Arts Podcasts
LibriVox Language Learning Collection Vol. 001 by VARIOUSJoin Now to Follow
<p>This collection is part of an initiative to create a language learning resource at LibriVox. The LibriVox Language Learning Collections contain readings from various language learning books, grammars, primers, phrasebooks, dictionaries, readers and even other works which contain information on various languages, recount experiences of language learning and encountering new languages or provide guides for correct pronunciation, writing or discourse in a language. These works could describe English or any other language whatsoever, from Latin to Sumerian, Chinese to Wampanoag, Esperanto to Swahili (etc.).<br><br>This Volume includes a treatise by Sir Arthur Cotton, author of an "Arabic Primer". His daughter, Lady Hope, on page 523 of her biography of her father, writes that he "had very strong theories on the subject of learning “Living Languages,” his opinion being that, as every child who comes into the world learns its mother tongue orally, and at first without grammar… so the learning of all modern languages would be very much facilitated by a similar process." Also included are the orientalist E.G. Browne's opinions on language learning (taken from the introduction to A Year Amongst the Persians), the first lesson from Dr. Emil Otto's "French Conversation-Grammar", a talk by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the need for a universal auxiliary language, Samuel Johnson's "A Grammar of the English Tongue", several sections from Henry Sweet's "First Steps in Anglo-Saxon", Lessons 1 - 5 from "Esperanto in Twenty Lessons", two sections on language by Varro, a story in Latin from "Fabulae Faciles", "Greek Lessons: 1-10", the Phonology Section from a "Primer of Persian" and Lessons 1 - 19 from "A Practical Arabic Course". (Summary by Nicholas James Bridgewater)</p>
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Children of Odin, The by COLUM, PádraicJoin Now to Follow
<p>Master storyteller Padraic Colum's rich, musical voice captures all the magic and majesty of the Norse sagas in his retellings of the adventures of the gods and goddesses who lived in the Northern paradise of Asgard before the dawn of history. Here are the matchless tales of All-Father Odin, who crosses the Rainbow Bridge to walk among men in Midgard and sacrifices his right eye to drink from the Well of Wisdom; of Thor, whose mighty hammer defends Asgard; of Loki, whose mischievous cunning leads him to treachery against the gods; of giants, dragons, dwarfs and Valkyries; and of the terrible last battle that destroyed their world. (Summary from Project Gutenberg)</p>
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Librivox: Poetics by AristotleJoin Now to Follow
Aristotle’s Poetics from the 4th century B.C. aims to give a short study of storytelling. It discusses things like unity of plot, reversal of situation, and character in the context of Greek tragedy, comedy and epic poetry. But it still applies today. It is especially popular with screenwriters as seen in many script gurus’ how-to books. (Summary by Robert Foster)
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Librivox: Wisdom of Father Brown, The by Chesterton, G. K.Join Now to Follow
This is the second of five books of short stories about G. K. Chesterton’s fictional detective, first published in 1914. Father Brown is a short, nondescript Catholic Priest with shapeless clothes and a large umbrella who has an uncanny insight into human evil. His methods, unlike those of his near contemporary Sherlock Holmes, although based on observation of details often unnoticed by others, tended to be intuitive rather than deductive. Although clearly devout, he always emphasizes rationality: despite his religiousness and his belief in God and miracles, he manages to see the perfectly ordinary, natural explanation of the problem. He is a devout, educated and "civilized" clergyman, who is totally familiar with contemporary and secular thought and behavior. His character was thought to be based on Father John O'Connor (1870 - 1952), a parish priest in Bradford, Yorkshire. (Summary by Martin)
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Librivox: Room with a View, A by Forster, E. M.Join Now to Follow
When Lucy Honeychurch travels to Italy with her cousin, she meets George Emerson, a bohemian and an atheist who falls in love with her. Upon her return to England, she is forced to choose between free-spirited George and her more conventional fiancé, Cecil Vyse. The story is both a romance and a critique of English society at the beginning of the 20th century. (Summary from wikipedia)
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Librivox: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Douglass, FrederickJoin Now to Follow
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a memoir and treatise on abolition written by famous orator and ex-slave, Frederick Douglass. It is generally held to be the most famous of a number of narratives written by former slaves during the same period. In factual detail, the text describes the events of his life and is considered to be one of the most influential pieces of literature to fuel the abolitionist movement of the early 19th Century in the United States. (Summary by Jeanette)
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Planet Strappers, The by GALLUN, Raymond Z.Join Now to Follow
