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  Twelfth Night

  William Shakespeare

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  Twelfth Night or What You Will is a slapstick, almost modern, romantic comedy concerning passion, romance, mistaken identities, and practical jokes. Viola has been separated from her twin brother Sebastian in a shipwreck off the shore of Illyria. Ashore, Viola disguises herself as a boy, calling herself Cesario, and becomes a servant to the Duke Orsino of Illyria. Thinking she/he is a boy, the Duke sends Viola to pursue the Countess Olivia on his behalf, but the Countess falls in love with Cesario! Things gets even more confusing when Sebastian finally turns up. This is chaos and comedy at its best. After all, it was written by the master himself, William Shakespeare.

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  Shelley: Selected Poems and Prose

  Percy Bysshe Shelley

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  The English Romantic Period in literature featured a towering group of excellent poets: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats. If we add in forerunners Burns and Blake, we have perhaps an unmatchable collection of writers for any era. Of these, Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the brightest and best, coupling a giant intellect with a highly emotional and impetuous nature. He was always a champion of liberty, but was largely ignored when he tried to promote political and social reform. He was wise enough, however, to realize that his efforts were ineffective, and he chose instead, not to attempt to reshape society, but to transform the individual, to inspire his readers to a greater love of beauty, of nature, and especially of each other. To this end, he poured forth a profusion of gorgeous verse overflowing with brilliant imagery, all aimed at uplifting the good and the beautiful, the free and the loving, while denouncing the social forces that tended to suppress them.Unfortunately, it was Shelley’s fate to be misunderstood by the people of his own time. He was vilified as an evil influence, a free thinker and free lover whose ideas should be abhorred. He pictured himself in his poetic tribute to Keats, “Adonais,” as an outcast or a martyr, a “phantom among men, companionless,” bearing a brand upon his brow like that of Cain or of Christ. His life was unorthodox, but his nature was highly sympathetic and filled with devotion to those who were ground down by life and the pressures of a callous society. Perhaps the greatest testimonial was paid to him in letters written by Lord Byron (who, incidentally, disagreed with his political ideas): “...he is, to my knowledge, the least selfish and the mildest of men--a man who has made more sacrifices of his fortune and feelings for others than any I ever heard of.” “Shelley...was, without exception, the best and least selfish man I ever knew. I never knew one who was not a beast in comparison.” (Introduction by Leonard Wilson)

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  Librivox Multilingual Short...

  Various Various

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  This is a collection of short pieces, poetry or prose, fiction and non-fiction, in several different languages. All chosen and recorded by Librivox volunteers.Brief description of the contributions:01 Japanese - Shisyuu by Akutagawa Ryunosuke (1892-1927) [1925] - Key words: prose, fiction, poetries02 Japanese - Utsukushii Inu by Hayashi Fumiko (1904-1951) [1947] - Key words: prose, fiction, dog03 Japanese - Konoteni kagiruyo by Hagiwara Sakutaro (1886-1942) [1937] - Key words: prose, fiction, dream04 Japanese - Ookina Komorigasa by Takehisa Yumeji (1884-1934) [1926] - Key words: prose, fiction, children, umbrella05 Polish - O kaznodziei by Jan Kochanowski (1530-1584) [1883] - Key words: poetry, fraszka, ksiadz, pieniadze06 Japanese - Niwa by Dazai Osamu (1909-1948) [1946] - Key words: prose, essay, garden07 Japanese - Kakehino Hanashi by Kajii Motojiro (1901-1932) [1928] - Key words: prose, fiction, water08 Japanese - Iseini taisuru kankakuwo senrenseyo by Okamoto Kanoko (1889-1939) [1935] - Key words: prose, women09 Polish - Król chory i lisy by Jean de la Fontaine (1621-1695) translated by Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855) [1893] - Key words: fable, bajka, lisy, lew, król10 Japanese - Kinno Kubikazari by Ono Hiroshi (1894-1933) [1928] - Key words: prose, fiction, children, golden necklace11 Japanese - Kusuriyubino magari by Tanaka Koutarou (1880-1941) [1934] - Key words: prose, doctor, ring finger12 Japanese - Sorano bi by Miyamoto Yuriko (1899-1951) [1926] - Key words: prose, sky13 German - Der Sturm auf dem Tyrrhener Meer by Vergil (70 BC - 19 BC) translated by Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) [1780] - Key words: poetry; Juno versucht, die fluechtenden Trojaner zu verderben; aus dem ersten Buche der Aeneide; uebertragen von Friedrich von Schiller14 German - Briefwechsel zwischen Schiller und Goethe - 8. An Schiller by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) [1881] - Key words: prose; Goethe laedt Schiller auf zwei Wochen in sein Haus nach Weimar ein15 German - Briefwechsel zwischen Schiller und Goethe - 9. An Goethe by Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) [1881] - Key words: prose; Schiller aeussert Bedenken wegen seiner Gesundheit bei der Annahme der Einladung in Goethes Haus16 German - Briefwechsel zwischen Friedrich von Schiller und Wilhelm von Humboldt - 12.09.1803 by Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) [1830] - Key words: prose; Schiller schreibt Humboldt zum Tode von dessen Sohn17 Tagalog - Ilang-Ilang by Jose N. Sevilla (1880-1946) [1908] - Key words: prose, poetry, legend of ilang-ilang18 Tagalog - Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga Tagalog by Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897) [1886] - Key words: prose, speech, history19 Japanese - Tsukiyo to Megane by Ogawa Mimei (1882-1961) [1922] - Key words: prose, fiction, children, moonlight night, glasses

