Podcasts about The Pickwick Papers

Here are two fragments that didn't make the cut in the previous episode on THE PICKWICK PAPERS ...Prof. Hugo Bowles talks about the afterlife of Pickwick & Gina Beck reads an extract where Pickwick is observed from a window by a Scientific Gentleman! Support the showIf you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrardThank you so much!Host: Dominic GerrardSeries Artwork: Léna GibertOriginal Music: Dominic GerrardThank you for listening!

Dominic is joined by the inimitable Prof. Hugo Bowles who is currently working the OUP edition of The Pickwick Papers  to guide us through this riot of a novel - if it is a novel? Hugo is an alumnus of both Oxford and Cambridge where he read English, Classics and Applied Linguistics. For over three decades he lectured at four Italian Universities and is the author of Dickens and Stenographic Mind (published by Edinburgh University Press). We last caught up with Hugo in his joint episodes with Dr. Claire Wood as they spoke about their award-winning Dickens Code Project.Joining us today, to read extracts from this dizzying narrative is the wonderful actress Gina Beck.The sounds of horses, carriages, seagulls and nature are used with permission from Epidemic SoundCaution: Listeners please note that the topic of suicide is covered in the earlier parts of the Pickwick story.Support the showIf you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrardThank you so much!Host: Dominic GerrardSeries Artwork: Léna GibertOriginal Music: Dominic GerrardThank you for listening!

