The Radio Reading Room: Recent Episodes
Myron Hieronymous Thomas
The Radio Reading Room features the Stories of Americana submitted by listeners as they share their stories and poems of life, love, family and growing up in America. Many stories reach back into the pages of history as the participants frequently share memories shared with them by parents and grandparents. Special Featured Segments feature stories and poetry from some of America's Classic authors, such as, Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Frost, Emily Dickerson, T.S. Elliot and many more. The program is hosted and stories read by long time broadcast veteran and voice artist Myron Hieronymous Thomas. First aired over WQSA AM radio in Sarasota Florida in 1989 the program fast became a favorite of listeners and participants.
In this episode of Radio Reading Room Podcast: Stories of Americana, host and reader Myron Hieronymous Thomas presents Ambrose Bierce’s haunting Civil War short story "A Horseman in the Sky". First published in 1889, the story follows a young Union soldier facing an impossible choice between family loyalty and military duty, offering listeners a dramatic reflection on courage, conscience, and the human cost of war.
In this episode we present Mark Twain’s Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is a gloriously ridiculous frontier yarn in which a well‑meaning visitor asks a simple question and immediately gets trapped in the verbal quicksand of Simon Wheeler — a man who can talk longer than a summer day. Wheeler launches into the saga of Jim Smiley, a gambler who would bet on anything: horses, dogs, birds, sermons, and probably the weather if you gave him a minute. Smiley’s pride and joy is Dan’l Webster, a frog he “educates” to jump like a green lightning bolt. Everything goes great until a stranger cheats by secretly filling the frog with quail shot, turning the champion jumper into a paperweight. Twain’s tale is a celebration of tall stories, bad bets, and the eternal human talent for being bamboozled — all told with a straight face and a wink. is a gloriously ridiculous frontier yarn in which a well‑meaning visitor asks a simple question and immediately gets trapped in the verbal quicksand of Simon Wheeler — a man who can talk longer than a summer day. Wheeler launches into the saga of Jim Smiley, a gambler who would bet on anything: horses, dogs, birds, sermons, and probably the weather if you gave him a minute. Smiley’s pride and joy is Dan’l Webster, a frog he “educates” to jump like a green lightning bolt. Everything goes great until a stranger cheats by secretly filling the frog with quail shot, turning the champion jumper into a paperweight. Twain’s tale is a celebration of tall stories, bad bets, and the eternal human talent for being bamboozled — all told with a straight face and a wink. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas
In this episode of The Radio Reading Room-Stories of Americana, step into the charged summer of 1776 as young Elias Carter, along with Mara Whitcombe and Jacob Turner, are drawn into the dangerous work of carrying the newly printed Declaration of Independence through the streets of Philadelphia. Set against the heat, secrecy, and uncertainty of the American founding, The Night the Wind Shifted is a story of ordinary people risking everything to help give voice to an extraordinary idea: that liberty belongs not to kings, but to the people. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
*This work is an original creation conceived and directed by Myron Hieronymous Thomas. The drafting process incorporated the use of an AI writing model, which generated prose under the author’s explicit guidance and creative supervision. All intellectual property, narrative design, and final editorial decisions originate with and belong to Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
As we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation, this episode invites listeners to look back at the words and events that helped launch the American story.
In this special Fourth of July episode of Radio Reading Room: Stories of Americana, host and reader Myron Hieronymous Thomas explores the origins, meaning, and enduring legacy of the Declaration of Independence. Drawing from historical context provided by the National Archives, the episode traces the road from colonial unrest and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense to the Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson’s drafting process, the July 1776 vote for independence, and the signing of one of America’s most defining documents.
Listeners will hear a full reading of the Declaration of Independence, followed by reflections on how July 4 became America’s annual celebration of liberty, remembrance, and national identity. This episode invites listeners to revisit the words, sacrifices, and ideals that helped shape the United States—and to celebrate Independence Day with gratitude, reflection, and care.
In this episode of Radio Reading Room, Myron Hieronymus Thomas reflects on the meaning of D-Day and shares powerful firsthand World War II accounts from Mike Engrisano and Arthur Letchford. Through stories of combat, survival, capture, and remembrance, the episode honors the courage and sacrifice of those who served during one of history’s most pivotal moments.