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  Homie - Poems

  Danez Smith

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  Danez Smith is our presidentHomie is Danez Smith's magnificent anthem about the saving grace of friendship. Rooted in the loss of one of Smith's close friends, this book comes out of the search for joy and intimacy within a nation where both can seem scarce and getting scarcer. In poems of rare power and generosity, Smith acknowledges that in a country overrun by violence, xenophobia, and disparity, and in a body defined by race, queerness, and diagnosis, it can be hard to survive, even harder to remember reasons for living. But then the phone lights up, or a shout comes up to the window, and family — blood and chosen — arrives with just the right food and some redemption. Part friendship diary, part bright elegy, part war cry, Homie is the exuberant new book written for Danez and for Danez's friends and for you and for yours.

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  Lonely Together

  Benjamin Cheng

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  "Lonely Together" is an anthology of poems crafted throughout the year 2022-2023, offering a deeply personal insight into life's trials and tribulations, even in moments of apparent prosperity. These poems serve as a concise alternative to traditional journaling, allowing me to encapsulate my thoughts and experiences with a clear beginning and end. 
  This audiobook is designed to be an intimate conversation, a reading where I delve into each poem, unraveling the emotions and ideas behind them. It's an opportunity for you to not only listen but also to get to know me on a deeper level as I navigate the profound themes within these verses. My intention is that you'll find resonance with these poems beyond mere recitation. 
  The title, "Lonely Together," carries multiple layers of meaning. It initially sprang from a text I sent, suggesting that we should "be lonely together." This phrase lingered in my thoughts, embodying the idea that no one should bear loneliness in solitude, yet also acknowledging that even within a circle of loved ones, individual loneliness can persist. 
  I sincerely hope you find enjoyment in this journey.

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  Boudica (NHB Modern Plays)

  Tristan Bernays

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  A brand-new ancient-history play in verse that tells the story of one of Britain's most iconic women: a queen, a warrior and a rebel.
  AD 61, Britannia. On the furthest outreaches of the Roman Empire – at the very edge of the known world – rebellion is brewing.
  The King of the Iceni has died and his widow, Boudica, has tried to claim her rightful throne. For her insolence in defying Rome, the queen has been flogged, her daughters have been raped, and they have been banished from their homeland. But now, Queen Boudica has returned. And this time she has an army.
  She will have revenge. She will have blood. She will make Rome quake in fear.
  Boudica by Tristan Bernays premiered at Shakespeare's Globe, London, in September 2017.

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