The unaccounted-for dildos.A Series in 17 parts, By Blacksheep. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. At St Michael's church hall, Jenna was making the most of her day off from work. That was the good thing about being part-time. Getting Mondays off. The downside? Monday was the day her husband started writing his sermon. In desperation, she'd agreed to help the ladies of the Mother's Union out at the church hall. It was more interesting than listening to Simon read out long paragraphs. The MU ladies were elderly, but fun to talk too. And boy, did they love to gossip. As a vicar's wife, she'd become privy to all sorts of information. However, Jenna wasn't one for such tittle-tattle, and would just politely humor the nosey old dears."Excuse me, a stressed-looking delivery man said, knocking on the church hall door. Parcel here for St Michael's Mother's Union?""Hi! I'll take that off your hands," Jenna said. "I have a feeling this is the box of long overdue advent calendars everyone's been moaning about.""Nothing to do with me," the man replied. "Blame the guys at the other end. We're short-staffed.""I understand," Jenna replied, signing for the parcel. "You're doing a wonderful job. Have a wonderful Christmas!""Uh; cheers," the man muttered, not used to compliments."No use selling these at the Christmas Fair seeing as that was yesterday, and we're four days into December." Jenna said, as she set the box on a table. "What can we do with thirty advent calendars? I know. I could extract all the chocolate pieces, recycle the packaging; put the chocolate in a big bowl and the children could help themselves at next week's service;“She opened the box and got a shock at what was contained within."Holy; she;“"I say, Mrs. Morris, whatever's that?"Jenna jumped as one of the Mother's Union members returned from the hall kitchen."Er, hello Mrs. Grimes it's a;“"A horse's saddle? What ruddy great twerp donated that?""Um;“"We've had some strange donations over the years, but this! It takes the biscuit! Just look at this!" She rummaged in the box and pulled out a riding crop, mask and blinkers. "A job lot of horse tack! Did Frankie Dettori donate it?""Perhaps?" Jenna replied, trying to keep a straight face as the elderly woman held up an enormous purple dildo, shaped like a horse penis, and looked at it in utter confusion."This must be for giving liquid medicine to horses.""Last year, someone donated a bus stop sign, a chamber pot and a false leg," another woman piped up. "The bus stop sign was really popular. We got fifty quid for it.""How ridiculous!" Mrs. Grimes replied. "We can't sell this at the Advent tombola. No horsey folk round here. You might as well take it down to the charity shop; or mail it to Aintree racecourse;“"Er; I'll stick to the charity shop, Mrs. Grimes. Think of the postage cost.""Ah, yes. Good thinking. Right, well, I'll leave it up to you then.""I'll get rid of it," Jenna said, then spotted an invoice. Unfolding it, her eyes widened. "Shit; I must get this stuff to Norman before anyone else sees it and realizes what it actually is!" She chuckled. "I bet Gladys is behind it! Absolutely shameless!"Jenna admired the old lady. "I hope I can have fun like that if I live to be as old as her. She's got the right attitude."Hurrying out of the church hall with the big box, she didn't look where she was going and bumped into someone."Oh, I'm so sorry!" she spluttered, as the box fell to the ground, some of its contents tumbling out."That's quite alright, you look loaded up," the man replied. "Ah! Simon's dear wife. Nice to meet you again, my dear!" He shook her hand."Oh; Reverend Fletcher! If you're looking for Simon, he's at the vicarage, writing his;“ She froze as he bent down and picked up a horse mask and dildo."My, my. Is this a Secret Santa for the good vicar, eh?" Reverend Fletcher chuckled."It's not mine," Jenna replied quickly. "It was delivered to the hall by mistake.""I bet it belongs to the organist, am I right?" Reverend Fletcher gave her a wink, but behind the jolly old man facade, lay a less pleasant character, and Jenna was immediately on her guard. She reached into her pocket."I've no idea who this stuff belongs to, but it's not Gordon, I can assure you," Jenna replied. "Either a mix-up or a prank. We do get people donating adult-themed items to church jumble sales for a laugh."Reverend Fletcher wasn't fooled. "Oh come, come, dear Mrs. Morris. I think it's just the sort of thing the organist; and that little; filly who was helping him play the organ, would enjoy! I didn't get a chance to speak to the filly; do you know her name?"Jenna didn't give anything away. "Reverend Fletcher, Gordon's private life is none of my business. And if you're hinting he was doing something inappropriate during the Sunday service, well you're mistaken.""Is that so?" The old vicar pulled out his smartphone and showed her the video he'd filmed."Now I may be old, but I know fellatio when I see it, my dear. Is your good husband aware of what the church organist is getting up to?"Jenna tried to remain composed. "Reverend Fletcher. I had no idea this had occurred, and neither has Simon. I will inform him immediately and he will have words with Gordon. Thank you for bringing this safeguarding concern to my attention. We will ensure this never happens again. Now, if I could ask you to delete that piece of video footage.""I think not," Reverend Fletcher replied. "I think I'll hang on to it for now. Unless of course, you know the name of the lass in the video? I'd quite like to meet her.""I've no idea who she is," Jenna replied. "Never seen her before. Gordon tutors many people. He's single and it's no secret that he's had a lot of dates. Look, there's a privacy issue here, Reverend. It's in your best interests to delete that video;“ She racked her brain, wondering how to deal with this escalating situation. What a creep this man was!"First time he'd ever done that whilst playing the organ, I'm willing to bet? Lucky fella. Some men have all the luck. During the church service too. I've dreamed of something similar happening to me. Do you know, I woke up this morning, with the most powerful hard-on I'd had in years;“"Did you really?" Jenna replied, an idea forming in her mind."Yes. In fact I'm getting hard again, just talking about it." He wasn't lying. Jenna noticed the bulge tenting up his black trousers.God, that's impressive, she thought. This man was horrid, but was pitching one hell of a tent. I wonder if; well I have to try. I can't have anyone trying to harm Gordon or Miya. It was time to take one for the team."Reverend Fletcher," she began, running her hand down his face. "Forget the little thing playing Gordon's organ. If you were to attend our Wednesday service; I could worship you in ways that'll make you thankful God made you a man. I give you my word."The reverend's eyes widened in wonder. The vicar's wife; actually trying to seduce him? This was too good to refuse."My God; I'll be there! What do you have in mind?" He was almost salivating with arousal."Well you'll have to wait and see, won't you? But first;“ she snatched the phone from his hand and deleted the video."No!" He exclaimed. "Oh okay, fair enough, you win. Can I have it back now?""No Reverend. I'll just hang on to it until after the Wednesday service. Just two days. I'm sure you can manage without a smartphone for two days. You have a landline phone at home don't you? Because you phoned Simon from it last night.""Yes I do; but the smartphone is the only way I can access the Internet! I don't have a laptop or tablet at home. I use that smartphone for everything! It's got private stuff on there. My internet banking app!""Don't worry, I won't look at anything. We'll just log out of the app and everything will be just fine. There. All done! If you need to go online, the library is open. I promise you'll get it back after the Wednesday service. You'd better be there.""Mrs. Morris; please!" Reverend Fletcher yelled.Jenna hurried to her car as fast as she could. So far, so good. She'd spared Gordon and Miya any embarrassment."Of course, the dirty old goat could've uploaded the video to PornHub, made backups. I've got to pay a visit to Gladys' grandson Dwaine. He's an absolute tech ace. He'll be able to check if that video is truly deleted; and if it's floating around porn land;“She sped out of the church hall car park. "Good thing I recorded all that on my own phone too." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and switched it off."I am still curious to see that cock of his," she said to herself as she drove through the town center. "The Devil makes work for very frustrated, horny men;“It had been far too long since she'd brought salvation to a different man of the church.A Christmas Miracle.It was Christmas Eve, and the fourth Sunday of Advent. At St Michael's church, the morning service was being led by Reverend Fletcher; who unknown to him, was about to give the most stimulating sermon of his life;"What's this old padré doing here again?" Gordon muttered, as he noticed Fletcher head up to the pulpit."Jenna told me that she'd personally invited him back in order to do the sermon today. Because Simon's sermons are so boring," Miya whispered."Ah! That makes perfect sense!" the organist replied. "Good old Jenna, always thinking of ways to make this church more enjoyable, eh?""Yup, that's my cousin. Full of Christian mercy!"They both giggled, unaware of the real reason Reverend Fletcher was here. And the service, for him was about to get a lot more interesting."Brothers and sisters, it gives me great;“ the reverend paused as he felt something - or someone fumble under his purple vestments."pleasure, to be addressing you all today."And then the sound of the zip on his trousers being pulled down.He twitched nervously, trying to retain his composure.As the congregation sat in the pews, lost in prayer and contemplation, a single bead of perspiration trickled down the Rev. Fletcher's brow. It wasn't from the Advent candles burning nearby, but from the passion that burned within him. He now knew that today's sermon would be unlike any other he had ever delivered, and it wasn't just because of its unique message of love and acceptance. The old vicar didn't dare move from the pulpit, as all eyes were on him. He'd just have to tough it out;In the cramped space inside the pulpit, Jenna was impressed as she pulled down the old man's white boxer shorts, revealing the thick, meaty length of him, already half-hard with anticipation. Quite a tasty-looking cock, she had to admit. She wrapped her lips around the tip, feeling the warmth and weight of him fill her mouth. Reverend Fletcher's voice grew hoarse as he continued to read, his hips starting to move involuntarily, pushing himself deeper into her mouth.The Reverend Fletcher was old, really old, but his cock was something to behold. It was as if time had stopped at his groin, leaving him with a magnificent, thick shaft that seemed to defy the laws of nature. Jenna couldn't help but continue to be amazed as she sucked him harder. As bad as this chap had been, his impressive cock deserved her full attention.Over at the organ, Gordon was impressed by this far more interesting sermon."Well he might resemble something from the Pickwick Papers, but he writes a much better paragraph than our Reverend Morris! I guess it's because he's older and more experienced?""Yeah, I liked that bit where he said there should be only good vibes at Christmas and Jesus being born in a stable because the NHS waiting lists were too long. That was funny!" Miya whispered back."The old boy looks to have high blood pressure," Gordon mused, noticing the sweat running down the vicar's forehead. "Reminds me of something; hell, it's bloody freezing in this church, but he looks like he's been sat in a sauna."Reverend Fletcher's voice trembled slightly as he continued to enthrall the congregation with a Christmas-themed sermon like no other. They assumed his wavering composure was normal for him."This guy is on fire," Miya said, also captivated. "He knows how to entertain an audience!""Looks to me like he's rather entertained himself! Look how he's gripping the pulpit there - his fingernails have turned white. And the way he's thrusting slightly; looks like he's humping the thing!""Gordy, you have a naughty mind!""Hmm, I wonder where I get it from?" He stared at the old vicar again. "It might be just me, but he doesn't look well;“In front of the pulpit, Reverend Morris was listening intently to his mentor's words. I truly learned from the best, he thought. Thanks to Horatius, I am able to write wonderful sermons! It was so nice of Jenna to invite him to conduct our morning service. He glanced at the seated congregation, and saw no sign of his wife anywhere.That's odd. I swore I saw her sitting at the front before. She's missing this amazing sermon. Maybe she had to go to the ladies;As Reverend Fletcher's climax approached, his heart raced with an unfamiliar urgency. The words on the page of his sermon began to blur, and he felt a warmth spreading through his body. He looked down, only to see Jenna the vicar's wife, her lips wrapped around his cock, her eyes locked on his. It was then that he realized his heart condition had worsened, and the pleasure of the moment was quickly replaced by fear.With a loud gasp, he slumped forward onto the pulpit, his weight pulling Jenna away from him. She looked up at him, concern etched on her face, as he struggled to catch his breath. And then, with a final heave, he staggered towards the pulpit steps, then collapsed on the floor, motionless.Someone screamed."Oh my God! Call 9 9 9!"Norman the churchwarden quickly pulled out his phone and called an ambulance. Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion for a few moments.It was then that Gordon sprang into action, leaping over the shelf at the side of the organ like a gazelle. His black, open-fronted gown billowed behind him like a superhero's cape."I'm a trained first-aider," he yelled. "He's gone into cardiac arrest!"As Gordon began performing CPR on Reverend Fletcher, Miya watched in stunned amazement. Some small children at the front of the church started crying, and were led away by anxious parents."Please God, don't let him die," Reverend Morris begged, praying quietly, as they waited for the ambulance to arrive.The entire church was in uproar, and the churchwarden struggled to calm the panicking congregation."Ladies and gents please, I must ask you to sit quietly or if you wish to leave, please can you do so in an orderly manner. In the chaos, Jenna managed to creep out of the hollow in the pulpit, unseen, and hurry off."Oh this is a nightmare," Reverend Morris sobbed, wiping away tears, as the organist continued giving chest compressions. "On Christmas Eve as well, and the defibrillator we had installed got stolen just a few days ago!"Seconds later, Jenna suddenly appeared at his side. "Oh Simon," she panted."He's breathing!"A chorus of cheers erupted.The sound of a siren outside the church was heard. Norman directed the paramedics into the church."Dear God, have our prayers been answered?" Reverend Morris asked his wife.Jenna bit her lip. "I sure hope so." She turned away. I don't want to have that on my conscience. The fact I killed a man by giving him a blowjob, she thought.As the paramedics carried the stricken Reverend Fletcher into the ambulance, everyone turned their attention to Gordon."Where's our organist?" Norman said. "The guy's a bloody hero!"Gordon was sat on the organ stool, resting, after his successful first aid."That was amazing, what you did just then," Miya said, her arm round his shoulders.He shrugged. "Just basic first aid," he muttered modestly."But you were so calm.""Inside I was screaming. I don't think I've been as afraid as that since; can't remember when. You know, being confronted with the harsh reality of death - right here in the church.""But you got his heart going again. He'll be okay.""Aye, let's hope so. Could still have another heart attack, or end up with brain damage if starved of oxygen for too long.""No Gordon, he'll be fine." Miya continued. "He's a vicar. God will keep him safe."He wasn't sure if she actually believed that or if she was just saying it to make him feel better. It did make him feel better, though."Mmm, you're right." He pulled her onto his lap and hugged her."I think my hero organist deserves a reward. How about a kiss for starters?" She flung her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips. The kiss developed into a full-blown snog, and just as Gordon was getting into it, they were interrupted."Here he is!" Norman shouted. "Oh; are we interrupting?"Gordon broke the kiss and looked embarrassed. "Er;“"Just giving my guy a hero's reward," Miya replied."Well done, Gordon," Reverend Morris said, shaking his hand. "Your quick actions there may just have saved Horatius' life."He's not just a talented organist," Miya interrupted. "He's my Gordy-pie!"Later;Reverend Fletcher slowly opened his eyes. There was an oxygen mask on his face and his vision was a little blurry."Uh;“"Horatius. It's me, Simon.""Who are you?""Your friend and former student, Simon Morris.""Are you really? Well that's jolly lovely! I didn't know I had a friend called Simon Morris.""What's up with him?" Jenna asked, cautiously approaching his bedside."Erm, he seems a bit confused. Maybe it's the after effects of what's happened to him.""Who's that?" Reverend Fletcher mumbled, straining his eyes to look at Jenna."This is Jenna, my wife.""Oh how nice for you, she looks a lovely lady.""He appears to have developed retrograde amnesia," Jenna said. "I wonder if it's just temporary?" Secretly, she was relieved."It's the strangest of things," Reverend Fletcher continued, becoming more aware of his surroundings. I can't remember what happened. But I was in a church of some sort. I was reading something. Then I saw the face of an angel. A beautiful angel, kneeling before me; very beautiful, a bit like your wife. Then, nothing but a bright, white light. It must've been the light of Heaven. But obviously God wasn't ready for my soul just yet. And so, he sent me back to Earth.""A near-death experience?" Reverend Morris said."I truly have seen the light. I've been given a second chance. A chance to become a better person, and live my life to the full. It's a miracle!""A Christmas miracle!" Jenna smiled.Outside in the hospital corridor, Gordon was anxiously waiting, along with Miya."Well; how is he?""Doctor says he should make a full recovery. But he'll need a pacemaker. He's been damned lucky, and your quick actions today saved his life. Apparently he's suffered from a dodgy ticker for years.""When he was reading the sermon, I got the feeling he wasn't well, Gordon said. "He was sweating profusely and trembling. And his voice was shaky. All classic signs of an imminent heart attack."Reverend Morris nodded. "There's one thing that the paramedics did mention, and it may be inappropriate to say this, but; well, when they removed his robes and examined him, he had a raging erection."Gordon burst out laughing. "Ah well that explains the heart attack then. Not enough blood to go round. It had all rushed to his knob! Well I suppose if the worst had happened and he'd snuffed it, he would've died happy, eh? Dying with a raging hard-on, not a bad way to go.""I wonder what on earth gave him an erection?" Miya wondered."Good speech? It was a very passionate sermon. Reminds me of that scene from the first Police Academy film. Ever seen that? The scene where the prostitute gives oral to the old copper whilst she's hiding in a podium. Only the old copper sees another bloke crawl out of the podium and thinks he did it.""I remember that film," Reverend Morris replied. "Ha-ha yes, that was a funny scene. I don't think that happened to the good Horatius Fletcher, although he claimed he saw the face of an angel before he collapsed."Jenna, stood beside her husband, just smiled and said nothing.Later still;"What a day," Gordon said, as he and Miya arrived back from dining out at the Scabby Horse, a country pub dating back to the 17th century."That restaurant was lovely. I've really enjoyed our first Christmas Eve together. It's been magical."Gordon removed the Santa hat he'd been wearing. "I'm so glad. After the trauma of this morning, then having to speak to the local press, it was a relief to finally relax!""Uh-oh," Miya groaned, noticing a car pulling up in front of the house. "Don't relax just yet. Mum's just arrived. She'd better not cause a scene! Oh why can't she just accept us? Your mum was really nice when I met her the first time."Catherine Leesmith was a fun-loving eighty-two year old, who'd welcomed her son's much younger girlfriend with open arms."Don't panic, maybe she just wants to talk," Gordon replied. "Good evening Mrs. Dickinson!""Oh my God! I watched BBC Northwest earlier." She turned to Gordon. "You were on the news. You; saved that vicar's life. Well done!""Well, I kept him alive until the paramedics came, yes." He awkwardly shuffled his feet.Miya's mum walked right up to him. "Gordon. I've said; some things. Things I regret. And whilst I still think the age gap between the two of you is far too wide, I;“Gordon and Miya held their breaths."I can see how happy you are together, so if you're happy, then I'm happy. You're a good man, Gordon. You've certainly brought out the best in Miya."Gordon smiled. "Thanks so much, Mrs. Dickinson.""Kathleen.""Um, right. Kathleen. Er, Miya, tell your mum the good news!""You're not pregnant are you?""No Mum! I've just passed my driving test!""Oh congratulations, love! All thanks to Gordon as well I suppose?""No, I'm not taking any credit," he said. "She did this all on her own and worked damned hard. I provided encouragement, that's all. Right, come in and let's all have a cuppa; or if you want something stronger, we've got mulled wine, gin, beer; anything you like."Miya hurried in first, thrilled that her mum had finally accepted her boyfriend."Gordon, I think Santa will be delivering a four-wheeled present tomorrow morning. I know you and my husband have been planning it for a while.""Oh yes," he replied, tapping his nose. "Shush. She doesn't suspect a thing."They all entered Gordon's house, and Miya's mum couldn't help but admire her daughter's boyfriend; or man-friend, as she preferred to call him.He's not my type, but quite attractive. And he has charisma, there's no doubt about that. There's something about him. He does cut a dashing figure in a suit and organist gown;At the ParsonageReverend Morris and Jenna decided to have an early night."I've always believed that you see something; otherworldly at the point of death," he said as he climbed into bed. "I just can't stop thinking about what Horatius Fletcher said. You know, about seeing an angel. Sorry to keep going on about it.""An angel must appear to reassure dying people that everything will be alright. Or in some cases maybe it takes the form of the dying person's loved one?" Jenna replied."Hmm, yes. Hard to fathom when you've never experienced it yourself. Oh well. At least we know Horatius will be okay. Not much of a Christmas for him, being stuck in hospital, but at least he's alive.""Yep," Jenna smiled, snuggling up to her husband.And with any luck, she thought to herself, he'll never fully regain his memory. He doesn't remember anything about filming Miya and Gordon, or how I took his phone and got Dwaine to erase it. He doesn't remember me inviting him to do the Sunday service either; or me sucking his cock. If he does eventually remember, people will just think he's round the bend;"Merry Christmas Jen.""Merry Christmas Simon."They kissed.The vicar fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but Jenna wasn't quite ready to fall asleep just yet. When she was sure that her husband was well and truly in the arms of Morpheus, she slipped out of bed and picked up her smartphone off the bedside table. She hurried into the bathroom and shut the door. Switching on the phone, she opened a password-protected secure documents folder."Oh Gordon. I really do miss sucking that delicious thick cock of yours," she sighed as she fingered herself whilst watching the video of Miya and Gordon that Reverend Fletcher had filmed. So it hadn't been completely deleted after all. Dwaine had still been able to recover it using his expert coding skills; and transfer it to Jenna's phone. (For entirely personal use of course)!By Blacksheep. For Literotica