<p>The Planet Strappers started out as The Bunch, a group of student-astronauts in the back room of a store in Jarviston, Minnesota. They wanted off Earth, and they begged, borrowed and built what they needed to make it. They got what they wanted--a start on the road to the stars--but no one brought up on Earth could have imagined what was waiting for them Out There! (Summary from the text)</p>
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Tale of Two Cities, A by DICKENS, CharlesJoin Now to Follow
<p>A Tale of Two Cities (1859) is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it is among the most famous works of fiction. The novel depicts the plight of the French peasantry demoralized by the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, the corresponding brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution, and many unflattering social parallels with life in London during the same time period. It follows the lives of several protagonists through these events. The most notable are Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. Darnay is a French once-aristocrat who falls victim to the indiscriminate wrath of the revolution despite his virtuous nature, and Carton is a dissipated British barrister who endeavours to redeem his ill-spent life out of his unrequited love for Darnay's wife, Lucie Manette. (Introduction by Wikipedia)</p>
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Librivox: She by Haggard, H. RiderJoin Now to Follow
At 5 years old Leo Vincey is left in the care of a Cambridge professor by the name of Horace Holly. His father leaves him a strange casket which he is to open on his 25th Birthday. On opening the Casket Leo and Horace discover the strange history of Leo's ancestors. Leo and his adoptive father Horace must travel all the way to Africa in order to uncover the solve his family's strange history. - Written by Lizzie Driver
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Little Women (dramatic reading) by ALCOTT, Louisa MayJoin Now to Follow
<p>Louisa May Alcott's beloved 1868 novel is about the four March girls - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy - who are growing up in Massachusetts during the Civil War. As the novel opens, their father is away at war, and the girls are struggling to be good and to reconcile themselves to their relative poverty. Each has her trials to deal with, and they are encouraged by their loving mother, and by their friendship with their neighbor, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence.</p><strong>Cast:</strong><br><p>Narrator/Jo: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1259">Elizabeth Klett</a><br>Meg: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3536">Arielle Lipshaw</a><br>Beth: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1649">Kalynda</a><br>Amy/Parrot: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/103">Karen Savage</a><br>Marmee: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/19">Kara Shallenberg</a><br>Mr. March: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3699">Bruce Pirie</a><br>Hannah: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3645">MaryAnn</a><br>Mrs. Hummel/Hummel Children/Lotty: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3885">Elli</a><br>Girl/Child/Tina/Daisy/Maid: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5748">Lavinia</a><br>Laurie: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1492">mb</a><br>Aunt March: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4744">Amy Gramour</a><br>Old Man/Dr. Bangs: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5717">Phil Chenevert</a><br>Mr. Laurence: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/2911">David Lawrence</a><br>Mr. Davis/Shopman/Young Man #2/Clerk: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/2990">Tom Crawford</a><br>Annie/May Chester: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5952">sherlock85</a><br>Clara/Miss Lamb/Kitty: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5480">ESFJ Girl</a><br>Mr. Lamb/Mr. Dashwood: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/26">Denny Sayers</a><br>Mrs. Moffat/Aunt Carrol/Old Lady/Mrs. Chester: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4706">Sally Mc</a><br>Major Lincoln/Tudor: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/21">Henry Frigon</a><br>Belle/Second Girl/Minnie: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4323">BookAngel7</a><br>Nan/Mrs. Kirke: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5265">Susanna</a><br>Sallie Gardiner Moffat: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4964">rashada</a><br>Hortense/Esther: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3698">Nadine Eckert-Boulet</a><br>Fred Vaughan: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5791">John Croudy</a><br>John Brooke: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6037">Peter Bishop</a><br>Kate Vaughan: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5375">BumbleVee</a><br>Ned Moffat/Parker/Young Man #1: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5907">coolkid2219</a><br>Frank Vaughan: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5719">John Fricker</a><br>Boy/Demi: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5101">E. Lee</a><br>Professor Bhaer: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/252">Rainer</a><br><br><strong>Audio edited by:</strong> Elizabeth Klett<br></p>
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