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 to take on a corrupt local political machine. Nicholson, a prominent "Hoosier" author, often explored the intersection of American politics and society with a sharp, observational wit.
• “My First Literary Venture" (1871), Mark Twain offers a humorous, autobiographical (?) account of his earliest foray into the world of journalism. The story captures a pivotal moment from his teenage years in Hannibal, Missouri, when a thirteen-year-old Samuel Clemens was left in charge of his uncle’s newspaper, the Weekly Hannibal Journal.
• "Sixteen Years Without a Birthday" by Brander Matthews: A fascinating mathematical curiosity framed as a narrative. Matthews, a distinguished professor and literary critic, uses this tale to prove how a person could legitimately go nearly two decades without a birthday—an unlikely but entirely possible scenario involving the quirks of the leap year and the turn of the century.

Send us Fan Mail

When you subscribe to Narrated Archives you get at least 2 bonus episodes each month.

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast provider. SUBSCRIBE for at least 2 Bonus Episodes each month.

Send requests for authors or short stories to: sbnarration@sallybarronvoiceovers.com or www.narratedarchives.com

All music courtesy of Ende.app.

Audiobooks narrated by Sally Barron can be found at:

• audible
• Spotify
• Nook
• Kobo
• Libro.fm
• storytel
• ...

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 work, peeling back the layers of aging, memory, and the stifling weight of tradition.

Send us Fan Mail

When you subscribe to Narrated Archives you get at least 2 bonus episodes each month.

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast provider. SUBSCRIBE for at least 2 Bonus Episodes each month.

Send requests for authors or short stories to: sbnarration@sallybarronvoiceovers.com or www.narratedarchives.com

All music courtesy of Ende.app.

Audiobooks narrated by Sally Barron can be found at:

• audible
• Spotify
• Nook
• Kobo
• Libro.fm
• storytel
• ...

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 winning run in “'Red' Donnelly’s Streak of Luck”. It’s a classic look at the superstitions and adrenaline of the gambling life.
• Finally, "Just Like Finding Money", a clever tale that reminds us that in the city, nothing—not even a windfall—is ever quite as simple as it seems.

Both "Red Donnelly’s Streak of Luck" and "Just Like Finding Money" were originally part of a series Clarence Louis Cullen wrote for the New York Sun around the turn of the century.

Send us Fan Mail

When you subscribe to Narrated Archives you get at least 2 bonus episodes each month.

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast provider. SUBSCRIBE for at least 2 Bonus Episodes each month.

Send requests for authors or short stories to: sbnarration@sallybarronvoiceovers.com or www.narratedarchives.com

All music courtesy of Ende.app.

Audiobooks narrated by Sally Barron can be found at:

• audible
• Spotify
• Nook
• Kobo
• Libro.fm
• storytel
• ...