Guest host Richard Syrett (Twitter) was joined by researcher Stephen Sakellarios to discuss reincarnation, his past life experience, and a conspiracy theory regarding 19th-century author Charles Dickens. According to Sakellarios, Dickens did not originate "A Christmas Carol" but instead adapted it from the works of Mathew Franklin Whittier and his wife, Abby. He argued that elements of mysticism and spiritualism in "A Christmas Carol" are inconsistent with Dickens' other works. Sakellarios highlighted evidence such as Mathew's affiliation with spiritualist organizations and Abby's mystic poetry, arguing that Dickens, a materialist and skeptic, could not have authentically incorporated such themes.Sakellarios referenced instances in Dickens' career that suggest a pattern of appropriation, such as his involvement with illustrator Robert Seymour, whose work on The Pickwick Papers he believes Dickens manipulated and claimed credit for, driving Seymour to despair. Similarly, he cited a letter Dickens wrote with a Freudian slip that implies he "fastened on" rather than created "A Christmas Carol." The Whittiers likely sought to inspire social change through the story, but after Abby's death, Mathew entrusted the manuscript to Dickens, who reworked it under financial pressure, he suggested.Sakellarios described an intriguing connection to what he believes is a past life as Mathew Franklin Whittier, centering on an architectural detail in a house believed to be tied to Mathew and Abby. The story begins with a vision of Abby leading Mathew up the stairs of a house and into a small, hidden room resembling a linen closet. This unique feature—a door seemingly cut into the wall, leading to a nine-by-nine room midway between floors—turned out to exist in two houses linked to Abby's family property. The architectural detail, which Sakellarios had never encountered before, matched his vision and was corroborated during research. This and other details solidify Sakellarios's belief that he is the reincarnation of Whittier.TOTO, The Beatles, & Yacht RockIn the first hour, musician Steve Lukather reflected on his extraordinary career with a mix of humility and gratitude, emphasizing the milestones that have defined his journey. As a founding member of TOTO, he experienced global success, including Grammy-winning albums and hit singles like "Africa" and "Rosanna". Lukather talked about his work as a session guitarist on numerous iconic projects, including Michael Jackson's Thriller, where he contributed to tracks "The Girl Is Mine" and "Beat It". He described working with legends Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr as surreal, particularly given his lifelong admiration for The Beatles, who inspired his love for music after he saw them perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. Lukather also discussed his participation in the recent Yacht Rock documentary.

Dickens' star is on the rise. Sketches by Boz is a success and he publishes The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist and more. Plus, he is a hit on both sides of the Atlantic with ‘Dickensmania' sweeping the United States. But there is tragedy at home. And when his new novel doesn't do as well as he'd hoped, he needs a new idea. Something to do with Christmas maybe?Listen to Legacy on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/legacy now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The unaccounted-for dildos.A Series in 17 parts, By Blacksheep. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. At St Michael's church hall, Jenna was making the most of her day off from work. That was the good thing about being part-time. Getting Mondays off. The downside? Monday was the day her husband started writing his sermon. In desperation, she'd agreed to help the ladies of the Mother's Union out at the church hall. It was more interesting than listening to Simon read out long paragraphs. The MU ladies were elderly, but fun to talk too. And boy, did they love to gossip. As a vicar's wife, she'd become privy to all sorts of information. However, Jenna wasn't one for such tittle-tattle, and would just politely humor the nosey old dears."Excuse me, a stressed-looking delivery man said, knocking on the church hall door. Parcel here for St Michael's Mother's Union?""Hi! I'll take that off your hands," Jenna said. "I have a feeling this is the box of long overdue advent calendars everyone's been moaning about.""Nothing to do with me," the man replied. "Blame the guys at the other end. We're short-staffed.""I understand," Jenna replied, signing for the parcel. "You're doing a wonderful job. Have a wonderful Christmas!""Uh; cheers," the man muttered, not used to compliments."No use selling these at the Christmas Fair seeing as that was yesterday, and we're four days into December." Jenna said, as she set the box on a table. "What can we do with thirty advent calendars? I know. I could extract all the chocolate pieces, recycle the packaging; put the chocolate in a big bowl and the children could help themselves at next week's service;“She opened the box and got a shock at what was contained within."Holy; she;“"I say, Mrs. Morris, whatever's that?"Jenna jumped as one of the Mother's Union members returned from the hall kitchen."Er, hello Mrs. Grimes it's a;“"A horse's saddle? What ruddy great twerp donated that?""Um;“"We've had some strange donations over the years, but this! It takes the biscuit! Just look at this!" She rummaged in the box and pulled out a riding crop, mask and blinkers. "A job lot of horse tack! Did Frankie Dettori donate it?""Perhaps?" Jenna replied, trying to keep a straight face as the elderly woman held up an enormous purple dildo, shaped like a horse penis, and looked at it in utter confusion."This must be for giving liquid medicine to horses.""Last year, someone donated a bus stop sign, a chamber pot and a false leg," another woman piped up. "The bus stop sign was really popular. We got fifty quid for it.""How ridiculous!" Mrs. Grimes replied. "We can't sell this at the Advent tombola. No horsey folk round here. You might as well take it down to the charity shop; or mail it to Aintree racecourse;“"Er; I'll stick to the charity shop, Mrs. Grimes. Think of the postage cost.""Ah, yes. Good thinking. Right, well, I'll leave it up to you then.""I'll get rid of it," Jenna said, then spotted an invoice. Unfolding it, her eyes widened. "Shit; I must get this stuff to Norman before anyone else sees it and realizes what it actually is!" She chuckled. "I bet Gladys is behind it! Absolutely shameless!"Jenna admired the old lady. "I hope I can have fun like that if I live to be as old as her. She's got the right attitude."Hurrying out of the church hall with the big box, she didn't look where she was going and bumped into someone."Oh, I'm so sorry!" she spluttered, as the box fell to the ground, some of its contents tumbling out."That's quite alright, you look loaded up," the man replied. "Ah! Simon's dear wife. Nice to meet you again, my dear!" He shook her hand."Oh; Reverend Fletcher! If you're looking for Simon, he's at the vicarage, writing his;“ She froze as he bent down and picked up a horse mask and dildo."My, my. Is this a Secret Santa for the good vicar, eh?" Reverend Fletcher chuckled."It's not mine," Jenna replied quickly. "It was delivered to the hall by mistake.""I bet it belongs to the organist, am I right?" Reverend Fletcher gave her a wink, but behind the jolly old man facade, lay a less pleasant character, and Jenna was immediately on her guard. She reached into her pocket."I've no idea who this stuff belongs to, but it's not Gordon, I can assure you," Jenna replied. "Either a mix-up or a prank. We do get people donating adult-themed items to church jumble sales for a laugh."Reverend Fletcher wasn't fooled. "Oh come, come, dear Mrs. Morris. I think it's just the sort of thing the organist; and that little; filly who was helping him play the organ, would enjoy! I didn't get a chance to speak to the filly; do you know her name?"Jenna didn't give anything away. "Reverend Fletcher, Gordon's private life is none of my business. And if you're hinting he was doing something inappropriate during the Sunday service, well you're mistaken.""Is that so?" The old vicar pulled out his smartphone and showed her the video he'd filmed."Now I may be old, but I know fellatio when I see it, my dear. Is your good husband aware of what the church organist is getting up to?"Jenna tried to remain composed. "Reverend Fletcher. I had no idea this had occurred, and neither has Simon. I will inform him immediately and he will have words with Gordon. Thank you for bringing this safeguarding concern to my attention. We will ensure this never happens again. Now, if I could ask you to delete that piece of video footage.""I think not," Reverend Fletcher replied. "I think I'll hang on to it for now. Unless of course, you know the name of the lass in the video? I'd quite like to meet her.""I've no idea who she is," Jenna replied. "Never seen her before. Gordon tutors many people. He's single and it's no secret that he's had a lot of dates. Look, there's a privacy issue here, Reverend. It's in your best interests to delete that video;“ She racked her brain, wondering how to deal with this escalating situation. What a creep this man was!"First time he'd ever done that whilst playing the organ, I'm willing to bet? Lucky fella. Some men have all the luck. During the church service too. I've dreamed of something similar happening to me. Do you know, I woke up this morning, with the most powerful hard-on I'd had in years;“"Did you really?" Jenna replied, an idea forming in her mind."Yes. In fact I'm getting hard again, just talking about it." He wasn't lying. Jenna noticed the bulge tenting up his black trousers.God, that's impressive, she thought. This man was horrid, but was pitching one hell of a tent. I wonder if; well I have to try. I can't have anyone trying to harm Gordon or Miya. It was time to take one for the team."Reverend Fletcher," she began, running her hand down his face. "Forget the little thing playing Gordon's organ. If you were to attend our Wednesday service; I could worship you in ways that'll make you thankful God made you a man. I give you my word."The reverend's eyes widened in wonder. The vicar's wife; actually trying to seduce him? This was too good to refuse."My God; I'll be there! What do you have in mind?" He was almost salivating with arousal."Well you'll have to wait and see, won't you? But first;“ she snatched the phone from his hand and deleted the video."No!" He exclaimed. "Oh okay, fair enough, you win. Can I have it back now?""No Reverend. I'll just hang on to it until after the Wednesday service. Just two days. I'm sure you can manage without a smartphone for two days. You have a landline phone at home don't you? Because you phoned Simon from it last night.""Yes I do; but the smartphone is the only way I can access the Internet! I don't have a laptop or tablet at home. I use that smartphone for everything! It's got private stuff on there. My internet banking app!""Don't worry, I won't look at anything. We'll just log out of the app and everything will be just fine. There. All done! If you need to go online, the library is open. I promise you'll get it back after the Wednesday service. You'd better be there.""Mrs. Morris; please!" Reverend Fletcher yelled.Jenna hurried to her car as fast as she could. So far, so good. She'd spared Gordon and Miya any embarrassment."Of course, the dirty old goat could've uploaded the video to PornHub, made backups. I've got to pay a visit to Gladys' grandson Dwaine. He's an absolute tech ace. He'll be able to check if that video is truly deleted; and if it's floating around porn land;“She sped out of the church hall car park. "Good thing I recorded all that on my own phone too." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and switched it off."I am still curious to see that cock of his," she said to herself as she drove through the town center. "The Devil makes work for very frustrated, horny men;“It had been far too long since she'd brought salvation to a different man of the church.A Christmas Miracle.It was Christmas Eve, and the fourth Sunday of Advent. At St Michael's church, the morning service was being led by Reverend Fletcher; who unknown to him, was about to give the most stimulating sermon of his life;"What's this old padré doing here again?" Gordon muttered, as he noticed Fletcher head up to the pulpit."Jenna told me that she'd personally invited him back in order to do the sermon today. Because Simon's sermons are so boring," Miya whispered."Ah! That makes perfect sense!" the organist replied. "Good old Jenna, always thinking of ways to make this church more enjoyable, eh?""Yup, that's my cousin. Full of Christian mercy!"They both giggled, unaware of the real reason Reverend Fletcher was here. And the service, for him was about to get a lot more interesting."Brothers and sisters, it gives me great;“ the reverend paused as he felt something - or someone fumble under his purple vestments."pleasure, to be addressing you all today."And then the sound of the zip on his trousers being pulled down.He twitched nervously, trying to retain his composure.As the congregation sat in the pews, lost in prayer and contemplation, a single bead of perspiration trickled down the Rev. Fletcher's brow. It wasn't from the Advent candles burning nearby, but from the passion that burned within him. He now knew that today's sermon would be unlike any other he had ever delivered, and it wasn't just because of its unique message of love and acceptance. The old vicar didn't dare move from the pulpit, as all eyes were on him. He'd just have to tough it out;In the cramped space inside the pulpit, Jenna was impressed as she pulled down the old man's white boxer shorts, revealing the thick, meaty length of him, already half-hard with anticipation. Quite a tasty-looking cock, she had to admit. She wrapped her lips around the tip, feeling the warmth and weight of him fill her mouth. Reverend Fletcher's voice grew hoarse as he continued to read, his hips starting to move involuntarily, pushing himself deeper into her mouth.The Reverend Fletcher was old, really old, but his cock was something to behold. It was as if time had stopped at his groin, leaving him with a magnificent, thick shaft that seemed to defy the laws of nature. Jenna couldn't help but continue to be amazed as she sucked him harder. As bad as this chap had been, his impressive cock deserved her full attention.Over at the organ, Gordon was impressed by this far more interesting sermon."Well he might resemble something from the Pickwick Papers, but he writes a much better paragraph than our Reverend Morris! I guess it's because he's older and more experienced?""Yeah, I liked that bit where he said there should be only good vibes at Christmas and Jesus being born in a stable because the NHS waiting lists were too long. That was funny!" Miya whispered back."The old boy looks to have high blood pressure," Gordon mused, noticing the sweat running down the vicar's forehead. "Reminds me of something; hell, it's bloody freezing in this church, but he looks like he's been sat in a sauna."Reverend Fletcher's voice trembled slightly as he continued to enthrall the congregation with a Christmas-themed sermon like no other. They assumed his wavering composure was normal for him."This guy is on fire," Miya said, also captivated. "He knows how to entertain an audience!""Looks to me like he's rather entertained himself! Look how he's gripping the pulpit there - his fingernails have turned white. And the way he's thrusting slightly; looks like he's humping the thing!""Gordy, you have a naughty mind!""Hmm, I wonder where I get it from?" He stared at the old vicar again. "It might be just me, but he doesn't look well;“In front of the pulpit, Reverend Morris was listening intently to his mentor's words. I truly learned from the best, he thought. Thanks to Horatius, I am able to write wonderful sermons! It was so nice of Jenna to invite him to conduct our morning service. He glanced at the seated congregation, and saw no sign of his wife anywhere.That's odd. I swore I saw her sitting at the front before. She's missing this amazing sermon. Maybe she had to go to the ladies;As Reverend Fletcher's climax approached, his heart raced with an unfamiliar urgency. The words on the page of his sermon began to blur, and he felt a warmth spreading through his body. He looked down, only to see Jenna the vicar's wife, her lips wrapped around his cock, her eyes locked on his. It was then that he realized his heart condition had worsened, and the pleasure of the moment was quickly replaced by fear.With a loud gasp, he slumped forward onto the pulpit, his weight pulling Jenna away from him. She looked up at him, concern etched on her face, as he struggled to catch his breath. And then, with a final heave, he staggered towards the pulpit steps, then collapsed on the floor, motionless.Someone screamed."Oh my God! Call 9 9 9!"Norman the churchwarden quickly pulled out his phone and called an ambulance. Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion for a few moments.It was then that Gordon sprang into action, leaping over the shelf at the side of the organ like a gazelle. His black, open-fronted gown billowed behind him like a superhero's cape."I'm a trained first-aider," he yelled. "He's gone into cardiac arrest!"

