Shows
Season's Readings – Christmas Stories and Holiday TalesThe Purple Dress – A Classic Holiday Story by O. HenryO. Henry often found the heart of a story in the everyday moments most people overlook. The Purple Dress is one of those pieces — a small, vivid glimpse into life in early-1900s New York, told with his familiar mix of humor, warmth, and gentle surprise.William Sydney Porter, or O. Henry, wrote more than six hundred short stories marked by humor, warmth, and his famous twist endings. His work captures the daily lives of ordinary Americans — especially the clerks and shopgirls of early-20th-century New York — with compassion and insight.About Short Storyver...
2025-11-2510 min
FRIGHTLY! Scary Stories and Tales of TerrorThe Judge's House – A Classic Ghost Story by Bram StokerSome houses advertise their menace. Others wait. In The Judge’s House, Bram Stoker gives us a quiet old home with a history no one wants to speak aloud. A university student, seeking absolute solitude to study, leases the abandoned residence of a long-dead magistrate known for his severity—and for something darker. At first, it is only the silence that unnerves him. Then comes the persistent scurrying of a single gray rat. Then the eyes. And finally, the feeling that the judgment passed in this house never truly ended.Bram Stoker (1847–1912) was an Irish writer whose w...
2025-11-1948 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesHills Like White Elephants – A Classic Short Story by Earnest HemingwayErnest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” is one of the most celebrated short stories ever written — a masterclass in subtext, restraint, and emotional tension.Set at a train station in Spain, it captures a quiet conversation between two lovers waiting for a train — a moment in which everything that matters lies between the lines.Presented by Litreading, part of Short Storyverses — where classic and original tales are read with depth and heart.We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new...
2025-11-1111 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Tell Tale Heart-A Classic Horror Story by Edgar Allan PoeHalloween is the season of the macabre and one the greatest authors of dark frightening fiction was Edgar Allen Poe. You can cover the body. Hide the blood. Swear you’re sane. But you can’t silence the sound. Beneath the floorboards… something still beats.Considered to be the finest American Gothic writer of all time, Edgar Allen Poe loved to pen short stories. Of course, his best known tales are his darkest. This makes sense as Poe himself stated that he often suffered from bouts of depression and madness.We are ex...
2025-10-2914 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Hanging Stranger–a Retro Sci-Fi Horror Story by Philip K. DickThis is one of those scary stories that sneaks up on you. It looks like just another day in small-town America, sometime around the early 1950s. But then, something is wrong. Something is hanging there. And what’s most unsettling isn’t the horror itself — it’s how calmly everyone else reacts.Philip K. Dick wrote The Hanging Stranger in 1953, and it remains one of his most chilling short stories. It’s about paranoia, conformity, and the terrifying idea that maybe you’re the only one who sees the truth.Philip K. Dick (1928–1982) was one of the...
2025-10-2838 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesLuella Miller–A Chilling Classic Short Story by Mary E. Wilkins FreemanEveryone in town has a story about Luella Miller. She never seems to lift a hand, yet somehow, help is always at her side. And those who give it—well, they never quite look the same afterward. Some tales of horror are loud and bloody. This one is quiet, gentle… and suffocating. Mary E. Wilkins Freeman spins a ghostly puzzle where the most dangerous thing may be a smile too sweet to resist.Mary E. Wilkins Freeman wasn’t known for monsters or gore. She wrote about the quiet corners of New England life—where duty, repressi...
2025-10-1435 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Boarded Window—a Scary Season Story by Ambrose BierceWhat led a man to live an isolated life at his ramshackle cabin, with a boarded up window, in the former American wilderness? What is the tragic story that led him to this doleful existence? Here is his traumatic tale.We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-10-1313 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesA Haunted House–a Classic Ghost Story by Virginia WoolfAs the owner of a 19th-century home, I often think about those lives lived here before us and what they must have been like. As our homes are so much a part of us, those who have gone before us leave traces of their lives and loves behind. Here is a very short, yet poignant tale of just such an old house.It seems that the author experienced the feeling of something lurking at the edge of human senses, feelings, and powerful emotions. This unique story straddles prose and poetry, as does much of Virginia Woolf’s wo...
2025-10-1008 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Monkey's Paw–a Classic tale of Terror by W.W. JacobsHumans are rarely content with their lot in life. We long for something more and, all too often, believe that, given the right opportunity, our lives can be made better in an instant through some fortunate event, like winning a lottery.We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-10-0925 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Pale Man–a Classic Scary Story by Julius LongHere is a relatively obscure tale of suspense for the scary season.After checking into a small hotel to convalesce for the summer, a man becomes curious about an enigmatic guest who has taken up residence and the other end of the hall. About the story:As I can only read stories in the public domain, you might wonder about the reference to a Hitler mustache. That’s because this story was published in 1934 and the copyright was not renewed.Julius Long was a lawyer and author of a few horror an...
