The Radio Reading Room

In this episode we feature some classic Christmas Poems including "Old Santeclaus with Much Delight"(Anonymous) 1821"Santa Claus and His Works" by George P. Webster - 1866"Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride"by Katharine Lee Bates - 1889, all read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.

In this episode we feature some Easter Traditions around the World. For many that live in the West. Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Customs have become associated with Easter and are observed both by Christians and some non-Christians, including Easter parades. Communal dancing in Eastern Europe. The Easter Bunny and Egg hunting. And there are also traditional Easter foods that vary by region and culture. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.

In part two of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane, after an evening of food, dancing, good ale and ghost stories of the valley, and having been rebuffed by the young Katrina Van Tassel finds him preparing to make his way home through the dark and winding woods of Sleepy Hollow. Will he make it? We will soon find out! Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas. 

In part One of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane had been invited to a fall feast at the home of Baltus Van Tassel, with his eye on the lovely Katrina Can Tassel. Mounted on an old steed named  Gunpowder, he is ready to make his way across the countryside to the farm of Van Tassel.   Ichabod was a suitable figure for such a steed. He rode with short stirrups, which brought his knees nearly up to the pommel of the saddle; his sharp elbows stuck out like grasshoppers’; he carried his whip perpendicularly in his hand, like a sceptre, and, as his horse jogged on, the motion of his arms was not unlike the flapping of a pair of wings. A small wool hat rested on the top of his nose, for so his scanty strip of forehead might be called; and the skirts of his black coat fluttered out almost to the horse’s tail. Such was the appearance of Ichabod and his steed, as they shambled out of the gate of Hans Van Ripper, and it was altogether such an apparition as is seldom to be met with in broad daylight.  Join us for more of this adventure! Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas

Submitted here for your approval is Washington Irving’s  “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” first appeared in Washington Irving’s collection of stories, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., published in 1819. It is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity, especially during Halloween because of a character known as the Headless Horseman believed to be a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball in battle during the American Revolutionary War. We present the tale in its original form, with just a bit of editing for the modern day listener. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas this adventure will take you back to the very early days of our country and leave you with the haunting image of the Headless Spectre.

In this episode we will continue with some of the writings of the Master of the Macabre, Edgar Allen Poe. Poe himself said that the short stories were his way of making an income, but his true love was poetry. And what better poem at this time of year than that of the Raven?  Turn the lights down low and venture into the authors chamber as a haunting tapping comes rapping on his door. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas. 

"The Masque of the Red Death" is a short story by the master of the macabre  Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. It is the chilling account of the dauntless, and sagacious  Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by locking himself and a thousand of his friends away in one of his many abbeys. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas this rendition is sure to add to your Halloween fright night.  

In this Episode, of The Radio Reading Room, Stories of Americana Podcast, we present Part Two of Mark Twain’s, A Ghost also known as A Ghost's Tale. Twain takes us on adventure in New York City, where we spend a rainy night with him in a run-down, dusty old boarding house on Broadway. Here he encounters a legion of spirits through the night and comes face to face with the Ghost of the Cardiff Giant. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas, this classic Twain tale will provide a lighthearted spooky treat for your Halloween fun. 

In this Episode of The Radio Reading Room Stories of Americana Podcast, we delve back into the mid-19th century for a somewhat humorous tale by Mark Twain. A Ghost Story, also known as A Ghost's Tale, was written in 1870 and is based on the true story of The Cardiff Giant. The Cardiff Giant was part of an elaborate hoax regarding the discovery on October 16th, 1869, of a 10-foot tall, 3000 pound “petrified giant” at the farm of William Newell in Cardiff, New York, just south of Syracuse. It was uncovered by some men hired to dig a well on the farm. In part one we provided some background about the saga which sets the stage for the story. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas, it is a fascinating account of how far people will go to make a point.

In this episode of the Radio Reading Room we present James Baldwin's classic short story “Why He Carried the Turkey.” Baldwin presents a thought provoking tale of giving to others,and never being above another. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas. 

In this episode we share a story written by J. T. Trowbridge (September 18, 1827 – February 12, 1916). In this short Thanksgiving story, Trowbridge takes us back to 19th century Boston to experience the sharing of the Thanksgiving spirit by two strangers of differing generations. We experience a much different era, when newspaper boys sold their papers on the street corner, shouting “EXTRA! EXTRA!” Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas, it is a heartwarming story of how reaching out to offer someone a moment of kindness may often bring life changing results for all involved.