The unaccounted-for dildos.A Series in 17 parts, By Blacksheep. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. At St Michael's church hall, Jenna was making the most of her day off from work. That was the good thing about being part-time. Getting Mondays off. The downside? Monday was the day her husband started writing his sermon. In desperation, she'd agreed to help the ladies of the Mother's Union out at the church hall. It was more interesting than listening to Simon read out long paragraphs. The MU ladies were elderly, but fun to talk too. And boy, did they love to gossip. As a vicar's wife, she'd become privy to all sorts of information. However, Jenna wasn't one for such tittle-tattle, and would just politely humor the nosey old dears."Excuse me, a stressed-looking delivery man said, knocking on the church hall door. Parcel here for St Michael's Mother's Union?""Hi! I'll take that off your hands," Jenna said. "I have a feeling this is the box of long overdue advent calendars everyone's been moaning about.""Nothing to do with me," the man replied. "Blame the guys at the other end. We're short-staffed.""I understand," Jenna replied, signing for the parcel. "You're doing a wonderful job. Have a wonderful Christmas!""Uh; cheers," the man muttered, not used to compliments."No use selling these at the Christmas Fair seeing as that was yesterday, and we're four days into December." Jenna said, as she set the box on a table. "What can we do with thirty advent calendars? I know. I could extract all the chocolate pieces, recycle the packaging; put the chocolate in a big bowl and the children could help themselves at next week's service;“She opened the box and got a shock at what was contained within."Holy; she;“"I say, Mrs. Morris, whatever's that?"Jenna jumped as one of the Mother's Union members returned from the hall kitchen."Er, hello Mrs. Grimes it's a;“"A horse's saddle? What ruddy great twerp donated that?""Um;“"We've had some strange donations over the years, but this! It takes the biscuit! Just look at this!" She rummaged in the box and pulled out a riding crop, mask and blinkers. "A job lot of horse tack! Did Frankie Dettori donate it?""Perhaps?" Jenna replied, trying to keep a straight face as the elderly woman held up an enormous purple dildo, shaped like a horse penis, and looked at it in utter confusion."This must be for giving liquid medicine to horses.""Last year, someone donated a bus stop sign, a chamber pot and a false leg," another woman piped up. "The bus stop sign was really popular. We got fifty quid for it.""How ridiculous!" Mrs. Grimes replied. "We can't sell this at the Advent tombola. No horsey folk round here. You might as well take it down to the charity shop; or mail it to Aintree racecourse;“"Er; I'll stick to the charity shop, Mrs. Grimes. Think of the postage cost.""Ah, yes. Good thinking. Right, well, I'll leave it up to you then.""I'll get rid of it," Jenna said, then spotted an invoice. Unfolding it, her eyes widened. "Shit; I must get this stuff to Norman before anyone else sees it and realizes what it actually is!" She chuckled. "I bet Gladys is behind it! Absolutely shameless!"Jenna admired the old lady. "I hope I can have fun like that if I live to be as old as her. She's got the right attitude."Hurrying out of the church hall with the big box, she didn't look where she was going and bumped into someone."Oh, I'm so sorry!" she spluttered, as the box fell to the ground, some of its contents tumbling out."That's quite alright, you look loaded up," the man replied. "Ah! Simon's dear wife. Nice to meet you again, my dear!" He shook her hand."Oh; Reverend Fletcher! If you're looking for Simon, he's at the vicarage, writing his;“ She froze as he bent down and picked up a horse mask and dildo."My, my. Is this a Secret Santa for the good vicar, eh?" Reverend Fletcher chuckled."It's not mine," Jenna replied quickly. "It was delivered to the hall by mistake.""I bet it belongs to the organist, am I right?" Reverend Fletcher gave her a wink, but behind the jolly old man facade, lay a less pleasant character, and Jenna was immediately on her guard. She reached into her pocket."I've no idea who this stuff belongs to, but it's not Gordon, I can assure you," Jenna replied. "Either a mix-up or a prank. We do get people donating adult-themed items to church jumble sales for a laugh."Reverend Fletcher wasn't fooled. "Oh come, come, dear Mrs. Morris. I think it's just the sort of thing the organist; and that little; filly who was helping him play the organ, would enjoy! I didn't get a chance to speak to the filly; do you know her name?"Jenna didn't give anything away. "Reverend Fletcher, Gordon's private life is none of my business. And if you're hinting he was doing something inappropriate during the Sunday service, well you're mistaken.""Is that so?" The old vicar pulled out his smartphone and showed her the video he'd filmed."Now I may be old, but I know fellatio when I see it, my dear. Is your good husband aware of what the church organist is getting up to?"Jenna tried to remain composed. "Reverend Fletcher. I had no idea this had occurred, and neither has Simon. I will inform him immediately and he will have words with Gordon. Thank you for bringing this safeguarding concern to my attention. We will ensure this never happens again. Now, if I could ask you to delete that piece of video footage.""I think not," Reverend Fletcher replied. "I think I'll hang on to it for now. Unless of course, you know the name of the lass in the video? I'd quite like to meet her.""I've no idea who she is," Jenna replied. "Never seen her before. Gordon tutors many people. He's single and it's no secret that he's had a lot of dates. Look, there's a privacy issue here, Reverend. It's in your best interests to delete that video;“ She racked her brain, wondering how to deal with this escalating situation. What a creep this man was!"First time he'd ever done that whilst playing the organ, I'm willing to bet? Lucky fella. Some men have all the luck. During the church service too. I've dreamed of something similar happening to me. Do you know, I woke up this morning, with the most powerful hard-on I'd had in years;“"Did you really?" Jenna replied, an idea forming in her mind."Yes. In fact I'm getting hard again, just talking about it." He wasn't lying. Jenna noticed the bulge tenting up his black trousers.God, that's impressive, she thought. This man was horrid, but was pitching one hell of a tent. I wonder if; well I have to try. I can't have anyone trying to harm Gordon or Miya. It was time to take one for the team."Reverend Fletcher," she began, running her hand down his face. "Forget the little thing playing Gordon's organ. If you were to attend our Wednesday service; I could worship you in ways that'll make you thankful God made you a man. I give you my word."The reverend's eyes widened in wonder. The vicar's wife; actually trying to seduce him? This was too good to refuse."My God; I'll be there! What do you have in mind?" He was almost salivating with arousal."Well you'll have to wait and see, won't you? But first;“ she snatched the phone from his hand and deleted the video."No!" He exclaimed. "Oh okay, fair enough, you win. Can I have it back now?""No Reverend. I'll just hang on to it until after the Wednesday service. Just two days. I'm sure you can manage without a smartphone for two days. You have a landline phone at home don't you? Because you phoned Simon from it last night.""Yes I do; but the smartphone is the only way I can access the Internet! I don't have a laptop or tablet at home. I use that smartphone for everything! It's got private stuff on there. My internet banking app!""Don't worry, I won't look at anything. We'll just log out of the app and everything will be just fine. There. All done! If you need to go online, the library is open. I promise you'll get it back after the Wednesday service. You'd better be there.""Mrs. Morris; please!" Reverend Fletcher yelled.Jenna hurried to her car as fast as she could. So far, so good. She'd spared Gordon and Miya any embarrassment."Of course, the dirty old goat could've uploaded the video to PornHub, made backups. I've got to pay a visit to Gladys' grandson Dwaine. He's an absolute tech ace. He'll be able to check if that video is truly deleted; and if it's floating around porn land;“She sped out of the church hall car park. "Good thing I recorded all that on my own phone too." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and switched it off."I am still curious to see that cock of his," she said to herself as she drove through the town center. "The Devil makes work for very frustrated, horny men;“It had been far too long since she'd brought salvation to a different man of the church.A Christmas Miracle.It was Christmas Eve, and the fourth Sunday of Advent. At St Michael's church, the morning service was being led by Reverend Fletcher; who unknown to him, was about to give the most stimulating sermon of his life;"What's this old padré doing here again?" Gordon muttered, as he noticed Fletcher head up to the pulpit."Jenna told me that she'd personally invited him back in order to do the sermon today. Because Simon's sermons are so boring," Miya whispered."Ah! That makes perfect sense!" the organist replied. "Good old Jenna, always thinking of ways to make this church more enjoyable, eh?""Yup, that's my cousin. Full of Christian mercy!"They both giggled, unaware of the real reason Reverend Fletcher was here. And the service, for him was about to get a lot more interesting."Brothers and sisters, it gives me great;“ the reverend paused as he felt something - or someone fumble under his purple vestments."pleasure, to be addressing you all today."And then the sound of the zip on his trousers being pulled down.He twitched nervously, trying to retain his composure.As the congregation sat in the pews, lost in prayer and contemplation, a single bead of perspiration trickled down the Rev. Fletcher's brow. It wasn't from the Advent candles burning nearby, but from the passion that burned within him. He now knew that today's sermon would be unlike any other he had ever delivered, and it wasn't just because of its unique message of love and acceptance. The old vicar didn't dare move from the pulpit, as all eyes were on him. He'd just have to tough it out;In the cramped space inside the pulpit, Jenna was impressed as she pulled down the old man's white boxer shorts, revealing the thick, meaty length of him, already half-hard with anticipation. Quite a tasty-looking cock, she had to admit. She wrapped her lips around the tip, feeling the warmth and weight of him fill her mouth. Reverend Fletcher's voice grew hoarse as he continued to read, his hips starting to move involuntarily, pushing himself deeper into her mouth.The Reverend Fletcher was old, really old, but his cock was something to behold. It was as if time had stopped at his groin, leaving him with a magnificent, thick shaft that seemed to defy the laws of nature. Jenna couldn't help but continue to be amazed as she sucked him harder. As bad as this chap had been, his impressive cock deserved her full attention.Over at the organ, Gordon was impressed by this far more interesting sermon."Well he might resemble something from the Pickwick Papers, but he writes a much better paragraph than our Reverend Morris! I guess it's because he's older and more experienced?""Yeah, I liked that bit where he said there should be only good vibes at Christmas and Jesus being born in a stable because the NHS waiting lists were too long. That was funny!" Miya whispered back."The old boy looks to have high blood pressure," Gordon mused, noticing the sweat running down the vicar's forehead. "Reminds me of something; hell, it's bloody freezing in this church, but he looks like he's been sat in a sauna."Reverend Fletcher's voice trembled slightly as he continued to enthrall the congregation with a Christmas-themed sermon like no other. They assumed his wavering composure was normal for him."This guy is on fire," Miya said, also captivated. "He knows how to entertain an audience!""Looks to me like he's rather entertained himself! Look how he's gripping the pulpit there - his fingernails have turned white. And the way he's thrusting slightly; looks like he's humping the thing!""Gordy, you have a naughty mind!""Hmm, I wonder where I get it from?" He stared at the old vicar again. "It might be just me, but he doesn't look well;“In front of the pulpit, Reverend Morris was listening intently to his mentor's words. I truly learned from the best, he thought. Thanks to Horatius, I am able to write wonderful sermons! It was so nice of Jenna to invite him to conduct our morning service. He glanced at the seated congregation, and saw no sign of his wife anywhere.That's odd. I swore I saw her sitting at the front before. She's missing this amazing sermon. Maybe she had to go to the ladies;As Reverend Fletcher's climax approached, his heart raced with an unfamiliar urgency. The words on the page of his sermon began to blur, and he felt a warmth spreading through his body. He looked down, only to see Jenna the vicar's wife, her lips wrapped around his cock, her eyes locked on his. It was then that he realized his heart condition had worsened, and the pleasure of the moment was quickly replaced by fear.With a loud gasp, he slumped forward onto the pulpit, his weight pulling Jenna away from him. She looked up at him, concern etched on her face, as he struggled to catch his breath. And then, with a final heave, he staggered towards the pulpit steps, then collapsed on the floor, motionless.Someone screamed."Oh my God! Call 9 9 9!"Norman the churchwarden quickly pulled out his phone and called an ambulance. Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion for a few moments.It was then that Gordon sprang into action, leaping over the shelf at the side of the organ like a gazelle. His black, open-fronted gown billowed behind him like a superhero's cape."I'm a trained first-aider," he yelled. "He's gone into cardiac arrest!"