2025-10-0816 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Judge's House–a Classic Ghost Story by Bram StokerWhen a young man seeks the perfect place to study for his universitymathematics exams, he finds an isolated house that seems ideal—too ideal. The locals whisper about the Judge's House and about the cruel magistrate who once lived there. But he is a man of science, dismissive of superstition. He believes in mathematical theorems, not ghost stories. As rats scurry through the ancient walls and something enormous watches from the shadows, he'll discover that some equations have solutions that rational minds aren't prepared to accept. From the master of Gothic horror, Bram Stoker, comes a tale where academic ar...
2025-10-0748 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Damned Thing–a Classic Scary Story by Ambrose BierceAs Halloween approaches, here is the story of a mysterious death in the 19th-century American wilderness.We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-10-0620 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesA Wireless Message–a Classic Frightening Story by Ambrose BierceAs Halloween approaches we begin a time for scarier stories. For this short tale with a chilling twist we turn to prolific 19th century stories Ambrose Bierce for "A Wireless Message."Ambrose Bierce is considered one of the 19th Century finest authors of shockingly realistic short stories. His most famous tale “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is one of our favorites and can be heard at Litreading. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stor...
2025-10-0306 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Furnished Room–a Classic Short Story by O. HenryRather than your typical October horror story, This chilling tale is a unique variation on your run-of-the-mill ghost story with a wicked twist at the end from the master of narrative misdirection, O. Henry.O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter, is considered one of the all-time masters of the short story. Known for his inventive twists, his work spanned many genres from comedy to horror. His short variegated life as draftsman, banker, and even federal convict, gave him a trove of experiences to weave into his tales. We are expanding...
2025-10-0217 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Cask of Amontillado–a Chilling Short Story by Edgar Allan PoeWhile Halloween is the season for scary stories, their popularity is timeless. That is why this dark tale of revenge still send chills down listeners spines after almost two centuries.The Cask of Amontillado was first published in the November 1946 issue “Godey’s Lady’s Book” which demonstrates the universal fascination with scary stories. Poe understood humanity’s greatest fears and exploited them masterfully, making him the all-time master of the horror genre. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new...
2025-10-0117 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesDoctor Chevalier's Lie–a Classic Short Story by Kate ChopinKate Chopin’s Doctor Chevalier’s Lie is a moving meditation on compassion in the face of tragedy. Set against the backdrop of a harsh and unforgiving city, the story turns on a doctor’s quiet decision: whether to report what he sees with unflinching honesty, or to soften the truth for the sake of those left behind. Chopin invites us to consider the value of mercy, the weight of dignity, and the moments when a carefully chosen falsehood can become an act of profound kindness.Kate Chopin, born in 1850, was among the first American writers to explo...
2025-09-3004 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Man with Two Lives—a Scary Season Story by Ambrose BierceHere’s a taste of the classic tales coming your way this October during Scary Story Season on Litreading.Here is the perfect story for those times when you need to fill a few minutes with entertainment. This tale is a surreal story of a 19th century soldier traversing a dangerous section of the the Great Plains on foot to deliver dispatches from one Old West fort to another.Having served in the Union Army, Ambrose Bierce was one of the greatest authors of short war stories and macabre tales. We feature a nu...
2025-09-2907 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesForecast: Scary Story Season Coming October 1 on LitreadingOn October 1, Litreading unlocks the crypt with Scary Season Stories—a chilling collection of timeless tales that whisper through the centuries. These aren’t slasher screams or jump-scares… they’re the kind of stories that linger—in your mind, in your dreams, and in the dark corners of quiet rooms. From Poe to M.R. James, classic horror returns to haunt a new generation. No tricks. Just trembling.We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast...
2025-09-2900 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesHands—a Classic Short Story by Sherwood AndersonHow can we tell the difference between benevolence and predation? We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-09-2916 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesAn Alpine Divorce—a Classic Short Story by Robert BarrWhat happens when hate overwhelms love? We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-09-2813 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesGood Souls—a Classic Short Story by Dorothy ParkerWe have every reason to love these people, yet we don't. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-09-2714 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesHandful of Clay—a Classic Short Story by Henry van DykeEvery day we are bombarded by images of unattainable beauty, regaled with stories of fame, and envious of those who have attained great wealth. It’s easy to lose sight of our important contributions to the world and those around us. No matter how we have ended up , we all started as a figurative "handful of clay."Henry van Dyke was a well-known clergyman, English professor, and author. He spent almost a quarter century teach English Literature at Princeton, while writing numerous short stories in his spare time. He also composed several verses of “My Country Tis of Thee...
2025-09-2607 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Idyl of Red Gulch—a Classic Short Story by Bret HarteA young woman stumbles upon a drunk with whom she forms a bond until she learns more. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-09-2525 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Last Leaf—a Classic Short Story by O. HenryA sick young woman is saved by a final kind gesture. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-09-2417 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesA Chance of Death–a Modern Short Story by Don McDonaldPlease note: "A Chance of Death" is the inaugural episode of my new podcast, New Tales Told. I published it here first to share it with my large Litreading audience. However, it will eventually only be available on New Tales Told. If you haven't yet done so, please search for New Tales Told on this podcast service or visit shortstoryverses.com to listen to this and my other original stories.Publishing this story has been one of the scarier things I’ve done in my life. Reading the works of others is far different th...
