Steve Reads Stories

Little Red Cap [Folk Tale]

On tonight's podcast, we'll be looking at Little Red Cap, the most well known variant of Little Red Riding Hood story, brought to us by the brother's Grimm. 

This version was published in 1857, in the first volume of "Fairy tales collected by the brothers Grimm," and is actually two stories in one. The more familar half, involving baked goods, huntsmen and grandmothers was initially sourced from  Jeanette Hassenpflug. The second half, which proves that the woods are no place to send a child, was sourced from Jeanette's older sister Marie.

The Hassenpflug family, whose name I'm likely butchering, was a rich source of material for the Grimms. It's thanks to them that we have Sleeping Beauty, Clever Hans, Rumpelstiltskin and many others. 

Interestingly, while we are most familar with the Grimm's version of this tale, it's Charles Perrault's title, "Little Red Riding Hood" that survives until today. In his variant, the heroine in the Red Hood dies at the claws of the evil wolf -- which is a bit of a downer. But, the image of a Red Hood is a lot stronger than a red cap, which might explain the mis-match. 

I think the thing I love the most about this story is that the happy ending is predicated entirely on a society where Hunters can walk into old ladies homes because they're snoring too loudly.   

Something to keep in mind as you listen.

I hope you enjoy.

Background music provided by: https://soundcloud.com/michel-escaillas/classik-electro

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-reads-stories/id1087197185

Follow us on Twitter @StoriesCast

Elvis Presley to President Richard Nixon [Letter]

On tonight's podcast, we'll be looking at a letter written in 1970 by Elvis Presley to President Richard Nixon.

This is a odd little note. In it, Elvis has decided to ask the president to make him a federal agent. Why exactly this seemed like a good idea, it's difficult to tell, but Elvis seemed to think it was urgent enough to ask Nixon to meet him in a hotel room later that weekend.

The King was about 35 when he wrote this, and was right in the middle of his comeback. Amazingly, he managed to secure a meeting with President, though he never did get those credentials. Nixon thought he would be better off keeping his "credibility" with kids.

Strange times.

I hope you enjoy.

Background music provided by: https://soundcloud.com/michel-escaillas/classik-electro

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-reads-stories/id1087197185

Follow us on Twitter @StoriesCast

Making a Deal [Short Story]

On tonight's podcast, I'll be looking at Making A Deal, the third piece I wrote in January as a part of my Year of Stories project. 

Growing up, some of my favorite fiction involved people making deals -- really bad deals -- with devils and demons and genies and occasionally, other people. My favorite part of those stories was always the turn, the moment the deal went sour and the hero had to scrap and claw his way against the inevitable. 

I was a fun kid. 

As I grew older, I started to wonder the same thing about deal stories that I did when I watched someone in a horror movie run up the stairs instead of out the front door -- I wondered if films or books didn't exist in their universe, and if they did, why hadn't anyone ever written about this before?

Just as importantly, I couldn't figure out why creatures with near unlimited power, would waste their time messing with hapless protagonists. 

Making A Deal is my small effort to address these issues. 

It's a story about bars, greed, and a magic man named Lloyd. 

 

I hope you enjoy. 

Background music provided by: https://soundcloud.com/michel-escaillas/classik-electro

Additional Sounds by: Caroline Ford

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-reads-stories/id1087197185

Follow us on Twitter @StoriesCast

The Blue Light [Grimm Fairy Tale]

On tonight's podcast, we'll be looking at The Blue Light, a German folk tale brought to us by the masters of the medium, the brothers Grimm.

This version of the story comes from Children's and Household Tales, 7th Edition, published in 1857. It's an Aarne-Thompson type 562 folk tale, which means it derives many of it's features, and it's basic structure from a story you might recognize -- Aladdin and his magic lamp.

This version tells of a soldier, who after being slighted by his King and trusting in the hospitality of a witch, comes into contact with a Black Dwarf -- who changes his life for the more interesting.