This Sunday on "Sunday Night Playhouse," Vintage Classic Radio takes you back to 1938 with a nostalgic broadcast of "Mercury Theatre on the Air." Dive into Charles Dickens' vibrant world with "The Pickwick Papers," masterfully performed under the direction of Orson Welles. Originally aired on November 20th, 1938, this episode features Welles himself taking on multiple roles alongside a talented ensemble cast including Agnes Moorehead, Ray Collins, Everett Sloane, and Paul Stewart. Together, they bring to life the humorous adventures of Samuel Pickwick and his colorful entourage as they navigate the trials and tribulations of early Victorian society. Experience the charm and wit of Dickens' first novel in a production that exemplifies the golden age of radio drama, complete with its original scores and period sound effects, ensuring an authentic trip down memory lane for all listeners.

The Mercury Theatre on the Air | The Pickwick Papers | Broadcast: November 20, 1938Adapted from the novel by Charles DickensCast: Orson Welles (Sergeant Buzzfuzz, Mr. Jingle), Ray Collins (Samuel Pickwick), Alfred Shirley (Augustus Snodgrass), Frank Readick, Elliott Reid, Edgar Barrier, Eustace Wyatt, Brenda Forbes, others.: : : : :My other podcast channels include: MYSTERY x SUSPENSE -- DRAMA X THEATER -- SCI FI x HORROR -- COMEDY x FUNNY HA HA -- VARIETY X ARMED FORCES.Subscribing is free and you'll receive new post notifications. Also, if you have a moment, please give a 4-5 star rating and/or write a 1-2 sentence positive review on your preferred service -- that would help me a lot.Thank you for your support.https://otr.duane.media | Instagram @duane.otr

In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will focus on the Shadow side of the Christmas holiday. Not all folklore surrounding this time is happy and gay; some of the characters are birthed from our deepest nightmares.  This time, we'll look at Krampus and the goblins from Charles Dickens's imagination. She'll read “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton.” It's a shadowy precursor to the Dickens' story “A Christmas Carol.”Story: Dickens, Charles,  "Goblins Who Stole a Sexton"  in The Pickwick Papers. Part 10. 1837.Cover Image:   "An Extraordinary Supernatural Visitor -The Goblin King,  illustrated by  Hablot K. Browne (1837).  (https://victorianweb.org/art/illustration/phiz/pickwick/24.html) Music:  The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."Copyright 2023 Kathy Shimpock.    Support the showFor more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).

Certainly! "The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton" is a short story written by Charles Dickens as part of his collection titled "The Pickwick Papers." The narrative follows Gabriel Grub, a grumpy and ill-tempered sexton (grave digger) in a small village. Gabriel despises Christmas and all its festivities, choosing instead to revel in his solitude. One Christmas Eve, while digging a grave in the churchyard, Gabriel encounters a group of goblins who emerge from the ground. The goblins, led by their king, force Gabriel to join them in their underworld festivities. In this fantastical realm, Gabriel witnesses scenes from his past and present, highlighting his callous behavior and the impact it has had on those around him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Music by Cyril OrandelLyrics by Leslie BricusseBook by Wolf MankowitzOpened on Broadway October 4, 1965

Paine Radio ClassicsWe Cannot Say Much of the 'Really Good Stuff' on Here That's Why We Created Paine.tv YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHOW BY CLICKING THIS LINK -- *** DONATE HERE *** GET the Intel that's Too Hot For Anywhere Else at P A IN E. TV CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHOW BY CLICKING THIS LINK -- *** DONATE HERE *** ...This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5788750/advertisement

Light up your holiday season with the enchanting narration of our guest, the brilliant Gina Beck as she transports us to the charm and warmth of a festive journey from Charles Dickens' Pickwick Papers in a way that is sure to stir the Christmas spirit in you. Gina has been a star of London's West End for nearly two decades playing the leads in Matlida, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked & Les Miserables. Right now she can be seen in the current season of The Crown on Netflix.Reading adapted from Chapter 28 of the Pickwick Papers by Dominic Gerrard …Welcome to CHRISTMAS at Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire!A series that digs deep into the life and works of one of the greatest novelists of all time ... Thank you for listening to Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire! this Christmas.If you're enjoying these episodes and would like to make a small donation to cover the costs of producing them, please follow the link at the bottom of the description, and you can buy a coffee. Every one bought makes a huge difference ...MERRY CHRISTMAS and see you in the NEW YEAR !Support the showIf you like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrardHost: Dominic GerrardSeries Artwork: Léna GibertOriginal Music: Dominic GerrardThank you for listening!

Welcome, vintage radio enthusiasts, to a festive edition of "Sunday Night Playhouse" on Vintage Classic Radio! Our inaugural holiday triple bill kicks off with a timeless gem from the CBS Columbia Workshop archives, the heartwarming "Miracle in Manhattan." Originally broadcast on December 21st, 1941, this enchanting tale unfolds against the backdrop of a snowy New York City as a diverse group of characters experiences an unexpected Christmas miracle that transcends the challenges of the wartime era. Tune in for a journey back in time as we rediscover the magic of the season in this classic radio production. The stellar cast includes radio legends such as John McIntire, Betty Garde, and Arthur Kohl. Next up, we present a radio adaptation of the beloved cinematic classic, "The Bishop's Wife," courtesy of CBS' Screen Guild Theater. Originally aired on March 1st, 1948, this charming tale features the charismatic Cary Grant as the angelic Dudley, sent to assist the Bishop (David Niven) and his wife (Loretta Young) during the hectic holiday season. Prepare to be enchanted by this heartwarming story of love, faith, and the true meaning of Christmas. The star-studded cast also includes such luminaries as Monty Woolley and Regis Toomey. In our special feature, we delve into a rare broadcast of "NBC The World's Greatest Novels" featuring a captivating episode titled "The Christmas Chapter." This episode, originally aired on Boxing Day, December 26th, 1947, brings to life a festive chapter from Charles Dickens' classic novel "The Pickwick Papers." Join us as we transport you to the charming world of Mr. Pickwick and his companions during a Dickensian Christmas celebration. The talented cast includes radio icons like Howard Culver, Lorene Tuttle, and Peter Leeds. Explore the magic of Dickens' timeless tale and experience the joy of the holiday season in this rare radio gem. Don't miss this magical journey through the golden age of radio, filled with heartwarming stories and stellar performances. Join us for a nostalgic celebration of the holidays with "Sunday Night Playhouse" on Vintage Classic Radio, where the spirit of Christmas comes alive through the crackling airwaves. Tune in and relive the magic of yesteryear with these unforgettable holiday classics.

Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, better known as The Pickwick Papers, is the first novel by Charles Dickens. Written for publication as a serial, The Pickwick Papers consists of a sequence of loosely-related adventures. Its main literary value and appeal is formed by its numerous unforgettable heroes. Each personage in The Pickwick Papers (just as in many other Dickens' novels) is drawn comically, often with exaggerated features of character. (Wikipedia) Genre(s): Satire Language: English --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/librivox1/support

Paine Radio ClassicsWe Cannot Say Much of the 'Really Good Stuff' on Here That's Why We Created Paine.tv YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHOW BY CLICKING THIS LINK -- *** DONATE HERE *** GET the Intel that's Too Hot For Anywhere Else at P A IN E. TV CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHOW BY CLICKING THIS LINK -- *** DONATE HERE *** ...This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5788750/advertisement

Episode 201 deals with a story by Charles Dickens from The Pickwick Papers by the title of “A Madman's Manuscript” that is often offered as an influence on Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell Tale Heart.  See if you can find some of the many similarities!  (If you need to hear the contents of The Tell-Tale Heart, check out Episode 200.)

My lord did this guy get up to some shit.  Between the terrorist bird, the woman he tried to drown, the man he was sort of complicit in killing... this man lived a full life all before he turned 40.  Join us as we go over the major early works of Charles Dickens, including "The Pickwick Papers", "Oliver Twist", and "A Christmas Carol", as well as all his shitty opinions!