2025-09-2326 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesAraby—a Classic Short Story by James JoyceJames Joyce’s “Araby” is ranked among the pantheon of greatest short stories ever written. In this timeless coming of age tale an adolescent boy, blinded by a hormonal fog, falls for a neighbor girl.Now considered one of the classics of literature, the 1914 collection of short stories, Dubliners, of which “Araby” was an early part was an initial failure selling less than 400 copies. Of those almost a third were purchased Joyce himself. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original s...
2025-09-2215 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesA Case of Premeditation–a Classic Short Story by R. Austin FreemanCan an almost perfectly planned crime be solved? That question is answered in this classic mystery by one of the early 20th Century's most popular, fictional medical detectives, Dr. Thorndyke.Sandwiched between the Sherlock Holmes mysteries of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the whodunnits of Agatha Christie are R. Austin Freeman's "whocatchums." Freeman pioneered the concept of the inverted detective story, in which the whole crime is explained before the investigation. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short...
2025-09-211h 06
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Clock That Went Backward—a Classic Short Story by Edward Page MitchellFor much of human existence we have questioned the concept of time. Is it always a constant or can it be manipulated, allowing us to move forward or backward chronologically. In this 19th century story, two cousins speculate about the age of their aunt whom they visited regularly, until they discovered the secrets of her old clock.In 1881, several years before H.G. Wells even started writing his classic, “The Time Machine,” newspaper editor Edward Page Mitchell published his time travel story anonymously in his newspaper “The New York Sun.” Considered to be the true father of science fiction...
2025-09-2034 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Model Millionaire–a Classic Short Story by Oscar WildeThere is a power that comes from giving without expectation of reward. A self-sacrificing spirit is the theme for Irish author Oscar Wilde’s short story.The Model Millionaire first appeared in print in the newspaper The World in June 1887. The story’s author, Oscar Wilde, was one of the 19th century’s most famous authors and playrights penning works like The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest.Late in his life, Wilde served almost two years at hard labor after being convicting of violating England’s draconian laws against homosexual behavior. He died...
2025-09-1914 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Rocking Horse Winner–a Classic Short Story by D.H. LawrenceNote from Don: Listening back to this story before posting it, I have to say that it moved me more than most – and I spent a few days reading, narrating, and editing it."The Rocking Horse Winner" entered the public domain at the beginning of 2022 and is considered one of the all-time best stories. It’s about a young boy’s dysfunctional relationship with his parents, under stress for living well beyond their means.Like most great short stories, The Rocking Horse winner has it's roots in the author's own childhood. His well-educated mother expressed similar frustr...
2025-09-1838 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesFour Men In A Cave-a Classic Short Story by Stephen CraneMankind has always loved to explore sometimes crossing great wildernesses, but more often just poking around in our own backyards. This light-hearted tale is about a group of men who decide to investigate a local cave and literally stumble across a huge surprise.Stephen Crane was born years after the US Civil War ended, but is best known for his stirring 1895 Civil War novel, The Red Badge of Courage. Crane was also a prolific writer of short stories, many of which ranged from actual war stories to the more personal battles of people against the wilderness or themselves.
2025-09-1712 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Girl and the Photograph–a Classic Short Story by Lucy Maud MontgomeryA fleeting glimpse in the pines, a photograph stolen from a friend’s mantel, and a correspondence born from mistaken identity—The Girl and the Photograph by Lucy Maud Montgomery is no simple tale of memory. It’s about the way chance, error, and destiny conspire to test a heart’s fidelity. What begins as a love nurtured by letters and a photograph turns into a crisis of identity, and then, at the last moment, a revelation that love had been waiting patiently all along. This isn’t just about remembering a face—it’s about recognizing a soul when it finall...
2025-09-1623 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesA Country Cottage-a Classic Short Story by Anton ChekhovLife has a nasty habit of throwing us curves that we can either cause us long-term misery or force us to make the best of a bad situation as illustrated in this very short tale.Anton Chekhov was undoubtedly brilliant. A physician by trade, his premier talent was writing. Chekhov had a unparalleled gift for understanding the depths of human emotions and sharing them first through his short stories and later, his plays. Chekhov once said “Medicine is my lawful wife and literature is my mistress.” We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on o...
2025-09-1506 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Mark on the Wall - a Classic Short Story by Virginia WoolfVirginia Woolf demonstrates how simply focusing on one thing has the power to unleash torrents of thoughts and memories.Born Adeline Virginia Stephen in 1882, British author Virginia Woolf went on to become an icon of modern 20th century literature. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-09-1421 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Romance of a Busy Broker - a Classic Short Story by O. HenryThere are those for whom work becomes an obsession to the detriment of their personal lives. The businessman in our next story gives new meaning to the modern term “workaholic.”William Henry Porter, better known as O. Henry led a short albeit intriguing life. Before he died in New York City in 1910 at age 47, Porter was a pharmacist, sheep ranch hand, draftsman, banker, and prolific author of short stories. Oh, and he was also a convicted embezzler who served time in federal prison. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast chan...
