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  A Fragment of Stained Glass -...

  D H Lawrence

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  David Herbert Lawrence was born on the 11th September 1885 in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, a coal mining town where the reality of a harsh life was only useful as experiences for future literary works. 
  He was educated at Beauvale Board School and became the first local boy to receive a scholarship to attend Nottingham High School. After 3 years he became a junior clerk in Haywood’s surgical appliances factory. He was also attempting a literary career which, in the short term, led to a teacher training position in Eastwood and later a teaching qualification from University College, Nottingham.  
  Lawrence’s first efforts were poems, short stories and a draft of ‘The White Peacock’. Moving to London and a teaching position in Croydon his writing attracted the attention of Ford Madox Ford, editor of The English Review, and he commissioned him to write ‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’.  
  Wanting to write full-time he now began work on what would become ‘Sons and Lovers.   
  In 1912 he met the older and married mother-of-three Frieda Weekley. They eloped to Germany and here Lawrence could see for himself the growing tensions with France.  So keen was his interest that he was arrested and accused of being a British spy.  
  In early 1914 Frieda obtained her divorce and they returned to Britain to be married just days before the outbreak of war. Owing to her German parentage, and his own public dislike of militarism and violence, the couple were treated with contempt and suspicion throughout the war years.  
  Despite this he continued to write but his reputation in England was so tarnished and, mirrored by his own disdain for the country, he and Frieda left England in November 1919, first for Europe and then America via Ceylon and Australia. 
  They bought a ranch in Taos, New Mexico and visited Mexico several times. The third visit in March 1925 caused a near fatal attack of malaria. To convalesce they moved to Florence. Here he continued work on ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ which for many years would cause controversy. A renewed interest in oil painting resulted in an exhibition in 1929 which was raided by the police and several works were confiscated.  
  D H Lawrence died of complications arising from a bout of tuberculosis on the 2nd of March 1930 in Vence, France.  He was 44.

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  Southern Fried Shakespeare - A...

  Robert James

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  Welcome y'all! This project was created for those who think they don't like Shakespeare. It is a completely unsanctioned and unconventional interpretation of some of the works of William Shakespeare. If you are a purist be forewarned! I have always been fascinated with the written works of Shakespeare since I was a child trying to decipher the giant volume of his works I discovered in my father's library. I knew it was important historically but the language had me often running to a dictionary in those pre-Google days. Understanding a live performance was an equally challenging task as the British accents combined with the lambic pentameter rhythm left me struggling to understand the meaning. But once you figure what he's saying you realized these timeless stories of dysfunctional families and political intrigue are just as relevant today as 400 years ago. Every actor in training experiences the works of William Shakespeare to some degree. While memorizing lines I would try various characters and accents. For Richard III's famous opening monologue I settled on a genteel aristocrat from the Southern United States. I shared with my instructor and after some initial eye rolls he had to admit it was easier to understand. Eventually I created a one man show around the idea and wrote original songs that I believe express the emotion and underlying intentions of the pieces. And of course what's a variety show without an MC or two. In this case two squabbling siblings Auntie Bella and her twin brother Beauregard to bring a small respite to the drama. During the COVID pandemic I decided to record an audio version of the show. I hope you enjoy my family of misfits as much as I did creating them. But hey, to thine own taste be true. Cousin Willy must have had a sense of humor to write some of this stuff!

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  Uncle's Dream

  Fyodor Dostoevsky

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  Uncle's Dream (Russian: Дядюшкин сон, Dyadyushkin son) is an 1859 novella by Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. The first work of Dostoevsky after a long pause, the novella was written during the author's stay in Semipalatinsk. It was first published in the Russian magazine Russkoye Slovo (1859, No. 3).

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  Despised and Rejected

  Rose Allatini

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  In the year leading up to the First World War, four people’s lives intertwine, only to be pulled apart. A landmark of gay and pacifist literature, Rose Allatini’s story foregrounding conscientious objectors and queer love amidst wartime turmoil was banned months after its publication. 
  At a countryside hotel, guests watch an amateur play. One of the actors, Antoinette de Courcy, is infatuated with Hester Cawthorn, a reserved and alluring woman. Dennis Blackwood, a gifted composer, is intrigued by Antoinette, sensing that they are alike. He meets Alan, and the two are instantly attracted to each other. Unlike Antoinette’s determined pursuit of Hester, Dennis wholly represses his sexuality. With the war looming, families are torn apart by personal politics: the men around Dennis embrace the patriotic cause and sign up to fight. Dennis, however, knows that embracing peace is the only possible way to live. He attempts to stamp out his powerful desire for Alan by focusing all attention on Antoinette. Yet this only leads to mutual unfulfilment, and understanding comes too late. Each day, as Dennis and others defend themselves in public court and private circles, the likelihood of forced enrolment or imprisonment grows.Despised and Rejected is part of the Persephone Audiobook Collection, a series of forgotten classics including neglected fiction and non-fiction by women writers. First published in 1918, this edition includes an afterword by Jonathan Cutbill and is narrated by Robyn Holdaway.

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  The Shadow Over Innsmouth FINAL...

  H. P. Lovecraft

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  Title: The Shadow Over Innsmouth 
  Author: H. P. Lovecraft 
  Narrator: Jonathan Dunne 
  Original Publication: 1936 
  Public Domain: Yes 
  Series Placement: Final Part 5 of Number 56 in the Timeless Terrors series 
  Description: 
  The Shadow Over Innsmouth is Lovecraft’s classic tale of a decaying seaside town bound to an ancient horror from the deep. 
  The story follows a traveler who visits the isolated port of Innsmouth, only to discover its inhabitants bear unsettling, amphibious traits — bulging eyes, flabby lips, and a strange, slinking gait. Through whispered rumors and a terrifying night on the run, he uncovers the truth: generations ago, the townsfolk struck a pact with the Deep Ones, an ancient ocean-dwelling race that offers wealth and longevity at a terrible cost. 
  As the narrator flees through collapsing streets and foggy wharves, pursued by inhuman figures emerging from the sea, he confronts a revelation far more disturbing than the town itself — one that ties his own fate to Innsmouth’s monstrous legacy. 
  Narrated by Amazon-bestselling horror author Jonathan Dunne, this public-domain classic is revived in a fresh, chilling performance. The Shadow Over Innsmouth remains a cornerstone of maritime horror and one of Lovecraft’s most enduring nightmares.

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  The Happy Prince and Other Tales

  Oscar Wilde

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  The Happy Prince and Other Tales is a collection of bedtime stories for children by Oscar Wilde, first published in May 1888. It contains five stories that are highly popular among children and frequently read in schools: "The Happy Prince," "The Nightingale and the Rose," "The Selfish Giant," "The Devoted Friend," and "The Remarkable Rocket." The short stories are valued for their morals, and have been made into animated films.

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