Thomas.

As we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation, this episode invites listeners to look back at the words and events that helped launch the American story.

In this special Fourth of July episode of Radio Reading Room: Stories of Americana, host and reader Myron Hieronymous Thomas explores the origins, meaning, and enduring legacy of the Declaration of Independence. Drawing from historical context provided by the National Archives, the episode traces the road from colonial unrest and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense to the Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson’s drafting process, the July 1776 vote for independence, and the signing of one of America’s most defining documents.

Listeners will hear a full reading of the Declaration of Independence, followed by reflections on how July 4 became America’s annual celebration of liberty, remembrance, and national identity. This episode invites listeners to revisit the words, sacrifices, and ideals that helped shape the United States—and to celebrate Independence Day with gratitude, reflection, and care.