2025-09-1310 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe McWilliamses And The Burglar Alarm - a Classic Short Story by Mark TwainWe aren't the first generation to be frustrated by advancing technology. More than a century ago, new fangled products were making people crazy like this gentleman who supposedly related our next hilarious tale Mark Twain.Mark Twain (the pen name of Samuel Clemens) had an unmatched knack for taking a normal story and turning it into a hilariously funny tall tale. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up...
2025-09-1216 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Widow's Cruise–a Classic Short Story by Frank StocktonWe have been sharing stories with each other since the beginning of time. On occasion these tales have been known to grow a bit tall, as was the case when four elderly seamen spent an evening with a widow sharing a variety of yarns each one wilder than the next. Then the wood adds a tale of her own.Frank Stockton was a 19th century author and humorist with an uncanny knack for poking fun a human failings. One of his most famous stories was "The Lady or the Tiger." We are expanding our universe...
2025-09-1129 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesDesiree's Baby–a Classic Short Story by Kate ChopinRacism has always been an ugly part of the human condition. Yet, the horrors of racism in America are most undeniably illustrated by the treatment of African-Americans, particularly in the South. Here is just a small example of the pain caused by racial hatred in antebellum Louisiana.I have presented the story exactly as written, as the author, Kate Chopin, lived during this terrible period in US history. Just five years after the end of the Civil War, Chopin married a French-American and lived with him for more than a decade in Louisiana. While Chopin’s brilliant writing is...
2025-09-1115 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Log - a Classic Short Story by Guy de MaupassantThe lure of an illicit affair is not a new facet of human nature. People have been both tempting and tempted throughout time. But for a sudden twist of fate, our next story might have ended badly for everyone involved.Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a 19th-century French author considered one the era greatest short storyist spinning realistic tales of the human condition We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" p...
2025-09-1012 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Story-Teller–a Classic Short Story by SakiMost stories for children try to teach a lesson—this one tries to blow them up. In The Storyteller by Saki, an overstuffed train car, three fidgety kids, and one very unconventional tale collide in a wickedly sharp jab at moralistic storytelling. It’s short, twisted, and just the kind of thing you’d expect from an author who clearly didn’t have much patience for either sanctimony or small talk.We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "Ne...
2025-09-0913 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Three Day Blow–a Classic Short Story by Ernest HemingwayOur second tale in this story series by a young Ernest Hemingway picks up a few months after our last story, "The End of Something," which you might want to hear before listening to this tale. A few month's after his breakup, Nick visits his friend Bill as a fall storm hits the Horton’s Bay region.Our second tale in this story series by a young Ernest Hemingway picks up a few months after our last story, The End of Something, which you might want to hear before listening to this tale in which Nick visits his fr...
2025-09-0825 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe End of Something–a Classic Short Story by Ernest HemingwayThis story is part of a series of tales written by a young Earnest Hemingway. It’s a “slice of life” story about the conflicting emotions in a relationship between a young couple. “The End of Something” was written when Hemingway was in his early 20s and features a recurring semi-autobiographical character, Nick Adams. The story had its roots in an early romance that began when Hemingway was in his late teens. Nick became a regular part of Hemingway’s early works and is featured in our next tale which follows chronologically, “The Three Day Blow.” We are expandi...
2025-09-0710 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesSherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans–A Classic Short Story by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleWhen the plans for a top-secret British defense project are stolen and the apparent thief is found dead, the government turns to legendary detective Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery and find the documents. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-09-0659 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThat's Marriage–A Classic Short Story by Edna FerberMarriage takes the simple concept of procreation and turns it into a lifelong commitment that can, at times, lead to unexpected anger and resentment. As Mark Twain once said, "God's great cosmic joke on the human race was requiring that men and women live together in marriage.” Anyone who has ever been married will see parallels to their own partnerships.Despite the fact that Edna Ferber never married, she was an astute observer of people. That led her to great success as a writer. Her 1925 novel, "So Big," was a best-seller and won Ferber a Pulitzer Prize. The bo...
2025-09-0656 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesHermann the Irascible–A Classic Short Story by SakiHow times have changed. Just over a century ago, women were still fighting for the right to vote and the prevailing belief among men was that they were too emotional and fragile to do so. Our next story takes place, ironically, in a fictional Britain in the wake of a great plague. Join me as we travel back to a very different world in Hermann the Irascible by SakiSaki was the nome de plume of British author, H.H. Munro who was a prolific short story writer around the turn of the twentieth century. His wit, insight...
2025-09-0507 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Yellow Wallpaper–A Classic Short Story by Charlotte Perkins GilmanWomen’s health issues have long been explained away as emotional issues due to their role as the “weaker sex.” Serious illnesses were diagnosed as nothing more than hysteria and rest was prescribed. This ignorance of women’s real health problems is brilliantly portrayed in this haunting tale of a woman driven to the brink.The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman actually suffered a horrible case of post partum depression for which she was treated in a similar condescending manner. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen t...