After abandoning a life of dissipation, the baron settles down - but this version of simple domesticity isn't what he had in mind. Charles Dickens, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.  Welcome to this Vintage Episode of The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.  Two Vintage Episodes are released each week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, so be sure to check your feed regularly. New episodes will be available every Friday. Please help us to keep the Vintage Episodes coming by going to http://classictalesaudiobooks.com, and becoming a supporter. Thank you so much.  Dickens' first serialized novel, The Pickwick Papers, used a significant amount of peripheral short fiction to bulk up the length of the story, or as Dickens said, “make length”. In Nicholas Nickleby, he did it again, inserting a short story in his serialized title. The Baron of Grogswig can be found in Chapter 6.  Considered a “satire of a Gothic tale”, hopefully the charm of Dickens is still shining strong.  And now, The Baron of Grogzwig, by Charles Dickens.  Follow this link to become a monthly supporter:   Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:   Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:   Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:   Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:    Follow this link to follow us on TikTok:      

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 953, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: fantastic tv 1: This story of a leonine hero and his lady love is rerunning on the Family Channel. Beauty and the Beast. 2: On film David Naughton was an American werewolf; on TV Kate Hodge is a she-wolf of this city. London. 3: Though this FOX show based on a 1988 movie about refugees from another planet died, the comic book lives on. Alien Nation. 4: In 1990 these 2 totally awesome teenage time travelers were transported into a CBS cartoon series. Bill and Ted. 5: The voice of Duke Nukem in "Captain Planet", he plays Al on "Quantum Leap". Dean Stockwell. Round 2. Category: weapons of local destruction 1: WWII types of these included the German Panther and Tiger, the Soviet T-34 and the U.S. Sherman. tanks. 2: Pineapple-shaped with a delay of about 4 seconds, the British Mills type of this was used in both World Wars. a hand grenade. 3: This heavy 19th century sheath knife was named for a Texas frontiersman killed at the Alamo. a Bowie knife. 4: If attacked, use this petrified tear gas spray, then the same-named armor-breaking weapon. mace. 5: It's an explosive mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur. gunpowder. Round 3. Category: english literature 1: His works can be classified as "Hobbit" forming. (John) Tolkien. 2: The work that made this philosopher famous was an "Essay Concerning Human Understanding". John Locke. 3: Dickens novel in which Miss Havisham left everything in her house as it was the day she was jilted. Great Expectations. 4: The activities of a certain London club form the basis of this Dickens novel, his first. The Pickwick Papers. 5: This tale published in 1932 is set in the year 632 AF (After Ford). Brave New World. Round 4. Category: judge not 1: A cutting criticism, or a violent closing of a door. Slam. 2: Proverbially, to express contempt, you "thumb" this body part. Nose. 3: As a verb, it's to disparage strongly; as a noun, it's rubbish or garbage. Trash. 4: From the Latin for "to scatter", these calumnious expressions are "cast" on others. Aspersions. 5: From old Norse for "grin scornfully", you may do it over your enemy's misfortunes. Gloat. Round 5. Category: celeb stuff 1: On March 2, 1977 he made his first "Tonight Show" appearance; on May 25, 1992 he took over as host. Jay Leno. 2: People Magazine called his 1997 solo album "Destination Anywhere", "Tres Bon". Jon Bon Jovi. 3: In a 1997 issue of "George", he said his cousins Michael and Joseph were "poster boys for bad behavior". John F. Kennedy, Jr.. 4: Her 1988 major label debut album was "Y Kant Tori Read". Tori Amos. 5: (Hi, I'm Bob Eubanks.) Tea Leoni ran into this "X-Files" star at the Golden Globes and soon they were newlyweds. David Duchovny. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia! Special thanks to https://blog.feedspot.com/trivia_podcasts/

Dominic welcomes the brilliant writer Katie Lumsden back to the podcast. Katie's debut novel The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, published by Penguin's Random House, is now out in the shops (both sides of the Atlantic) and ready to be a part of your summer reading.Katie has also  launched a The Mega Dickens Readalong, where you the listener are all invited to read all of Dickens' novels in chronological order, so in this episode she shares her impressions of  the first five books that have been read by the group so far: Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop  and Barnaby Rudge. Reading excerpts from these first five novels is the wonderful actress, Olivia Mace. Jane Austen's House is the most treasured Austen site in the world! Step back in time and walk the very rooms where Jane Austen lived, wrote and revised her globally beloved novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion ...Situated in the beautiful Hampshire village of Chawton . Visit janeaustens.house to find Support the showIf you like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrardHost: Dominic GerrardSeries Artwork: Léna GibertOriginal Music: Dominic GerrardThank you for listening!

Oliver TwistOliver Twist Full Book Introduction The novel Oliver Twist tells the story of Oliver, an orphan raised in a workhouse. When he cannot take any more abuse, he escapes to London. In London, he is hooked into a den of thieves and undergoes many hardships before getting free with the help of various kind Samaritans. Oliver doesn't know the identity of his father but finally discovers the truth about his birth. The author Charles Dickens created this kind-hearted protagonist whose life is beset with tragedy. In so doing, Dickens won the love and sympathy of countless readers. By telling Oliver's story, Dickens revealed darkness and injustices endemic in English society at the time. Author : Charles DickensCharles Dickens is one of the most celebrated English novelists of the 19th century. During his life, he wrote a total of 15 full-length novels, more than a hundred short stories, dozens of novellas, and numerous essays, travel journals, and plays. He was one of the most prolific writers the world has ever known, creating works in almost every genre apart from poetry. Dickens' novels reflect the social conditions of his times, evoking them in vivid detail. Through his works, Dickens articulated the views and outlooks of his contemporaries and exposed the stark societal conflicts and hypocrisies of his age. Overview | Chapter 1Hi, welcome to Bookey. Today we will unlock the novel Oliver Twist. In England, in 1837, when Victoria came to the throne, it signaled the dawn of the “Victorian era”. It was a period of relative domestic peace with few international conflicts. Tranquility and stability lasted, and in 1851, the Great Exhibition was staged in London, consolidating the achievements of the Queen's reign and establishing England's position as the leading power in the world. Charles Dickens was a rising star on the literary scene at the time. He had established his reputation with the publication of his novel The Pickwick Papers. In that founding year of the Victorian era, 1837, Dickens began writing a serialized novel for the monthly magazine Bentley's Miscellany. The two-year-long series later became his novel Oliver Twist. This book tells the story of an orphan raised in an abusive workhouse who later escapes to London. His name is Oliver Twist. In the city, Oliver chances upon a group of thieves who want to use him as an accomplice. In their company, he suffers many hardships. Finally, good Samaritans come to his aid and rescue him, and Oliver discovers the true circumstances of his birth. In Oliver, Dickens created a tragic but kind-hearted protagonist who won the love and sympathy of countless readers. In telling Oliver's tale, Dickens also reveals the darkness and injustices common in English society at the time, especially when it comes to treating the underclasses. Although Victorian England is remembered today as a powerful state, Dickens' writing presents the era as, in equal parts, good and evil. Under the same sun, the palatial estates of the wealthy sat beside the filthy slums of the poor. At any moment, both the upstanding and the wretched could be on their way up to heaven or on a descent toward the gates of hell. Dickens was born in 1812 in the town of Portsmouth in the southeast of England. There, his father worked as a minor clerk at the Navy Pay Office. In 1823, the family moved to London, but their finances were in dire straits. The entire family of eight adults and children lived in a cramped little shack in Camden, a district in North London. Their situation was so grave that by the start of the following year, Dickens' father was sent to...

Fainting women were a pretty common trope in 19th century literature. I discuss some reasons why Victorian-Era women were likely to faint, but also explore how much of what we know about “fainting culture” might have been myth, and how much was likely reality. ***** References Agnew, Molly Elizabeth. “The Truth About Corsets: Busting the Myths.” https://thevintagewomanmagazine.com/the-truth-about-corsets-busting-the-myths/ Austen, Jane. Love and Freindship. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1212/1212-h/1212-h.htm Dickens, Charles. The Pickwick Papers. https://www.victorianlondon.org/etexts/dickens/pickwick-0012.shtml Goshorn, Kelly. “Swooning, a Victorian Fad?” https://kellygoshorn.com/archives/2018/04/swooning-a-victorian-fad#:~:text=Swooning%20was%20simply%20one%20method%20for%20a%20woman,a%20secret%20affair%20and%20child%2C%20may%20be%20revealed. Lucy. “Corsets and the Victorian Fainting Culture.” https://lucycorsetry.com/2014/09/25/corsets-and-the-victorian-fainting-culture/ Morris, C. “The Myth about Victorian Women You Can Stop Believing.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/the-myth-about-victorian-women-you-can-stop-believing/ar-AAYbNmk Valentish, Jenny. “The corsets are gone, so why are women still fainting?” https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/voices/culture/article/2018/03/22/corsets-are-gone-so-why-are-women-still-fainting Valeris, Monique. “Everything You Need to Know about a Fainting Couch.” https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/interior-designers/a28786604/fainting-couch-history/ Vic. “The Connection Between Vinegar and the Fainting Couch: 19th Century Customs.” https://janeaustensworld.com/2012/03/11/the-connection-between-vinegar-and-the-fainting-couch-19th-century-customs/ Victorian Era. “Fainting Couch In Victorian Era.” https://victorian-era.org/fainting-couch-victorian-era.html Wikipedia. “Fainting Couch.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fainting_couch Wikipedia. “Love and Freindship.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_and_Freindship ***** Email: thevictorianvarietyshow@gmail.com Twitter: twitter.com/victorianvarie1 Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/marisadf13 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thevictorianvarietyshow I'd greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Goodpods, Spotify, Podchaser, Audible, or wherever you listen, as that will help this podcast reach more listeners! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marisa-d96/message

There's an even younger man. He'd only just turned 24 the week before

Adventures of Bindle by Herbert Jenkins audiobook. Jenkins' most popular fictional creation was Mr. Joseph Bindle, who first appeared in a humorous novel in 1916 and in a number of sequels. In the preface to the books, T. P. O'Connor said that "Bindle is the greatest Cockney that has come into being through the medium of literature since Dickens wrote Pickwick Papers". The stories are based on the comedic drama of life at work, at home and all the adventures that take place along the way.

In today's episode we find out what's up with kissing under the mistletoe. ► SOLOFAM MERCH: » https://bit.ly/SoloFamMerch ► Support the series on Patreon! » https://www.patreon.com/JonSolo ► Want more? » ALL Messed Up Origins: https://bit.ly/MessedUpOrgins » Disney Explained: https://bit.ly/DisneyExplained » ALL Mythology Explained: https://bit.ly/MythologyExplained » Norse Mythology: http://bit.ly/NorseMythologyExplained » Folklore Explained: https://bit.ly/FablesExplained » Astrology: http://bit.ly/AstrologyExplained » Messed Up Murders: https://bit.ly/MurderPlaylist ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ► Social Media: » Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonSolo » Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JonSolo » Facebook Fan Page: https://facebook.com/TheRealJonSolo » Official Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/jonsolo ► Join the Official Channel Discord: » https://www.patreon.com/JonSolo ► Send Fan Mail to: » SoloFamMail@gmail.com ► Business: » biz@messeduporigins.com (Business Inquiries ONLY) ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▼ Credits ▼ Researched by: Meredith Walker & Jon Solo Written by: Jon Solo ▼ Resources ▼ » my favorites: https://messeduporigins.com/books » Saturnalia: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/e... » Pliny the Elder's Natural History: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/t... » Summary of The Golden Bough: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/... » Prose Edda (Amazon Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/3pg68XM » Poetic Edda (Amazon Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/3Ee9i2E » Washington Irving's "The Sketch Book": https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2048/... » A Christmas Cornucopia, by Mark Forsyth (Amazon Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/3pbDyqy » Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...

