The Voice before the Void: Arcana, Story, Poetry

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Presentations of Poems, Stories, and Arcana – Poetry is the most important thing in life; weird fiction is the most fun thing in life; esoterica is the most exciting thing in life. Divine the darkness.

The Voice before the Void: Presenter of Poems, Stories, and Arcana


    • Oct 31, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 14m AVG DURATION
    • 301 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Voice before the Void: Arcana, Story, Poetry

    A Halloween Trip to the Hellmouth in Tagus, North Dakota

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2021 46:07


    A 2021 October 29th Halloween expedition to the world-famous hellgate in Tagus, North Dakota. A Friday afternoon drive. We arrive at twilight to encounter screams of the damned, a hellhound, and a ghost train.“It looks like farming, but truly it … Continue reading →

    “Ode” by Arthur O’Shaughnessy

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2021 2:33


    That dreamers and singers, ever apart from the world, are yet the ever-renewing creators of the world.-The Voice before the Void “Ode” Arthur O'Shaughnessy

    “To Everest” by Jan Morris

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2020 22:44


    Hanging out in the kitchen in North Dakota. “To Everest” from Conundrum Jan Morris

    Blown to Bits: battle on the Western Front in World War I by Robert L. Denig

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2020 24:08


    Armistice Day: “At 10 that night without food, we lay down in a pouring rain to sleep. Troops of all kinds passed us in the night – a shadowy stream, over a half-million men.” The first day of the Battle … Continue reading →

    U.S. Bill of Rights by James Madison, et al.

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020 3:56


    “We've always known that if you put the Bill of Rights up for a popular vote, it would probably lose.” -David Boaz, as quoted in The Washington Post, “Public Is Unyielding In War Against Terror,” 2001 September 29 What is … Continue reading →

    “Why I Voted the Socialist Ticket” by Vachel Lindsay

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020 1:34


    U.S. Election Day “Why I Voted the Socialist Ticket” Vachel Lindsay

    “No! (November)” by Thomas Hood

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2020 2:38


    It is November. “No! (November)” Thomas Hood

    “Sticks” by Karl Edward Wagner

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2020 52:02


    Halloween: A cultish horror tale. (Explicit, but only for my own vulgarity.) “Sticks” Karl Edward Wagner

    “Mystery Hill” by Rupert Furneaux

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2020 11:08


    Halloween: Also known as America's Stonehenge, in Salem, New Hampshire. “Mystery Hill” from Ancient Mysteries Rupert Furneaux

    “Be Ready” by Carl Sandburg

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2020 1:00


    Death, only death. “Be Ready” Carl Sandburg

    Prologue to Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2020 3:42


    First week of August Prologue from Tuck Everlasting Natalie Babbitt

    Introduction to The Enormous Room by E.E. Cummings

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2020 7:14


    “I just now read Cummings' 1932 introduction to The Enormous Room and it precisely speaks as you spoke last night to individual expression as a means of becoming.” Introduction from The Enormous Room E.E. Cummings

    Casting our Thoughts as Stars in this Sky

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2020 7:48


    Some discussion on optimization of experience into individual expression of personhood. Explicit. “To be a person among people.” Casting our Thoughts as Stars in this Sky

    Preface to The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes by Donald Hoffman

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2020 26:03


    “What would the biological shortcomings of your sensed self be? What is the cognitive drive of alien experience? On what plane does nature relate to consciousness and vice versa? “Also, it's 80 degrees, eaves and corners are crowded with day-drunk … Continue reading →

    “The Two-Wheeled ATV” by Patrick F. McManus

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2020 8:33


    Summer Vacation: A hunk of humor. “The Two-Wheeled ATV” Patrick F. McManus

    “The Unicorn in the Garden” by James Thurber

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2020 5:48


    “The Unicorn in the Garden” James Thurber

    “In the Collection of Ancient Erotica in Rome” from The Repentance of Lorraine by Andrei Codrescu

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2020 6:51


    Seeking a particular object. “In the Collection of Ancient Erotica in Rome” from The Repentance of Lorraine Andrei Codrescu

    “Dagon” by H.P. Lovecraft

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2020 20:22


    Walpurgisnacht: Prepare to be scared right out of your boots. Right out of them. “Dagon” H.P. Lovecraft

    “Fish-Men of Inzignanin” from Ghost Lights and Other Encounters with the Unknown by E. Randall Floyd