2025-09-0536 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesA Slice of Life–A Classic Short Story by P. G. WodehouseThis witty tale is about a veritable snake-oil salesman who uses his wares to help win the love of a beautiful young ward of an English Baronet. British author P. G. Woodhouse was one of the mid-20th century’s most popular humorists – on both side of the Atlantic. He was also a lyricist and screenwriter. While living in France a the beginning of World War II, he was imprisoned by Germany, for whom he made some controversial broadcasts. After the war he and his wife Edith moved to the United States. We are expanding our...
2025-09-0535 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesAn Idle Fellow–A Classic Short Story by Kate ChopinHow can we best learn life’s secrets during our short lives? Is the best student the one with eyes fixed on the words in a book or focused on the world around them? That is the fundamental question of this profound short tale.Often, it is the shortest stories that impart the most profound notions. This tale is one of many thoughtful, brief short stories penned by late 19th-century American feminist author Kate Chopin. Chopin was a prolific writer, who published more than 100 short stories and novels before her death in 1904. We ar...
2025-09-0504 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Aged Mother–A Classic Short Story by Matsuo BashoLife in the ancient world was often brutal and cruel. Resources were often limited leading to leaders ruthless edicts. In this old Japanese folktale, a young peasant is faced with an impossible decision.Matsuo Basho, one of Japan’s most famous poets, was born 1644 and is known for creating the poetic style that eventually evolved into what are now known as haikus. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up...
2025-09-0507 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesCoco–A Classic Short Story by Guy de MaupassantHuman cruelty is nothing new. It has been a demon we have had to battle since the dawn of our kind. Yet, we also have the capacity to defeat our callousness and inhumanity (a term that drips with irony). This short powerful short story illustrates the depth our inner evil.Note: while this story shares a name with a Disney animated movie they are in no way related.One of the true masters of the short story, Guy de Maupassant was born in France in 1850. After serving in the Franco-Prussian War de Maupassant was taken in...
2025-09-0511 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe White Heron–A Classic Short Story by Sarah Orne JewettThis tale flips the traditional "boy meets girl" fairy-tale narrative by introducing a strong-willed nature loving girl who puts her own desires and beliefs ahead of those of a young man she meets in the woods.The child of a rural family doctor in Maine, Sarah Orne Jewett was writing short stories professionally from age 18. Most of her work was purchased by The Atlantic magazine, with the glaring exception of "The White Heron." The story went of the become the title piece of her first book and her most popular story. We are...
2025-09-0527 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesBefore the Law–A Classic Short Story by Franz KafkaHere is a story for those times when you only have a few minutes for a story. While not long itself, this incredibly Kafkaesque parable may leave you pondering its meaning long after you have listened to "Before the Law."Bohemian author Franz Kafka is considered one of the greats. Few storytellers have had their names turned into adjectives. Orwellian, maybe Hitchcockian come to mind. But the best known of these is Kafkaesque, whose meaning is elusive, like that of many Kafka stories. I have my own somewhat religious interpretation of “Before the Law.” I will leave it t...
2025-09-0506 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Prophet - Part One–A Classic Novel by Khalil GibranFor almost a century, the profound words of The Prophet have stirred the hearts and moved the souls of millions of readers around the world. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-09-0538 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Prophet - Part Two–A Classic Novel by Khalil GibranHere is the second half of Kahlil Gibran's global bestselling book with sage advice on pain and pleasure, good and evil, and the inevitability of death. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-09-0539 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Church With an Overshot Wheel–A Classic Short Story by O. HenryLoneliness can grind a man down like a millstone—yet grief, transformed, can become the miller’s divine salvation. A widowed man turns a forgotten mill into a memorial for his lost little girl, and fate brings a stranger—fragile, secretive—who just might be the miracle he’s been waiting for.He called himself O. Henry, but the man behind the pen was William Sydney Porter—a sneaky little Texan with a mustache, a wicked sense of irony, and a knack for surprise endings that snap like mousetraps. He wrote hundreds of short stories while dodging his...
2025-09-0229 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesAugust Heat–A Classic Short Story by W. F. HarveyRecord summer temperature’s take their toll on both our physical and mental health. Extreme weather has been known to bring about strange and often dangerous behavior among those suffering its effects. How strange, I’ll let you be the judge in our special summer tale, August Heat. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
2025-08-2912 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Story of an Hour–A Classic Short Story by Kate ChopinGrief and heartbreak are the typical reactions to the loss of a loved one, but other emotions may lurk within. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2908 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Eyes Have It–a Classic Short Story by Philip K. DickSo far, all of our public domain stories were created prior to 1925. However, there are a few newer tales that are no longer copyright protected. From one of the world’s best science fiction writer’s comes a tale of idioms and aliens.Essentially, this story is a long dad joke. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I, a dad, did.Even if you don’t know his name, you know the work of Philip K. Dick. Several of his books and stories have been adapted into movies and Tv shows like: Total Recall, Minori...