First aired on CBS radio network, in 1938, The Mercury Theater on the Air was an dramatic radio program, created and hosted by Orson Welles. The weekly hour-long show presented classic literary works performed by Welles's celebrated Mercury Theatre repertory company, with music composed or arranged by Bernard Herrmann. GSMC Classics presents some of the greatest classic radio broadcasts, classic novels, dramas, comedies, mysteries, and theatrical presentations from a bygone era. The GSMC Classics collection is the embodiment of the best of the golden age of radio. Let Golden State Media Concepts take you on a ride through the classic age of radio, with this compiled collection of episodes from a wide variety of old programs. ***PLEASE NOTE*** GSMC Podcast Network presents these shows as historical content and have brought them to you unedited. Remember that times have changed and some shows might not reflect the standards of today's politically correct society. The shows do not necessarily reflect the views, standards, or beliefs of Golden State Media Concepts or the GSMC Podcast Network. Our goal is to entertain, educate, and give you a glimpse into the past.

26 September 2022 | Ss. Cosmas and Damian | Menlo Park, Calif. We're four and a half years old, and this is our one hundredth episode! This week, I share some new things I'm trying for better sleep and intentional rest, and some thoughts on the commandment to rest on the Sabbath. Rachel and I discuss the themes of friendship and fatherhood in the Pickwick Papers, including celibate love and the motif of the benevolent bachelor. Finally, we rejoin the Prophet Elijah in the cave and consider what it means to wait for God. Send me a message at inyourembrace.com/contact to let me know you're listening! Please note there will be no new episode next Monday. The podcast will resume the following Monday, Oct 10. Opening music: “The Lord's Prayer,” from the Mass in Honor of Saint Isaac Jogues, composed by Jeff Ostrowski, sung by Corpus Christi Watershed, 2022. All rights reserved. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-your-embrace/message

"His last words were 'Farewell to you all, I am dead, I am happy.'”

"A minute later that vivacious 17-year-old girl collapsed...was dying"

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 29, 2022 is: flummox • FLUM-uks • verb Flummox means "to confuse." // Why the error message kept popping up flummoxed the computer tech. See the entry > Examples: "It was an unfortunate ending for a defense that sputtered early as a bunch of new faces learned to adjust…. The late-season collapse, which included an inability to … consistently pressure the quarterback, flummoxed players and coaches alike." — Jim McBride, The Boston Globe, 11 Mar. 2022 Did you know? No one is completely sure where the word flummox comes from, but Charles Dickens was aware of it and used it in his 1837 novel The Pickwick Papers. It became quite common in both British and American English by the end of the 19th century.

Breaking content into parts that can be sold, distributed and consumed on a schedule isn't a new idea. We see it on television all the time, where we've become accustomed to waiting a week between new episodes of our favorite shows. Fiction has been doing it for even longer, with Charles Dickens often credited with writing the first serialized novel (The Pickwick Papers). But recently, novel serialization has exploded in popularity through a number of companies that began to deliver content in this format and finding huge audiences happy to consume it. The popularity has led to a number of very expensive acquisitions in the space, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, and the entry of a new and very big player in Amazon and their creation of Vella. Author/Publisher/Marketer Sean Zirconia has been publishing in this space for a while, and has experience with a number of the options available. Today he sits down with Fully Booked to take us through who can benefit most from this model, how they earn money, how your books get marketed on them, and even some of the pros and cons of the different platforms available.   Krista Lakes (Sean's wife) https://www.amazon.com/Krista-Lakes/e/B00AW3NJTY   Hidden Gems Need our help publishing or marketing your book? https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/author-services/   All episode details and links: https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/podcast

100多年前就有“粉丝”，原来这些流行语早就在用了！｜Words That Are Much Older Than They SeemFriend, as a verbA common lament in pieces about “kids these days and their social whatsawhozits” is “when did friend become a verb?” The answer is: Sometime in the 1400s, if not earlier. In the earliest examples of the verb friend from the OED, it just means "to make friends." You could go to a place, and friend some people there. It also had the meaning of helping someone out, being a friend to them, e.g., “Reports came that the King would friend Lauderdale,” an example from 1698.当代年轻人的社交活动，让人不禁感慨，“friend（成为好友）什么时候变成动词了？”答案是：不晚于14世纪。Friend做动词的例子最早出现在《牛津英语词典》中，表示“交朋友”。你可以去一个地方，和那里的人交朋友。Friend还有帮助别人，成为朋友的意思，例如1698年的一个例子，“有报道说国王会帮助劳德代尔”。UnfriendIf you could friend someone, it was only natural, according to the productive rules of English word formation, that you could unfriend them, too. The word shows up in this example from 1659: “I Hope, Sir, that we are not mutually un-friended by this difference which hath happened betwixt us.”如果能用friend表示“成为好友”，那么根据英语词汇构成规则，自然也可以用unfriend表示“移除好友”。这个关于unfriend的例子出现在1659年：“先生，我希望我们不会因为已经存在的分歧而绝交。”HangoutHang out has been used as a verb for passing the time since at least the 1830s. In the Pickwick Papers (1837), Charles Dickens wrote: "I say, old boy, where do you hang out?"至少从19世纪30年代起，“hang out（闲逛）”就用作打发时间的动词。查尔斯·狄更斯在《匹克威克外传》（1837）中写道：“我说，老家伙，你在哪里闲逛？”FunkyThe application of funky to music came around the 1930s, but the “strong smell” sense had been around long before that. Since the 1600s, funk was slang for the stale smell of tobacco smoke, and by extension, anything that stank. Cheeses, rooms, and especially ship's quarters could be described as funky.20世纪30年代，人们开始用funky（放克风格的）形容音乐，但早在那之前，funky就表示“强烈的气味”相关的感觉。自17世纪以来，funk作为俚语，指烟草的陈腐气味，并由此引申为任何有臭味的东西。奶酪、房间，尤其是船舱，都可以用funky（恶臭的）来形容。Fanboy and fangirlThe application of fanboy to comics and science fiction had to wait until the '70s, but before that, there were sports fans, and in 1919 the paper in Decatur, Illinois, reported that, “it was a shock to the fan boys when Cincinnati ... beat the Chicago White Sox.” The first citation for fangirl is from 1934: “Mary ... dashed out through the rain so swiftly that only two of the fan-girls caught her.”上世纪70年代，漫画和科幻小说开始拥有“粉丝”，但在此之前已经出现体育粉，1919年，伊利诺伊州迪凯特的报纸报道，“辛辛那提击败芝加哥白袜队时，男粉丝们感到震惊。”1934年，女粉丝（fangirl）第一次被引用：“玛丽……不顾雨水迅速冲了出去，以至于只有两个女粉丝发现了她。”美国新冠感染人数或超1.4亿｜More than 140M COVID-19 infections in the USThe true number of Covid infections in the United States may be double the official figures according to the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.美国疾病控制和预防中心报告称，美国实际新冠感染人数可能是官方公布数字的两倍。After analyzing findings, the CDC said as of Jan 31, 140,018,000 people have been infected in the US.经过分析调查，美疾控中心报告称，截至1月31日，美国已有140018000人感染新冠病毒。This is just under half of the nation's total population, 43 percent, and nearly double the official case count. The total also includes reinfections.这一数字占美国总人口的43%，几乎是官方公布确诊病例数的两倍，其中还包括再感染病例。Severe undercounting of Covid cases has long been expected by health experts, as currently only people that get tested are included in figures.长期以来，卫生专家一直认为新冠病毒感染人数存在严重漏报，因为目前官方数据只包括经过检测的人。There are many people that might know they are sick and likely have Covid, but don't bother to get tested.还有很多人可能知道自己生病了，可能感染了新冠病毒，只是懒得去做检测。Around a third of Covid cases are also asymptomatic, meaning a person could be actively infected and have no idea.大约三分之一的感染者是无症状感染者，这意味着有人可能并未察觉自己感染了新冠病毒。中国空间站今年将全面建成| Tiangong scheduled for completion this yearChina's Tiangong space station is scheduled to be completed before the end of this year and will become a massive spacecraft with a combined weight of nearly 100 metric tons, according to a program leader. Zhou Jianping, chief designer of the nation's manned space program, said the assembly phase of the Tiangong program will begin in May and will involve the launch of two astronaut crews, two space labs and two cargo ships. Zhou made the remarks on Friday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing before the opening of the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The scientist is a member of the CPPCC National Committee, the top political advisory body in China.全国政协委员、中国载人航天工程总设计师周建平3月4日在全国政协十三届五次会议首场“委员通道”上表示，中国空间站今年将全面建成，总质量接近100吨。周建平介绍，从5月起，我国空间站工程将进入建造阶段。今年年内将发射2个空间站实验舱、2艘载人飞船、2艘货运飞船。"We will send six astronauts in the Shenzhou XIV and XV mission crews. The Shenzhou XIV crew will be responsible for monitoring the docking between the Tianhe core module and the two space labs and then configuring the two labs," he said. "The Shenzhou XV crew will fly to the station around year's end to meet their Shenzhou XIV peers and that will be an exciting moment all of us are eager to see."我们今年将再把6名航天员送入中国空间站，神舟十四号乘组在轨期间将迎来两个实验舱的到来。我们的神舟十五号乘组将在今年年底前飞向中国空间站，与神舟十四号乘组"会师"太空，这将是一个非常令我们期待的时刻。lament 英 [ləˈment]; 美 [ləˈment]n.挽歌，悼文；表达哀伤（或痛惜）之情的言辞；抱怨v.对……感到悲痛，对……表示失望；抱怨stale 英 [steɪl]; 美 [steɪl]adj.（食物）不新鲜的，变味的；气味不清新的，难闻的；没有新意的，老掉牙的stank英 [stæŋk]; 美 [stæŋk]n.池塘；水沟；小水坝v.发出恶臭（stink的过去式）undercount 英 [ʌndəˈkaʊnt]; 美 [ˌʌndərˈkaʊnt]v.少计（尤指人口统计数） n.少计（额）asymptomatic英[ˌeɪsɪmptəˈmætɪk];美[ˌeɪsɪmptəˈmætɪk]adj.无症状的configure 英[kənˈfɪɡə(r)];美[kənˈfɪɡjər]v.安装，装配；（计算机）配置，设定

This is the third of our short-story adaptations from Charles Dickens' "The Pickwick Papers" and his first Yuletide supernatural tale.  It tells of Gabriel Grub, a morose, lonely and drunken gravedigger who hates people, particularly during the festive season.  One Christmas Eve, while at work in the graveyard, he encounters a startlingly scary Goblin Queen (and her many subjects), who terrorises and whisks him away to her underworld lair where Grub is shown the true human values of the season.Dickens was to return triumphantly to this theme seven years later with "A Christmas Carol".Remastered version.

I'm a reader. Not only do I love books, I love to read them in an old-school way: my eyes and the book's pages in front of me. But, it occurred to me that the really old-school way of reading books is to be a listener. The truth is, some books just shine when they're read out loud.  David Gardner is the co-founder of The Motley Fool, the organisation that prides itself on the practice of conscious capitalism, a concept that seeks to elevate humanity through business. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/  David reads two pages from ‘The Pickwick Papers' by Charles Dickens. [reading begins at 13:45]  Hear us discuss:  Bringing people together: “State what you stand for, live it, and fight against the things that undermine it.” [21:36] | Counteracting whitewashing. [26:24] | Balancing individual values and playing the bigger game: “The only ethical framework that makes sense is when everybody wins, not win-lose, or lose-win.” [29:12]

Back in London Mr. Pickwick pays Dodson and Fogg, sends Jingle and his servant to the West Indies to begin afresh, and learns that Emily Wardle is planning to elope with Snodgrass. Mr. Pickwick convinces Mr. Wardle that Snodgrass is a worthy gentleman, and the couple are married in Mr. Pickwick's newly purchased home. In the meantime Sam Weller has been courting a pretty housemaid named Mary, and under Mr. Pickwick's auspices they are married.