In this episode, we journey through more than a century and a half of Belmont Stakes history—its 1867 origins, its evolution into the longest and most demanding leg of the Triple Crown, and the legends who forged their names across its unforgiving distance. From Secretariat’s impossible 31‑length miracle to the heartbreakers, spoilers, and champions who rose or fell on that final stretch, we explore how the Belmont became known as The Test of the Champion.
Then we turn to 2026, where the race returns to Saratoga for the third straight year during Belmont Park’s massive rebuild. Golden Tempo—the improbable 23‑1 Kentucky Derby winner—arrives fresh after skipping the Preakness, while hometown trainer Cherie DeVaux seeks to deepen her historic breakthrough. Renegade stands as the morning‑line favorite, challengers gather with intent, and Saratoga’s softer tempo threatens to reshape the race’s character.
A storied past meets a wide‑open present. The Test of the Champion awaits.
Hosted by Myron Hieronymous Thomas
In this episode we feature The Furnished Room by O.Henry. In New York, a young man rents a furnished room from a woman and enquires about the room’s previous tenants. In particular, he asks the housekeeper a question he has asked of others many times before: whether a young girl, an actress with reddish gold hair and a mole near her left eyebrow, had rented a room from the woman at all. The name of the girl he seeks is Eloise Vashner. The stories of O. Henry are noted for their ironies and their surprise twists at the story’s conclusion. ‘The Furnished Room’ combines both of these elements: the surprise twist is highly ironic, since, unknown to himself, the young man – believing he has failed to locate his missing sweetheart – takes his own life in the very room in which she had taken hers. Without realizing it, he has found her, or at least the last place where she lived before her tragic death. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
(Description above By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University).
In this Episode we feature "A Ghost Story" by Mark Twain. The story is based on a true event that occurred in 1869. The Cardiff Giant was one of the most famous archaeological hoaxes in American history. It was a 10-foot-tall, roughly 3,000 pound purported "petrified man", uncovered on October 16, 1869, by workers digging a well behind the barn of William C. "Stub" Newell, in Cardiff, New York. He covered the giant with a tent, and it soon became an attraction site. Both it and an unauthorized copy made by P. T. Barnum are still being displayed. P.T. Barnum's is on display at Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills, Michigan. In this tale Twain describes how a visitor to New York City, encounters the ghost of the Giant while spending the night in a rundown boarding house whose upper stories had been wholly unoccupied for years. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this Episode we present Part One of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" a 1820 short story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Irving wrote the story while living in Birmingham, England. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" 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. The story is set in 1790 in the countryside around the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town (historical Tarrytown, New York), in a secluded glen known as Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow is renowned for its ghosts and the haunting atmosphere that pervades the imaginations of its inhabitants and visitors. Some residents say this town was bewitched during the early days of the Dutch settlement, while others claim that the mysterious atmosphere was caused by an old Native American chief, the "wizard of his tribe ... before the country was discovered by Master Hendrik Hudson." Residents of the town are seemingly subjected to various supernatural and mysterious occurrences. They are subjected to trance-like visions and frequented by strange sights, music, and voices "in the air." The inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow are fascinated by the "local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions" on account of the mysterious occurrences and haunting atmosphere. In Part One we learn about the countryside and lifestyle of Ichabod Crane.
Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas
In this episode we continue with Ichabod Cranes adventure in Sleepy Hollow, as Ichabod attends a harvest party at the Van Tassel's farm. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode we continue with Ichabod Cranes adventure in Sleepy Hollow, as Ichabod makes his way home though the dark woods of Sleepy Hollow and comes face-to-face with The Headless Horseman. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this Episode we present Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a mysterious visit by a talking raven. The lover, often identified as a student is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. Sitting on a bust of Pallas, the raven seems to further antagonize the protagonist with its constant repetition of the word "Nevermore". The poem makes use of folk, mythological, religious, and classical references. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
The Master of the Macabre Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death starts our series of Halloween Classic Tales. "The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ball in seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure disguised as a Red Death victim enters and makes his way through each of the rooms.
Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode we feature "A Horseman in the Sky" a heavily anthologized short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. It was published on April 14, 1889 under the title The Horseman in the Sky in the Sunday edition of The Examiner, a San Francisco newspaper owned by William Randolph Hearst. It is set during the American Civil War and is one of Bierce's best known war stories. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode we share more stories of the men who saved the world on Jun 06, 1944. In this episode we feature the story of First Lieutenant David Joseph Marquard, who gave his life for our freedom. Learn more at D-Day, Eyewitness accounts of WW2. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas
In this episode we feature "The Adventure of Silver Blaze", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is the first from the 12 in the cycle collected as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in The Strand Magazine in December 1892.
Doyle considered "Silver Blaze" among his favorite Sherlock Holmes stories. One of the most popular Sherlock Holmes short stories, "Silver Blaze" focuses on the disappearance of the eponymous race horse (a famous winner, owned by a Colonel Ross) on the eve of an important race and on the apparent murder of its trainer. The tale is distinguished by its atmospheric Dartmoor setting and late-Victorian sporting milieu. The plotting hinges on the "curious incident of the dog in the night-time"
Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode we pay tribute to the men who saved the world on Jun 06, 2024. D-Day was the name given to the June 6, 1944, invasion of the beaches at Normandy in northern France by troops from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries during World War II. France at the time was occupied by the armies of Nazi Germany, and the amphibious assault—codenamed Operation Overlord—landed some 156,000 Allied soldiers on the beaches of Normandy by the end of the day.*
In this episode we feature some stories from those who fought the war. The stories are found at D-Day, Eyewitness accounts of WW2. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
*See The History Channel
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race, nicknamed The Test of the Champion, The Test of Champions and The Run for the Carnations, is the traditional third and final leg of the Triple Crown. It is usually held on the first or second Saturday in June, five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes. In this episode we share some details about this year's race as well as history of the series. Hosted by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
(Source material from: Wikipedia, USA Today for the Win, Yahoo Sports)
The Preakness Stakes is the second (and shortest) race of the Triple Crown of American horse racing, which also comprises the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. The Preakness was established at Pimlico in 1873 and was named after the horse that won the Dinner Party Stakes at the track in its opening year, 1870. Myron Hieronymous Thomas shares the full History of this Classic.
www.britannica.com/sports/Preakness-Stakes
In this episode we put our focus on horses, specifically on racehorses, and specifically the Kentucky Derby. This year the first Saturday in May, May 4th, will mark the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. It's a grade one stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbreds. And the distance is one in a quarter mile. It's run at Churchill Downs in Louisville. It's known as the Run for the Roses, stemming from the blanket of roses draped over the winner. It's also known in the United States as the most exciting 2 minutes in sports, or the fastest 2 minutes in sports because of its approximate duration. We provide a history of the Derby, its origin and key events overs 150 years.
Hosted 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.
Spring is upon us which bring to mind the classic tale of Peter Rabbit. The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a beloved children’s book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. The story follows the mischievous young rabbit named Peter Rabbit as he ventures into the garden of Mr. McGregor. Despite his mother’s warning, Peter disobeys and gets into trouble. The tale was originally written for a 5-year-old boy named Noel Moore, the son of Potter’s former governess. It was privately printed in 1901 after several rejections from publishers but was later published in a trade edition by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1902. Since then, it has become one of the best-selling books in history, translated into 36 languages and selling over 45 million copies. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode will feature an essay written by Walt Whitman after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and appeared in the Complete Prose Works of Walt Whitman published in 1892. Having met Lincoln personally his Essay on the slain President gives a first-person account of the man, and according to the author his legacy. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
Reference AmericanLiterature.com.
The Master of the Macabre Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death starts our series of Halloween Classic Tales. "The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ball in seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure disguised as a Red Death victim enters and makes his way through each of the rooms.
Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this Episode we feature another Civil War Storey by Ambrose Bierce. "Killed at Resaca" begins with the narrator describing a lieutenant, Herman Brayle, he serves with during the American Civil War. Brayle, a tall man with fair features, consistently wears full uniform and never takes cover during battle. Despite being questioned for his reasoning to behave so foolishly in battles and with little regards for his safety, he never explains or changes his actions. One day when given an order to deliver a message, rather than taking a safe path to do so, Brayle charges out into an open field and is fired upon by Confederate troops. Watching his heroic figure galloping through the gunshots, the Union soldiers also put forth their own efforts to defend and battle. Even when presented with an opportunity for salvation in the form of a hiding place, Brayle awaits death with a defiant stance. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode we feature "A Horseman in the Sky" a short story by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce. It was published on April 14, 1889, under the title The Horseman in the Sky in the Sunday edition of The Examiner, a San Francisco newspaper owned by William Randolph Hearst.[1] It is set during the American Civil War and is one of Bierce's best known war stories. Bierce revised the story for his book Tales of Soldiers and Civilians. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
From Wikipedia:
"The Adventure of Silver Blaze", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is the first from the 12 in the cycle collected as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in The Strand Magazine in December 1892.[1]
Doyle considered "Silver Blaze" among his favourite Sherlock Holmes stories.[2] One of the most popular Sherlock Holmes short stories, "Silver Blaze" focuses on the disappearance of the eponymous race horse (a famous winner, owned by a Colonel Ross) on the eve of an important race and on the apparent murder of its trainer. The tale is distinguished by its atmospheric Dartmoor setting and late-Victorian sporting milieu. The plotting hinges on the "curious incident of the dog in the night-time"
Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
Saturday May 6, 2023 marks the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby. In this episode host and reader Myron Hieronymous Thomas shares the history and traditions of the event and introduces a coming classic story about a horse race in England. For more information on the Kentucky Derby visit en.wikipedia.org/Kentucky_Derby Kentucky Derby.com
In this Episode we present the classic story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Originally written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter it follows mischievous and disobedient young Peter Rabbit as he gets into, and is chased around, the garden of Mr. McGregor. He escapes and returns home to his mother, who puts him to bed after offering him chamomile tea. The tale was written for five-year-old Noel Moore, the son of Potter's former governess, Annie Carter Moore, in 1893. It was revised and privately printed by Potter in 1901 after several publishers' rejections but was printed in a trade edition by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1902. The book was a success, and multiple reprints were issued in the years immediately following its debut. It has been translated into 36 languages, and with 45 million copies sold it is one of the best-selling books in history. To learn more about Beatrix Potter visit https://beatrixpottersociety.org.uk/.
This rendition is read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode we share the history of Easter and some of the traditional customs celebrated around the world. Hot Cross Buns, The Easter Bunny or Bilby, The easter Egg, Easter Bonnet's, Easter Baskets and more! Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode we share classic poems of love. Including How do I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer by William Shakespeare, One Perfect Rose by Dorothy Parkere, My Loves by Langston Hughes,
Heart to Heart by Rita Dove and More! Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
To learn more about the poets and the poems visit Poets.org.
In this Episode we present some of the traditions of New Year's Eve celebrating around the world. Read by Myron Hieronymous. Here to a Happy and Prosperous New Year to All!
In this Episode we will present a 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. Read and voice by Myron Hieronymous Thomas with special guest voices by Kristie Thomas. To view a video of the poem, visit HolidayFunCener.com
(c) MHKAT2000
In this Episode we will present something just a little different than usual. 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 wife Kristie Thomas. We hope you enjoy this presentation, BibleBuddies News Special Report:
**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.
A Visit from St. Nicholas, more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837.**
The poem is largely responsible for some of the conceptions of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth century to today. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas
In this Episode we present More Christmas Poems!I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe,As Joseph Was A-Walking -Santa Claus - Song - The Friendly Beasts,Christmas Carols as Poetry.
All Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas. Visit our Holiday web site for more Christmas fun at HolidayFunCenter.com!
In this episode we present the history of many of our Customs of Christmas. Santa Claus, Christmas Trees, Mistletoe, Candy Canes, & Wreaths where did they originate and why do we see them each year? Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas
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"). It is the first known publication to mention (and illustrate) Santa Claus's reindeer and his sleigh, as well as being the first to describe his arrival on Christmas Eve. The accompanying illustrations are the earliest published artistic depictions of a Santa Claus figure.
Our next poem comes from the late 1860’s , 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 Clausville, N.P."
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". Katharine Lee Bates (August 12, 1859 – March 28, 1929) was an American professor and author, remembered mainly for her anthem "America the Beautiful” All read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas/
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." 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. In this Christmas Episode we begin with a history of some Christmas Traditions Around the World. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas. You can find more information on these at WhyChristmas.com
In this episode we share some Thanksgiving Poems that invoke the Thanksgiving Spirit. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas
In this Episode we feature 'Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen' by O. Henry. This a short story that first appeared in his 1907 collection, The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories of the Four Million. The story takes place around the turn of the 20th century, when many people had immigrated to the United States from Europe and were NEW to the country and the holiday. This story which features another classic O. Henry twist at the end, raises questions about the importance of tradition, particularly in a relatively new country like the United States. 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.