2025-08-2908 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Looking Glass–a Classic Short Story by Anton ChekovOn a cold New Year’s Eve, Nellie peers into a mirror, searching for a glimpse of her happily-ever-after. Instead, the glass betrays her—offering not romance, but a haunting vision of what marriage might truly hold: struggle, sickness, disappointment. Chekhov doesn’t give us a fairy tale—he gives us the nightmare behind the dream.Anton Chekhov was Russia’s great observer of the quiet tragedies hiding in ordinary lives. A doctor by trade and a writer by necessity, he had an uncanny ability to turn small moments into revelations. His plays reshaped modern theater, his storie...
2025-08-2911 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesLove in the Night–a Classic Short Story by F. Scott FitzgeraldA young man's longing for love is briefly fulfilled on one moonlight evening on the sea off the coast of Cannes. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2939 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesIndian Camp–a Classic Short Story by Ernest HemingwayThankfully, I can now read Hemingway to you. This story is a powerful way to start. It’s a tale of duty, pain, suffering, racism and so much more. It has myriad twists and turns and all manner of fascinating subplots for such a short story. You may need to listen more than once. Hemingway penned this early work at the age of 24, shortly after the birth of his first child (which may explain the subject matter) by his first wife. It wasn’t published until 1925 and later became part of his first short story collection. We...
2025-08-2910 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesTobermory–a Classic Short Story by SakiHere is a biting satire of Victorian Era British upper class from the perspective of the family cat who gains a startling new skill.Saki was the pen name of British author, H.H. Munro who was one of true masters of the short story.We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...
2025-08-2917 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesGipsy–a Classic Short Story by Booth TarkingtonBeing a dog person, some of my favorite stories feature dogs. It only seems fair to feature a feline character. And you couldn’t ask for a story than one from a two time Pulitzer Prize winner.This story was part of Booth Tarkington’s extremely popular Penrod stories, that, during their day rivaled the popularity of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Tarkington is only one of three authors to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction. The other two: Faulkner and Updike. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our ne...
2025-08-2914 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesMr. Know-All–a Classic Short Story by W. Somerset MaughamWelcome aboard an early 20th Century trans-pacific ocean liner where one is likely to be stuck for weeks with any number of unusual characters. Of course, we are likely to put a great deal of stock in first impressions when it often pays to wait to get to know someone.Never a darling of the critics, W. Someset Maugham (the W is for William) was a prolific author and playwright. He was best known for his short stories many of which were fictional global travelogues. Because so many of his works were turned into early motion pictures, Maugham...
2025-08-2816 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Whirligig of Life–a Classic Short Story by O. HenryA rural mountain couple struggle with their differences, anger, and overpowering love for each other. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2814 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesSecond Best–a Classic Short Story by D.H. LawrenceA new love springs from the conversations of two sisters and a couple of moles. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2720 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Fable of the Preacher Who Flew His Kite, But Not Because He Wished to Do So–a Classic Short Story by George AdeWhen a preacher failed to stir the emotions of his congregants he resorts to the time tested tradition of embellishment. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2507 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesAfter Twenty Years–a Classic Short Story by O. HenryTwenty years after heading west to find his fortunes a man returns to meet a long lost friend. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2507 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Aged, Aged Man–a Classic Poem by Lewis CarrollI have always loved the work of Lewis Carroll. In fact, Litreading began with my rendition of Carroll’s nonsense poem Jabberwocky. His only foray into shorter works came in the form of poetry, much of which found its way into his Alice books.This piece was written a bit differently earlier and changed when added to the book, “Alice’s Adventures Through the Looking Glass.”This nonsense verse is said to be a parody of a poem by Wordsworth, Resolution and Independence.Lewis Carroll was the pen name and alter ego of Charles Dodgeson...
2025-08-2505 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Fly–a Classic Short Story by Katherine MansfieldGrief part of the human condition and we cope with it varies from person to person. When two old men discuss the loss of family members several years after World War I, it is a fly that help illustrate both life’s constant struggles and fragility.The Fly is considered one of Catherine Mansfield’s greatest works because it is personal. Mansfield lost her brother in a training demonstration during World War I.One of the great modernist writers of the early 20th century, Mansfield was both a contemporary and a friend of two other great authors of t...
2025-08-2515 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesMisery–a Classic Short Story by Anton ChekhovLoneliness is painful enough under normal circumstances, but social rejection in the face of a personal crisis can be devastating. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2414 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesA Telephonic Conversation–a Classic Essay by Mark TwainThis is more a satirical essay than an actual short story, but it makes me smile. The first telephone was demonstrated at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. By 1880, many wealthier families were using the new communication device regularly and one of the 19th century’s best known authors and satirists observed some anecdotal differences in the way men and women communicate.Samuel Clemens better known as Mark Twain is one of the most famous American authors of all time. This story was penned 4 years after his success with Tom Sawyer and about 5 years before he completed Hu...
2025-08-2407 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Other Two–a Classic Short Story by Edith WhartonWe are complex creatures and grow more so with time. Every relationship adds or subtracts from who we are. No relationship is more life changing than marriage and for a woman thrice married in pre-suffrage America the stigma of mutual divorce seems insurmountable until her third husband’s comes to a startling revelation.Best known for her novels, Edith Wharton was a prolific writer of short stories. Growing up among New York’s upper class, she created realistic portrayals of America’s Gilded Age pseudo aristocracy. In 1921, she became the the first woman to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize...