On returning to London, Mr. Pickwick is taken to the Fleet Prison for debtors because he will not pay damages. In prison he witnesses much misery, filth, and squalor and for a brief time he is victimized by two predatory inmates. There he finds Alfred Jingle and his servant in utter destitution and gives them some assistance. Mr. Pickwick tells Sam Weller to leave him, but Sam has himself jailed for debt to be with his kindly master. Dismayed by the misery of prison, Mr. Pickwick rents a cell by himself and comes out only in the evenings. When Mrs. Bardell is arrested and jailed because she cannot pay her lawyers, Mr. Pickwick begins to soften. Further, Winkle has married Arabella and needs Mr. Pickwick to intercede for them with her brother and his own father. Finally Mr. Pickwick decides to pay costs, which releases himself and Mrs. Bardell, and he also pays Jingle's debts.

Eventually the Pickwickians return to the Wardle farm to celebrate Christmas and the wedding of Mr. Wardle's daughter, Isabella. Amid festivities Snodgrass continues his romance with Emily, and Winkle falls in love with Arabella Allen, a friend of Mr. Wardle's daughters.On Valentine's Day, 1831, Mr. Pickwick is tried for breach of promise. Due to the rhetorical allegations of Serjeant Buzfuz and to the circumstantial evidence, Mr. Pickwick is found guilty and ordered to pay damages, which he refuses to do.

In London, Mr. Pickwick learns that Jingle is in Ipswich and goes there to expose him. Because of a mix-up in bedrooms at an Ipswich Inn Mr. Pickwick is hauled before the justice, a local henpecked tyrant called Mr. Nupkins. Nupkins is visited frequently by Jingle, who is interested in the daughter. Mr. Pickwick extricates himself by proving that Jingle is an adventurer.

In London Mr. Pickwick comes across Sam Weller, a boot cleaner and general handyman whom he takes on as a valet. When Mr. Pickwick tells his widowed landlady, Mrs. Bardell, that he has taken on a servant, she assumes from the ambiguous way he puts it that he intends to marry her. Mrs. Bardell faints in his arms just as Tupman, Snodgrass, and Winkle enter — a compromising circumstance. Mr. Pickwick and his friends go to Eatanswill and are invited to a costume party given by the local literary lioness, Mrs. Leo Hunter, where several varieties of silliness are exhibited. At this party Mr. Pickwick sees Alfred Jingle, whom he pursues to a neighbouring town. Jingle's servant tells Mr. Pickwick that Jingle has designs on a young lady at a boarding school, and Mr. Pickwick decides to prevent the elopement.  

After some mishaps in the cricket match and Mr. Tupman falling in love with Rachael; and Mr. Snodgrass with Emily, Tupman is outsmarted by the vivacious, unscrupulous Jingle, who elopes with Rachael. Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Wardle pursue Jingle and Rachael to London, where, with the help of a lawyer, Mr. Perker, they buy off Jingle and save Rachael Wardle from an unhappy marriage. They continue on by coach to London and there Mr. Pickwick comes across Sam Weller, a boot cleaner and general handyman whom he promised to take on as a valet, subject to approval from his widowed landlady, Mrs Bardell.  

Charles John Huffam Dickens, David Copperfield,The Pickwick Papers, A Tale of Two Cities, Our Mutual Friend, A Christmas CarolCatherine Thomson HogarthEllen TernanWestminster AbbeyUshttp://www.thebibliophiledailypodcast.carrd.cohttps://twitter.com/thebibliodailythebibliophiledailypodcast@gmail.comRoxiehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyAfdi8Qagiiu8uYaop7Qvwhttp://www.chaoticbibliophile.comhttp://instagram.com/chaoticbibliophilehttps://twitter.com/NewAllegroBeat

After the Pickwickians meet to begin their first journey they meet Mr. William Wardle, a country squire who invites them to his estate at Dingley Dell. After some mishaps, Mr. Pickwick and his friends arrive at Mr. Wardle's Manor Farm, where they enjoy card games, flirting, storytelling, hunting, and a cricket match. Mr. Tupman falls in love with Mr. Wardle's spinster sister, Rachael; and Mr. Snodgrass falls in love with his daughter, Emily.

The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - Book 1, Part 5 Title: The Pickwick Papers Overview: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (also known as The Pickwick Papers) was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with Sketches by Boz published in 1836 Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to supply descriptions to explain a series of comic "cockney sporting plates" by illustrator Robert Seymour, and to connect them into a novel. The book became Britain's first real publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books, and other merchandise. On its cultural impact, Nicholas Dames in The Atlantic writes, “Literature” is not a big enough category for Pickwick. It defined its own, a new one that we have learned to call “entertainment.” Published in 19 issues over 20 months, the success of The Pickwick Papers popularised serialized fiction and cliffhanger endings. Seymour's widow claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's, but Dickens strenuously denied any specific input in his preface to the 1867 edition: "Mr. Seymour never originated or suggested an incident, a phrase, or a word, to be found in the book." Published: 1836 List: 100 Classic Book Collection Author: Charles Dickens Genre: Novel, Serial Novel, Social Criticism Novel, Novella, Bildungsroman, Fiction Novel Episode: The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - Book 1, Part 5 Part: 5 of 5 Length Part: 5:22:33 Book: 1 Length Book: 29:27:44 Episodes: 46 - 56 of 56 Narrator: Brad Philippo Language: English Edition: Unabridged Audiobook Keywords: determination, persistence, prison, debt, morality play, perception, discovery Credits: All LibriVox Recordings are in the Public Domain. Wikipedia (c) Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. WOMBO Dream. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/support

The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - Book 1, Part 4 Title: The Pickwick Papers Overview: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (also known as The Pickwick Papers) was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with Sketches by Boz published in 1836 Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to supply descriptions to explain a series of comic "cockney sporting plates" by illustrator Robert Seymour, and to connect them into a novel. The book became Britain's first real publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books, and other merchandise. On its cultural impact, Nicholas Dames in The Atlantic writes, “Literature” is not a big enough category for Pickwick. It defined its own, a new one that we have learned to call “entertainment.” Published in 19 issues over 20 months, the success of The Pickwick Papers popularised serialized fiction and cliffhanger endings. Seymour's widow claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's, but Dickens strenuously denied any specific input in his preface to the 1867 edition: "Mr. Seymour never originated or suggested an incident, a phrase, or a word, to be found in the book." Published: 1836 List: 100 Classic Book Collection Author: Charles Dickens Genre: Novel, Serial Novel, Social Criticism Novel, Novella, Bildungsroman, Fiction Novel Episode: The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - Book 1, Part 4 Part: 4 of 5 Length Part: 5:21:40 Book: 1 Length Book: 29:27:44 Episodes: 35 - 45 of 56 Narrator: Brad Philippo Language: English Edition: Unabridged Audiobook Keywords: determination, persistence, prison, debt, morality play, perception, discovery Credits: All LibriVox Recordings are in the Public Domain. Wikipedia (c) Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. WOMBO Dream. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/support

The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - Book 1, Part 1 Title: The Pickwick Papers Overview: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (also known as The Pickwick Papers) was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with Sketches by Boz published in 1836 Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to supply descriptions to explain a series of comic "cockney sporting plates" by illustrator Robert Seymour, and to connect them into a novel. The book became Britain's first real publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books, and other merchandise. On its cultural impact, Nicholas Dames in The Atlantic writes, “Literature” is not a big enough category for Pickwick. It defined its own, a new one that we have learned to call “entertainment.” Published in 19 issues over 20 months, the success of The Pickwick Papers popularised serialized fiction and cliffhanger endings. Seymour's widow claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's, but Dickens strenuously denied any specific input in his preface to the 1867 edition: "Mr. Seymour never originated or suggested an incident, a phrase, or a word, to be found in the book." Published: 1836 List: 100 Classic Book Collection Author: Charles Dickens Genre: Novel, Serial Novel, Social Criticism Novel, Novella, Bildungsroman, Fiction Novel Episode: The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - Book 1, Part 1 Part: 1 of 5 Length Part: 5:53:52 Book: 1 Length Book: 29:27:44 Episodes: 1 - 12 of 56 Narrator: Brad Philippo Language: English Edition: Unabridged Audiobook Keywords: determination, persistence, prison, debt, morality play, perception, discovery Credits: All LibriVox Recordings are in the Public Domain. Wikipedia (c) Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. WOMBO Dream. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/support

The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - Book 1, Part 2 Title: The Pickwick Papers Overview: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (also known as The Pickwick Papers) was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with Sketches by Boz published in 1836 Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to supply descriptions to explain a series of comic "cockney sporting plates" by illustrator Robert Seymour, and to connect them into a novel. The book became Britain's first real publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books, and other merchandise. On its cultural impact, Nicholas Dames in The Atlantic writes, “Literature” is not a big enough category for Pickwick. It defined its own, a new one that we have learned to call “entertainment.” Published in 19 issues over 20 months, the success of The Pickwick Papers popularised serialized fiction and cliffhanger endings. Seymour's widow claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's, but Dickens strenuously denied any specific input in his preface to the 1867 edition: "Mr. Seymour never originated or suggested an incident, a phrase, or a word, to be found in the book." Published: 1836 List: 100 Classic Book Collection Author: Charles Dickens Genre: Novel, Serial Novel, Social Criticism Novel, Novella, Bildungsroman, Fiction Novel Episode: The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - Book 1, Part 2 Part: 2 of 5 Length Part: 6:16:47 Book: 1 Length Book: 29:27:44 Episodes: 13 - 23 of 56 Narrator: Brad Philippo Language: English Edition: Unabridged Audiobook Keywords: determination, persistence, prison, debt, morality play, perception, discovery Credits: All LibriVox Recordings are in the Public Domain. Wikipedia (c) Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. WOMBO Dream. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/support

The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - Book 1, Part 3 Title: The Pickwick Papers Overview: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (also known as The Pickwick Papers) was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with Sketches by Boz published in 1836 Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to supply descriptions to explain a series of comic "cockney sporting plates" by illustrator Robert Seymour, and to connect them into a novel. The book became Britain's first real publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books, and other merchandise. On its cultural impact, Nicholas Dames in The Atlantic writes, “Literature” is not a big enough category for Pickwick. It defined its own, a new one that we have learned to call “entertainment.” Published in 19 issues over 20 months, the success of The Pickwick Papers popularised serialized fiction and cliffhanger endings. Seymour's widow claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's, but Dickens strenuously denied any specific input in his preface to the 1867 edition: "Mr. Seymour never originated or suggested an incident, a phrase, or a word, to be found in the book." Published: 1836 List: 100 Classic Book Collection Author: Charles Dickens Genre: Novel, Serial Novel, Social Criticism Novel, Novella, Bildungsroman, Fiction Novel Episode: The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - Book 1, Part 3 Part: 3 of 5 Length Part: 6:32:50 Book: 1 Length Book: 29:27:44 Episodes: 24 - 34 of 56 Narrator: Brad Philippo Language: English Edition: Unabridged Audiobook Keywords: determination, persistence, prison, debt, morality play, perception, discovery Credits: All LibriVox Recordings are in the Public Domain. Wikipedia (c) Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. WOMBO Dream. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/free-audiobooks/support

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