Why He Carried the Turkey written by James Baldwin. James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and activist. His essays, collected in Notes of a Native Son (1955), explore intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in the Western society of the United States during the mid-twentieth-century. In this short story Baldwin capture the spirit of Thanksgiving. Read by Myron Hieronymous.
A classic tale from O'Henry first published in 1904. In New York, a young man rents a furnished room from a woman and enquires about the room’s previous tenants. In particular, he asks the housekeeper a question he has asked of others many times before: whether a young girl, an actress with reddish gold hair and a mole near her left eyebrow, had rented a room from the woman at all. The name of the girl he seeks is Eloise Vashner. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas
Submitted here for your approval is Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. This Classic Story has become synonymous with the Halloween Season. Washington Irving was an American author who lived from, 1783–1859, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” first appeared in Washington Irving’s collection of stories, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., published in 1819. commonly referred to as The Sketch Book, it is a collection of 34 essays and short stories written by Irving. It was published serially throughout 1819 and 1820. The collection includes two of Irving's best-known stories, attributed to the fictional Dutch historian Diedrich Knickerbocker: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" 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. In this presentation we provide the story with minor adaptations. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this Episode, of The Radio Reading Room, Stories of Americana Podcast, we delve back into the mid-19th century for somewhat humorous tale by Mark Twain, A Ghost 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. It is a fascinating account of how far people will go to make a point.
A Ghost also known as A Ghost's Tale. Twain takes is 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.
‘The Raven’ is commonly considered to be Edgar Allan Poe’s poetic masterpiece. It details a harrowing night in the speaker’s life that includes incessant knocking and a talking raven that only says one word–“Nevermore.” Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas
View a video version featuring the illustrations of Gustave Dore at
https://audiovideonow.net/Halloween/EdgarAllanPoe
"The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ball in seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure disguised as a Red Death victim enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. Prospero dies after confronting this stranger, whose "costume" proves to contain nothing tangible inside it; the guests also die in turn. Read by Myron Hieronymous.
Myron Hieronymous Thomas share this heartfelt tale of Max the Corgi and his Adventure on Wheels. Submitted by listener Charles "Chuck" Laber.
In this episode Myron Hieronymous Thomas shares the story of his faithful collie, Snoopy.
In this Episode Myron Hieronymous Thomas shares the story of his lifelong friend Tippy Torbert.
In this episode Myron Hieronymous Thomas shares the tale of a valuable lesson learned he learned in a barn at age 9. while this story does not include any dogs, it is one of life's adventures all the same.
Fear strikes a small community when the feared black German Shepherd Rebel runs free. In this episode we learn of the fate of the bully Tommy Mulcrone when he is confronted by the Rebel Growl. Written and Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
Myron Hieronymous Thomas tells the story of his first encounter with a group of floppy eared Racoon Hunting Hound Dogs and the night, when he was 8 years, he was invited to join them
and their Coon Hunter owners on the adventure of his life.
In this Episode Myron Hieronymous Thomas shares the story of the second 4-legged friend he almost had.
A young boy receives a puppy for his birthday and doesn't know what to do with it. The boys at the local Children's Home have an idea. Written and Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode we share the infamous story of Tommy Mulcrone and the most intimidating German Police Dog of all time. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode we join a group of tobacco chewing, gnarly looking coon hunters and their champion coon hunting hound dogs on a cold night hunting for their prize. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas
In the next few episodes, we will be sharing stories about Dogs and a few other Life adventures. These are stories were written by Myron Hieronymous Thomas many years ago about the dogs of his early youth. As the season unfolds, we hope to encourage you to send us some of your adventurous stories. We will be providing an email address for you to do so. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.
In this episode we present some traditions and superstitions that surround the celebration of New Year's Eve, including Grapes from Spain and Burning Effigies in Ecuador, along with the history of Auld Lang Syne. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas. Art Photograph by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo - Feliz 2013, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28377625
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!
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 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 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