2025-08-2347 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Good and the Bad Little Boy–a Classic Short Story by Mark TwainIn the 19th Century particularly, good boys are supposed to enjoy the fruits of the righteousness, and bad boys were destined for eternal damnation, at least according to Sunday School books, but according to Mark Twain, life often contradicted expectation. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2318 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Cactus–a Classic Short Story by O. HenryPride does seem to go before a fall… In this very short story a young man’s life unravels thanks to a small vanity-induced dissimulation. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2209 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Man in the Brown Coat–a Classic Short Story by Sherwood AndersonThis special short, short story centers on a different kind of haunting, not from without, but from within. The darkness that comes from a profound loneliness that quietly haunts the souls of many. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2207 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesPoor, Dear Margaret Kirby–a Classic Short Story by Kathleen NorrisHappiness has always been elusive, usually found in unexpected places and, often, in the wake of the worst life eventsIn this heart-warming story, an affluent couple discovers what is truly important in life in the wake of both a fiscal and physical tragedy.Kathleen Norris was, for a time, the highest paid female writer in early 20th-century America. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up...
2025-08-2226 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesSolid Objects–a Classic Short Story by Virginia WolffVirginia Wolff had a talent for taking mundane observations and weaving them into enchanting tales. Something a normal as watching two men on an ordinary a day at the beach became an impassioned and poignant story in her hands.Born to an upstanding and literary Victorian family, Virginia Wolff suffered from serious psychological issues which may have been part of the genius behind her introspective and emotional powerful writing. She and her husband founded the famous British publishing house Hogarth Press in 1917. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast...
2025-08-2216 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThree Questions–a Classic Short Story by Leo TolstoyWhat should we do, when should we do it, and whose direction should we take? Those three questions have plagued humanity throughout time. Where can the answers be found or are they unanswerable? We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2110 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesIn a Grove–a Classic Short Story by Ryunosuke AkutagawaWhat is truth? How does our perception color the facts as we observe them. Those differences how we see the world complicates this Japanese murder investigation in this renowned short story.This profound modernist fable has echoed for almost a century. Also called "In a Bamboo Grove," this 1929 short story was inspiration for the critically acclaimed 1950 Japanese film, "Rashomon." We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your...
2025-08-2122 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button–a Classic Short Story by F. Scott FitzgeraldWould it be better to start life as an old man and end it as an infant? That was the question posed by Mark Twain that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald to write his short story, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2156 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Great American Pie Company–a Classic Short Story by Ellis Parker ButlerPeople dream of success. Those ambitions can often be prodigious. Rarely, however, do our future business strategies develop as quickly as do those in this story that encapsulates the economic concerns of the early 20th Century.For a full-time banker and part-time author Ellis Parker Butler was prolific writing more than 2,000 stories that were published in well over 200 magazines in the early 20th Century. His most famous story is "Pigs is Pigs" which a narrated in 2019. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some...
2025-08-2027 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesAn Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge–a Classic Short Story by Ambrose BiercePrepare to be moved by one of the most unusual short stories ever written, which tells a chilling tale of the simple life and complex death of a slave-owning planter in Union-occupied Alabama during the Civil War. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-2023 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Million Pound Bank Note–a Classic Short Story by Mark TwainThis classic Mark Twain tale is a witty commentary on poverty and wealth. There is much of Twain’s personal circumstance reflected in the story, as Twain had himself recently gone from riches to bankruptcy. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-1947 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Way the World Is–a Classic Short Story by Zona GaleFalling in love is one of humanities most common events and biggest mysteries. What is it that ignites one person's passion for another. This poignant tale of surprisingly falling for someone was penned by the first woman playwright to win a Pulitzer Prize.A brilliant author author of novels, short stories and plays, Zona Gale was the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prie for Drama for the stage adaptation of her novel, Miss Lulu Bett. She sold her first story at age 16 for $3. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our...
2025-08-1921 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Interlopers–a Classic Short Story by SakiA long-running feud leads two men to face each other and the ravages of nature in this powerful classic story by one the best short story authors of all time.One of listeners most requested authors is Saki, the pen name of British write H.H. Munro.His incredible short stories run the gamut from biting satire to shockingly macabre.At age 43, Munro insisted on enlisting as a mere trooper to fight for the British in World War One and was killed by a German sniper in 1916. We are expanding our universe...
2025-08-1914 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesMemoirs of a Yellow Dog–a Classic Short Story by O. HenryI am a big fan of dogs and am fascinated with their non-verbal communication skills. I also enjoy dog stories and the writing of O. Henry, so what could be better to end season two of Litreading than a dog story written by O. Henry. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...