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2020 1:17


    Walpurgisnacht: Purportedly from the histories of the Spanish Conquest of America, lore of “a quaint race” of people near the fabled land of Chicora. “Fish-Men of Inzignanin” from Ghost Lights and Other Encounters with the Unknown E. Randall Floyd

    “The Presence of Death” from The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2020 4:06


    Walpurgisnacht: “Refrain from reading this book. You have been warned.” “The Presence of Death” from The Blind Owl Sadegh Hedayat translated from the Persian by D.P. Costello “The presence of death annihilates all superstitions. We are the children of death … Continue reading →

    “What the Moon Brings” by H.P. Lovecraft

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2020 7:11


    Walpurgisnacht: A short masterpiece of a nightmare. “What the Moon Brings” H.P. Lovecraft

    Preface to The Strangeness of Columbine: An Interpretation by Lear’s Shadow

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2020 39:03


    Columbine High School Shooting The book is available at Amazon. Preface from The Strangeness of Columbine: An Interpretation Lear's Shadow

    Calvin and Hobbes and the Columbine school shooting: the website Lear’s Shadow and the book The Strangeness of Columbine: An Interpretation

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2020 10:38


    Encountering the uncanny. -The Voice before the Void Works and creators mentioned: Lear's Shadow – website The Strangeness of Columbine: An Interpretation – non-fiction book Calvin and Hobbes – comic strip Stephen King The Shining – novel Stanley Kubrick The … Continue reading →

    “How the World was Made” from Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2020 7:33


    And how it shall end. Also: the underworld, and the doorways to it that lie in the mountains. -The Voice before the Void “How the World was Made” from Myths of the Cherokee James Mooney Extract from the Nineteenth Annual … Continue reading →

    “A Happy Love” by Wisława Szymborska

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2020 2:49


    “A Happy Love” Wisława Szymborska translated from the Polish by Magnus J. Krynski and Robert A. Maguire

    “Certainly the End of Something or Other, One Would Sort of Have to Think (Re John Updike’s Toward the End of Time)” by David Foster Wallace

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2020 16:52


    Explicit. “Certainly the End of Something or Other, One Would Sort of Have to Think (Re John Updike's Toward the End of Time)” from Consider the Lobster and Other Essays David Foster Wallace John Updike works mentioned: Rabbit at Rest … Continue reading →

    “Looking Back” by John Hartley

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2020 3:50


    A poetic expression of choice-supportive bias. -The Voice before the Void “Looking Back” John Hartley

    “The Painted Wall” by Pu Songling

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2020 10:34


    To encounter the uncanny is to encounter the universe. -The Voice before the Void “The Painted Wall” from Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio Pu Songling translated from the Chinese by Herbert Giles

    “We Lived Happily During the War” by Ilya Kaminsky

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2020 1:33


    Forgive us. “We Lived Happily During the War” Ilya Kaminsky

    “5 Things I Learned When I Made A Video Game” by Seanbaby

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2019 25:50


    Practically a Public Service Announcement. Explicit. Read more by Seanbaby at: Seanbaby.com “5 Things I Learned When I Made A Video Game” Seanbaby

    “The Cowboy” by John Antrobus

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2019 5:22


    Celebrate life, for death. -The Voice before the Void “The Cowboy” John Antrobus

    “A Very Short Story” by Ernest Hemingway

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2019 4:27


    Armistice Day “A Very Short Story” Ernest Hemingway Fair use of copyrighted material is claimed under United States copyright law for not-for-profit purposes of education and commentary.

    “War as an Institution” by Bertrand Russell

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2019 49:50


    Armistice Day: War is over, if we want it. As European civilization is committing suicide in 1916, Russell proffers gleaming insight into why war happens and delineates clearly how international war can be abolished. In this continuing age of nuclear … Continue reading →

    Some Lines by Stephen Crane

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2019 10:57


    Stephen Crane's Birthday: Seven excellent pieces. “Fast rode the knight” Stephen Crane “There was a man with tongue of wood” Stephen Crane “‘Think as I think,' said a man” Stephen Crane “A man said to the universe” Stephen Crane “A … Continue reading →

    “The Nameless Offspring” by Clark Ashton Smith

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2019 58:58


    Halloween: Super pulp horror. Pulptastic. -The Voice before the Void “The Nameless Offspring” Clark Ashton Smith

    “The Lost Room” by Fitz James O’Brien

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2019 56:27


    Halloween: Deluded, tempted, without home and doomed: are not we all? -The Voice before the Void “The Lost Room” Fitz James O'Brien