The Dwarf is almost a story in and of itself. The original template comes to us from Norse Mythology. These Dwarves had pale skin, dark hair and were more closely related to Vampires than the jolly, bearded folks we've grown to love. They were even allergic to sunlight. One Dwarf in particular, Alviss, tried to claim the hand of Thor's daughter, but waited a bit too long and was turned to stone for his troubles.

As for the concept of "Black Dwarves," the Norse liked to use the words for Dark Elves, Black Elves and Dwarves fairly interchangeably, which has lead some scholars to wonder whether they were all the same creature.

This particular story doesn't answer that question, but it does try to teach us the value of wells, riches, revenge a single ducet.

I hope you enjoy.

Background music provided by: https://soundcloud.com/michel-escaillas/classik-electro

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-reads-stories/id1087197185

Follow us on Twitter @StoriesCast

Marlon Brando to Airplane Stewardess [Letter]

On tonight's podcast, we'll be looking at a letter written in 1966 from Marlon Brando to an Airplane Stewardess.

What you have to remember is that Brando was about 42 when he wrote this, and still six years away from The Godfather. While he was still a huge star, this was right in the middle of a pretty difficult period in his life. Almost every movie he released in this era flopped both critically and at the box office, and most people who study the man agree that he was working more for the paycheck more than for the art. It's also interesting to note that he was still married to his third wife, Tahitian actress Tarita Teriipaia.

All that being said, it's impossible to know exactly what he was trying to accomplish with this note, but it's fun to guess.

I hope you enjoy.

Background music by: https://soundcloud.com/michel-escaillas/classik-electro

Additional sounds by: Mike Koenig

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-reads-stories/id1087197185

Follow us on Twitter @StoriesCast

I'm Not A Hero [Short Story]

On tonight's podcast, I'll be looking at I'm Not A Hero, the second thing I wrote in January.

Before I started this project, which increasingly seems like a year-long flirtation with insanity, I had probably written three pieces of so called "literary fiction" in my life.

When I write, I prefer my worlds to be filled with magic and demons and whizz bang sci-fi lasers, you know, the important stuff; I like to leave the all too frequent tragedies of being a human being to the nightly news.

As it turns out, on that evening in January and many others since, my inspiration had other ideas. That's one of my favorite things about writing, the best laid plans have this way of dying by the first period.

I'm Not A Hero is a story about bravery, confessions, and the better angels of demons.

I hope you enjoy.

Background music provided by: https://soundcloud.com/michel-escaillas/classik-electro

Additional sounds: Mike Koenig

The Legend of Knockgrafton [Irish Folk Tale]

On tonight's podcast, we'll be looking at The Legend of Knockgrafton, an Irish fairy tale...quite literally this time. 

This version of the story comes from an 1894 retelling by Joseph Jacobs, found in the book, More Celtic Fairy Tales. 

It's the legend of a kind and gentle man named Lusmore, who was born with a deformity. One day, he finds himself consorting with a troupe of fae folk out by the castle of Knockgrafton. 

Don't worry, Lusmore manages to make it out alright, but that's not hardly the end.

 

It's a story of patience, virtue, music and the mischief of fairies. 

Background music provided by: https://soundcloud.com/michel-escaillas/classik-electro

Beethoven to his Immortal Beloved, Part Two [Letter]

On tonight's podcast, we'll be looking at the second part of the letter Ludwig Von Beethoven wrote to his lover in 1812. Background music provided by: https://soundcloud.com/michel-escaillas/classik-electro

Partly Cloudy [Short Story]

On tonight's podcast, we'll be looking at Partly Cloudy, a contemporary fantasy piece I wrote at the beginning of the year. Background music provided by: https://soundcloud.com/michel-escaillas/classik-electro

The Dark Daughter Of The Norse King [Scottish Folk Tale]

On tonight's podcast, we'll be looking at The Dark Daughter of the Norse King, a folk tale that comes to us straight from the Scottish Isles. Background music provided by: https://soundcloud.com/michel-escaillas/classik-electro