2025-08-1912 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesMy Financial Career–a Classic Short Story by Stephen LeacockWe all have our particular foibles and phobias. Today’s humorous short story focuses on one whose greatest fear is of banks. Would that be ripiaphobia? We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-1906 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesJimmy Rose–a Classic Short Story by Herman MelvilleLife can deal any of us some terrible blows. In this semi-auto biographical tale we explore the life of a once wealthy merchant, Jimmy Rose We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-1927 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Enchanted Bluff–a Classic Short Story by Willa CatherHere is a wonderfully nostalgic tale of a time when boys could enjoy a taste of freedom, share ideas, and let’s their imaginations run wild, before the responsibilities of life overrode such fancies. You're invited to get lost at the foot of "The Enchanted Bluff."Willa Cather published "The Enchanted Bluff" in "Harper's Magazine" in 1909 during a period when her writing skills were blossoming in stories about her experiences living on the Nebraska prairie. Her efforts culminated in a Pulitzer Prize for her book, "One of Ours." Her work was loved by some of the best authors of...
2025-08-1822 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesNevada Funeral - Scotty Briggs and the Clergyman–a Classic Short Story by Mark TwainIn the 19th century, the United States was as diverse from region to region as were the country’s of Europe, except for the fact that we spoke some semblance of the same language. However, the language divide between proper Easern American English and that of the the inhabitants of the West could, at times be vast.Samuel Clemens was born in Florida in 1835, but it wasn’t until 27 years later that his alter ego, Mark Twain, came into being in Carson City, Nevada. He credited the many extreme characters of Nevada’s early mining days with jump starti...
2025-08-1811 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesA Jury of Her Peers–a Classic Short Story by Susan GlaspellIn the early 19th century country a farmer is murdered in his home. While investigated, local authorities task a local women with gathering a few things for the wife who was arrested for the crime. Susan Glaspell wrote a one-act play which she adapted into "A Jury of Her Peers” It is loosely based on a murder covered while working as a reporter for the Des Moines Daily News. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on th...
2025-08-1844 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesGentle Hand–a Classic Short Story by Mary Roberts RinehartDuring these stressful times, forced into close quarters with those we love. we may find ourselves growing angry when a softer approach tends to me far more effective as is illustrated in this story.Mary Roberts Rinehart is yet another fine example of a talented early 20th Century authors. Known as The American Agatha Christie, she is best known for her mystery stories. A character in her 1920 play “The Bat” was the inspiration for Bob Kane’s comic book character “Batman.” We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short Stor...
2025-08-1813 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesA Pair of Silk Stockings–a Classic Short Story by Kate ChopinMoney has the power to take us away, if only temporarily, from the due routines of life. However, there is always a price to pay for our fiscal flights of fancy and real life eventually hoists its humdrum head again. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-1812 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesNobodys Story–a Classic Short Story by Charles DickensCharles Dickens was a constant observer of the plight of his fellows and critical of the divisions between humanity’s strata. In this deep and poignant parable of mankind’s need to be recognized by others he arrives at the conclusion that in the end, despite our apparent differences, we are all same.Dickens wrote "Nobody’s Story" to honor those who toil in anonymity and suffer quietly. It was originally published in 1853 as part of a Volume of Christmas stories, but felt more appropriate for today. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our...
2025-08-1814 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesThe Boston Massacre–a Classic Short Story by Nathaniel HawthorneWhat began as a street brawl on a winter evening in Boston, became one the biggest sparks to help ignite the American revolution. 250 years ago, on March 5th 1770, anger over the British housing troops among civilians in Massachusetts boiled over into what the British called the Incident on King Street but was referred to my early Americans as "The Boston Massacre."To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the seminal event in early American history, we present Nathaniel Hawthorne's unique narrative account of this fascinating tale. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on...
2025-08-1812 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesFather Forgets–a Classic Short Story by W. Livingston LarnedA special Father's Day episode of Litreading We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-1805 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesJabberwocky–a Classic Poem by Lewis CarrollFrom the mind behind "Alice in Wonderland" comes one of the best examples of nonsense poetry. Jabberwocky tells the tale of a young knight who slays a mythical beast. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to some of Don's new, original short stories on the "New Tales Told" podcast. Look it up on your favorite podcast player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-08-1603 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesExcerpts from Adam's Diary–a Classic Short Story by Mark TwainWhat must life have been like in the Garden of Eden for the first man, Adam, and that new creature who suddenly appeared in his idyllic life? Well, left to the imagination of Mark Twain, the story takes a fanciful and funny early 20th-century take on Genesis.Extracts from Adam’s Diary was written in 1904, the final decade of Samuel Clemens's (aka Mark Twain’s) life, and was published as a short book. The character of Adam is obviously based on Twain himself, and Eve was his wife Lily. Shortly after writing this story, Lily died. This may...
2025-08-1527 min
LitReading - Classic Short StoriesEve's Diary–a Classic Short Story by Mark TwainImagine waking up in a strange and wonderful place with no memory and no one to guide you. Your world is filled with strange creatures and incredible beauty along with one enigmatic creature who looks similar to you but is still quite different. Here is the sequel to “Extracts from Adam’s Diary.”When Mark Twain (whose real name was Samuel Clemens) wrote “Eve’s Diary” he was in his 80s and had enjoyed and long career as an author, speaker, and publisher. Two years before its publication, Twain had penned “Extracts from Adam’s Diary” (also available on...
2025-08-1542 min