In this episode we share some Thanksgiving Poems beginning with one you might recognize from the song, but by a different name. Before it was put to music it was a poem from the 19th century. The New-England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day by Lydia Maria Child. Then we share another 19th century writing by John Greenleaf Whittier titled The Pumpkin, and our third poem comes from our host and reader Myron Hieronymous Thomas, Autumn in Ohio. These poems provide us images of fall and winter woods, along with delicious pumpkin pie. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.

Christmas is a time that holds special memories for young and old. We will be sharing several Christmas stories, poems and informational episodes during the holidays. Some of the presentations are also available in video form on our Holiday web site, Holiday Fun Center.com. We appreciate all of you who have been downloading and listening to our features over the past few weeks. We have had downloads from all over the world. With that in mind we begin our Christmas Episodes with a history of some Traditions of Christmas around the World. You can find more information on these at WhyChristmas.com Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.

In this episode we will take a look at some of the customs we celebrate at Christmas and where they originated. Santa Claus, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Candy Canes, Mistletoe and Holiday Wreaths are all part of The Magic of Christmas!  Read byMyron Hieronymous Thomas. You can find more information on these and other customs of Christmas at WhyChristmas.com and view some of our Holiday videos at HolidayFunCenter.com.

 In this episode we return to the early 20th century for a classic story by O. Henry, The gift of the Magi. This story was originally published on Dec 10, 1905 in The New York Sunday World as "Gifts of the Magi." It was subsequently published as The Gift of the Magi in O. Henry's 1906 short story collection The Four Million.  Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas it is a part of The Magic of Christmas.

 In this Episode we will present some Christmas Poems about the jolly old elf, Santa Claus. We will begin with a little-known poem "Old Santeclaus with Much Delight" it is an anonymous illustrated children's poem published in New York in 1821, two years before the first publication of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" ("Twas the Night before Christmas").  Our next poem comes from the late 1860’s, "Santa Claus and His Works", by George P. Webster. The poem was written to accompany a series of illustrations by Thomas Nast, the artist most credited with creating the modern Santa Claus. It may be that the story Santa Claus lives at the North Pole also was created by Nast creation. His Christmas image in the Harper's issue dated December 29, 1866, was a collage of engravings titled Santa Claus and His Works, which included the caption "Santa Claussville, N.P."   Webster wrote that Santa Claus's home was "near the North Pole, in the ice and snow". While we often think of Santa during the Christmas Season, What about Mrs. Claus? The idea of a wife for Santa Claus may have been the creation of American authors, beginning in the mid-19th century. In 1889, the poetess Katharine Lee Bates popularized Mrs. Claus in the poem "Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride". Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas

 In this Episode we will present the classic poem read to children of all ages on Christmas Eve. A Visit from St. Nicholas or The Night Before Christmas. You can also see a video of the poem featuring classic illustrations of Thomas Nast and William Snow at our holiday web site. Holiday Fun Center.com. read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas

 In this Episode we will present something just a little different than usual. This is from a feature created in the mid 1990’s by Myron Hieronymous Thomas. The original script was written for a live performance at a church for a family Christmas night of entertainment. We later created it as a video using puppets as the main characters, which you can watch on our web site at holidayfuncenter.com. It takes us back in time for a newscast presented by the BibleBuddies News Team, BBN News, depicting what the first Christmas when Christ was born may have been like. It features interviews with Mary & Joseph, the Innkeeper, a shepherd who heard the announcement, and the camel who helped bring the wise men to Bethlehem. While is it not a reading, all the voices are created by Myron Hieronymous Thomas, except Mary and the Angel, those are voiced by Kristie Thomas. 

In this Episode we will present a poem of the story Kristianna Angel of Joy, The Christmas Announcement.  This poem is an abbreviated version of an original story written by Myron Hieronymous Thomas in 2000.  It tells the story of the birth of the Christ Child from the perspective of heaven and the angel who would announce the birth to shepherds below. Voiced by Myron Hieronymous Thomas and special guest Kristie Thomas creating the voice of Kristianna and the interviewer angel.  

In this Episode we will present some addition Christmas Poems, beginning with the classic “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written during the dark days of the Civil War. We have included a short verse from Edgar Allan Poe “Bells”, and several inspirational poems from anonymous authors of past centuries, along with a selection of some well-known Christmas Carols as Poems, all read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas to wish you a Merry Christmas!