    “The End of the World: A Dream” by Ivan Turgenev

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2019 6:28


    Halloween: Horror to be felt. -The Voice before the Void “The End of the World: A Dream” Ivan Turgenev translated from the Russian by Constance Garnett

    “A Conversation” by Ivan Turgenev

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2019 5:21


    Halloween: All's a matter of perspective. -The Voice before the Void “A Conversation” Ivan Turgenev translated from the Russian by Constance Garnett

    “The Skulls” by Ivan Turgenev

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2019 2:30


    Halloween: Speak, speak of immortality. -The Voice before the Void “The Skulls” Ivan Turgenev translated from the Russian by Constance Garnett

    “Witches and a Werewolf” by Petronius

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2019 7:36


    Halloween: Tales told at dinner, long ago, yet to give you the creeps tonight. Enjoy your walk home in the dark. -The Voice before the Void “Witches and a Werewolf” from Satyricon Petronius translated from the Latin by W.C. Firebaugh … Continue reading →

    “Minot Launch Control Center ‘Saucer’ Cited As One Indication Of Outer Space Visitors” from The Minot Daily News

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2019 9:35


    1966 August Minot UFO Incident Anniversary: Things to see on a summer night. -The Voice before the Void “Minot Launch Control Center ‘Saucer' Cited As One Indication Of Outer Space Visitors” from The Minot Daily News, 1966 December 6

    “HP Lovecraft’s Madness” by P. Djéli Clark

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2019 27:44


    H.P. Lovecraft's Birthday: Explicit. Message sent to P. Djéli Clark, 2019 August 14: The skinny: Hello. May I record this excellent blogpost for my podcast? A handful of listeners. Non-monetized. The phonorecord copyright would be designated to you and myself. … Continue reading →

    “Lovecraft’s racism & The World Fantasy Award statuette, with comments from China Miéville” by Nnedi Okorafor

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2019 11:36


    H.P. Lovecraft's Birthday: A fateful piece. Explicit. “Lovecraft's racism & The World Fantasy Award statuette, with comments from China Miéville” from Nnedi's Wahala Zone Blog, 2011 December 14 Nnedi Okorafor Text © copyright 2011 by Nnedi Okorafor.

    “Little Journeys to the Homes of Prominent Amateurs” by Andrew Francis Lockhart

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2019 9:29


    H.P. Lovecraft's Birthday: Lovecraft was just a yankee racist. (It is easier to demonize an individual as racist, than to accept that an entire culture is racist. It is easy to reject an individual, but it is impossible to reject … Continue reading →

    “Microwave Cooking for One” by Seanbaby

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2019 7:02


    Explicit. Read more by Seanbaby at: Seanbaby.com “Microwave Cooking for One” from “4 Uniquely Insane Books That Were Written More Than Once” Seanbaby

    “A Day’s Pleasure” by Hamlin Garland

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2019 18:59


    Summer Vacation: Paying attention to life. -The Voice before the Void “A Day's Pleasure” Hamlin Garland

    “The Broncho that Would Not Be Broken” by Vachel Lindsay

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2019 5:14


    Summer Vacation: A great poem. -The Voice before the Void “The Broncho that Would Not Be Broken” Vachel Lindsay

    Prologue from Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2019 4:25


    First week of August: One of the finest, and greatest, openings to a book that I've ever read. -The Voice before the Void Prologue from Tuck Everlasting Natalie Babbitt Fair use of text is claimed under U.S. copyright law for … Continue reading →

    “In a Cave with a Whale” by Frank Thomas Bullen

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2019 14:46


    From our human heritage, a dramatic, surreal, macabre story of men at dangerous work, not likely to recur. -The Voice before the Void “In a Cave with a Whale” from The Cruise of the Cachalot: Round the World After Sperm … Continue reading →

    Air Force Captures UFO in Roswell: 1947 July 8 front page of the Roswell Daily Record

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2019 10:07


    Roswell UFO Incident Anniversary: The beginnings of a myth. Given the later conclusion that the materials recovered in Roswell were of a secret Project Mogul balloon for monitoring Soviet nuclear tests, the citizenry of the day showed notable astuteness in … Continue reading →

    “Clothe the Naked” by Dorothy Parker

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2019 28:05


    U.S. Independence Day: A brutal piece of literature about life in the USA. -The Voice before the Void “Clothe the Naked” Dorothy Parker Fair use of copyrighted material is claimed under United States copyright law for not-for-profit purposes of commentary … Continue reading →

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