Arts Podcasts

Librivox: New Discoveries at Jamestown by Cotter, John L. show

Librivox: New Discoveries at Jamestown by Cotter, John L.Join Now to Follow

Chances are, you are reading this because you are aware that Jamestown, Virginia, celebrated its 400th birthday in 2007. It was the first "successful" English settlement in America. Although the colonists eventually moved upriver to be quit of the hard luck and difficult conditions on the small island, they left behind a trove of possessions - used, worn out, or forgotten. Did you ever stop to consider just how many different items you have, need, or use, to live, work, and amuse yourself? Chances are that you would seriously underestimate! But once you put such a list together, another person could tell quite a story about the life you lead. The puzzle of archeology is how to tell that story, just from the discovery of the traces you leave behind. Literally hundreds of thousands of artifacts have been recovered from this pioneering community during three major efforts (1903, the 1950's, and 1994-present) to reconstruct how Europeans of the early 17th century managed to transplant themselves to a wild and hostile land. The authors, writing for the National Park Service in 1956, relate a fascinating tale of the colonists' resources, their possessions, and their manufactures. They relate documentary evidence from England, Virginia, and elsewhere, and then match it up with items found on the site. Think about packing for a trip to a new world, where you will spend the rest of your life. There are no shops, no regular supply deliveries. You will build your own home. Food is strictly grown or caught on your own. The local folks (Indians) may be (and were, at some times!) hostile to your presence. You will depend on only a few dozen other people to help you with the things you don't know how to do, and they will depend on you. How do you prepare? What do you take? This is that story. For an easy-to-understand history of Jamestown, have a look at this site: http://www.tobacco.org/History/Jamestown.html To help you visualize Jamestown, and especially the area of the original three-sided fort, I highly recommend this site: http://www.apva.org/finding/index.html

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Librivox: My Madonna by Service, Robert W. show

Librivox: My Madonna by Service, Robert W.Join Now to Follow

LibriVox volunteers bring you 21 different recordings of My Madonna by Robert W. Service. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of August 12th, 2007.

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Librivox: Portrait of a Lady, The - Vol 1 by James, Henry show

Librivox: Portrait of a Lady, The - Vol 1 by James, HenryJoin Now to Follow

The Portrait of a Lady is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly and Macmillan's Magazine in 1880-1881 and then as a book in 1881. It is the story of a spirited young American woman, Isabel Archer, who "affronts her destiny" and finds it overwhelming. She inherits a large amount of money and subsequently becomes the victim of Machiavellian scheming by two American expatriates. Like many of James's novels, it is set mostly in Europe, notably England and Italy. Generally regarded as the masterpiece of his early phase of writing, this novel reflects James's absorbing interest in the differences between the New World and the Old. It also treats in a profound way the themes of personal freedom, responsibility, betrayal, and sexuality. (Summary from Wikipedia)

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Librivox: Return of Sherlock Holmes, The by Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir show

Librivox: Return of Sherlock Holmes, The by Doyle, Arthur Conan, SirJoin Now to Follow

Having left Sherlock Holmes apparently deceased at the conclusion of The Final Problem (in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes), we now find that he is alive after all! In this collection, first published in 1905, the great detective causes Watson to faint (The Empty House), demonstrates that cryptography is elementary (The Dancing Men), and gets engaged (Charles Augustus Milverton). Join in the fun as Holmes deduces his way through these thirteen adventures. (summary by Laurie Anne Walden)

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Librivox: Three Great Virtues - Three Essays by Emerson, The by Emerson, Ralph Waldo show

Librivox: Three Great Virtues - Three Essays by Emerson, The by Emerson, Ralph WaldoJoin Now to Follow

Faith Hope and Charity ...... In the Language of Emerson these translate as: Self - Reliance, Love, and Friendship. (summary by Robert Scott)

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Librivox: Favole di Jean de La Fontaine: Libro 04 by La Fontaine, Jean de show

Librivox: Favole di Jean de La Fontaine: Libro 04 by La Fontaine, Jean deJoin Now to Follow

Nei 12 volumi delle "Favole" (1669 - 1693) Jean de La Fontaine rinnovò la tradizione esopica, rappresentando la commedia umana. Quest'opera dimostrò il suo amore per la vita rurale e attraverso animali simbolici ironizzò sulla vita della società dell'epoca. In the 12 volumes/books of "Favole" (1669 - 1693) Jean de La Fontaine renewed Aesop's tradition, representing the human comedy. This demonstrated his love for country life and by symbolic animals he ironized about his current years society's life. (Summary by Paolo Fedi)

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Librivox: Selected Poems of John Clare, Volume 2 by Clare, John show

Librivox: Selected Poems of John Clare, Volume 2 by Clare, JohnJoin Now to Follow

John Clare (1793 - 1864) was a farm labourer in the village of Helpstone, Northamptonshire, who became arguably England's greatest nature poet. He rose to fame when his 'Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery' was published in 1820. His language preserves many local dialect words in a mixture of classical forms and heart-felt love of country life and nature. This volume comprises fifteen of his bird poems. (Summary by David Barnes).

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Librivox: Fables de La Fontaine, livre 05 by La Fontaine, Jean de show

Librivox: Fables de La Fontaine, livre 05 by La Fontaine, Jean deJoin Now to Follow

En mettant en scène les animaux, Jean de La Fontaine met en lumière les travers, les fourberies, l'orgueil, l'envie, les désirs, bref les qualités et les caractéristiques sociales des hommes. Chacune des 21 fables qui composent ce cinquième livre des fables de l'auteur ne manquent pas de mordre dans cette nature humaine qui nous définit. (De Jean LAMBERT)

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Librivox: Bible (ASV) NT 20: James by American Standard Version show

Librivox: Bible (ASV) NT 20: James by American Standard VersionJoin Now to Follow

The Epistle of James is a book in the Christian New Testament. The author identifies himself as James (James 1:1), traditionally understood as James the Just, the brother of Jesus, first of the Seventy Disciples and first Bishop of Jerusalem. With no overriding theme, the text condemns various sins and calls on Christians to be patient while awaiting the imminent Second Coming. The epistle has caused controversy: Protestant reformer Martin Luther argued that it was not the work of an apostle. Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Mormonism claim it contradicts Luther's doctrine of justification through faith alone (Sola fide) derived from his translation of Romans 3:28. The Christian debate over Justification is still unsettled, see also Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and Christian view of the Law. (Summary from Wikipedia)

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Librivox: Selection from The Temple by Herbert, George show

Librivox: Selection from The Temple by Herbert, GeorgeJoin Now to Follow

George Herbert (April 3, 1593 – March 1, 1633) was a Welsh poet, orator and a priest. Throughout his life he wrote religious poems characterized by a precision of language, a metrical versatility, and an ingenious use of imagery or conceits that was favored by the metaphysical school of poets. He is best remembered as a writer of poems and hymns such as "Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life" and "The King of Love My Shepherd Is." (Summary from Wikipedia)

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