Suggest a "Staff Pick" for archive.org

[MaryAnnSpiegel]

Well, about cinderella, hard to summarize, but here's a shot at it from memory (I read the narrator part):

A policeman is suspicious of someone trying to bomb the royal family during WWII - German spies are everywhere. Someone raises questions about a young girl, who seems to be stealing things and talking about going to a ball at the royal palace, except she would never go to a ball, because she is too poor. So the policeman interviews her employer, who unintentionally raises further concerns about her, then the police man interviews her, or something, and she says something about going tot he ball, so his suspicions are confirmed. He follows her home, only to find that she is housing a couple of orphans and has been telling them stories to make them happy, leading them to think that she is Cinderella and that she will be going to the ball. The policeman plays along with the ruse to keep the children happy. The policeman leaves, and somehow Cinderella ends up outside (I can't remember how), but she dreams of going to the ball and it seems so real, and amazingly, the prince looks like the policeman . . . when the policeman comes back and finds her half frozen on the doorstep. He takes her to his sister/doctor outside of town to recuperate. Turns out she is sick and will die. But before she dies, the policeman marries her. So, she finds her prince afterall.

What you can't tell from that summary is that it is a touching story and not at all what one expects.

MaryAnn

[annise]

WWI ?

[Availle]

Well, about cinderella, hard to summarize, but here's a shot at it from memory (I read the narrator part):

Thank you! (although it's probably WWI as Anne said)

And why is there nothing remotely like this to be found on the catalog page?

[ToddHW]

There is nothing like the write-up above on the catalog page I wrote becuz of all the spoilers given above. It is a truly wonderful story but much of the impact comes from the mystery and pathos in it as it unfolds. I happen to think the ending is more ambiguous and hopeful than the bleak ending given in the synopsis above.

Howsabout "In Barrie's 1916 play, Cinderella is a poor young cleaning lady who creates her own fantasy world based on the familiar fairy tale during the dark days of WW1. Fairy Godmother, The Ball, Glass Slippers, a Handsome Prince - but also English society and attitudes in great turmoil"

Thanks, Todd

[Availle]

Todd, I'm not touching other BC's summaries... (but your new suggestion is very good! )

I'm simply saying that a book with a synopsis that gives me something to enticingly write about is more likely to be staff picked than any other.

[linny]

I listened to A Kiss for Cinderella story of WWI which I agree was enjoyable and nice and at 2.5 hours it's very achievable and perfect for commuting. A great representation of our DRs. I won't duplicate the story line since it has been well described above. https://librivox.org/a-kiss-for-cinderella-by-j-m-barrie/ I sum it up as; This was a fun, short DR. Sweet, sad, and funny all rolled together.

I also listened to He Fell in Love with his Wife recommended by Tricia. https://librivox.org/he-fell-in-love-with-his-wife-by-edward-p-roe/ Catalog description on this book is great. At 10.5 hours this was a challenge for me to get though. I tend to listen at night and I ended up falling asleep to it a number of times because I just couldn't turn it off but couldn't stay awake any longer either. I was lost a bit in the beginning and thought there may have been a mix up with the chapters. There were 2 split stories with each of the main characters before they finally met and we had a single story. To me this is more of a love story than Cinderella. The husband, James Holcroft, is a widower and a dairy farmer. After losing his wife, he is in desperate need of help. After having a terrible experience with hired house help, James heads to a friend, the head of the local poor house, to help him write up an ad in order to sell off most of his livestock.

Days before James' arrival, Alida Ostrom, had found her way to the poorhouse after her mother's death and discovering that the man who had married her was already married to another.

As a business arrangement, James and Alida marry. Over time, Alida's Christian ways begin to "take the edge" off of James' hard and rough ways. They grow into great friends and over time and experiences find that they are approaching love. Their self doubt of how the other would feel if they discovered they were in love is enduring. They must first overcome the meddlesome behavior of others before they can finally admit to one another that love exists for both.

Next up: Love Among the Chickens https://librivox.org/love-among-the-chickens-by-p-g-wodehouse The title is intriguing and the duration falls between the two above. It's also a solo so might be a nice selection for those listeners preferring that option. Unfortunately, as the author died in 1975, it wouldn't be PD for all. I'll let you know how it goes.

[smike]

I loved 'He fell in love with his wife'. It was one of my first recordings that wasn't a poem.

ETA: it's a group recording, not a solo

[Availle]

The staff has picked for February - thanks for your suggestions. Please have a look at this page for the current list. You can also check out our wiki page for a plain vanilla list that contains all the staff picks for this year.

The theme for next month will be

The LGBTQ Community

I am happy about all suggestions concerning books we have that deal with LGBTQ issues or authors that were - either openly or suspectedly - LBGTQ. I know we probably don't have many entries in our catalog, but we should be able to make it 10 picks, no?

Especially welcome are suggestions of plays and poetry.
(And no, Wilde's Importance of Being Earnest is out since it had been chosen before).

Thanks for your help!

[Carolin]

This one is obvious huh https://librivox.org/lavender-lit-101-by-various/

But for poetry your perfect match is radclyffe hall https://librivox.org/twixt-earth-and-stars-by-radclyffe-hall/

[Availle]

[Newgatenovelist]

Michael Field, the pen name of an aunt and niece who wrote together and who were for a time a couple:
https://librivox.org/author/9975

Fair warning: several of these are mine from when I was trying to get more Field into the catalogue, but there are a couple of weekly poetry projects that offer a more diverse range of voices. Are weekly and fortnightly poetry projects accepted?

Erin

[Availle]

Thanks for your suggestion Erin - selfnominations are perfectly fine here!

I prefer to have a full work by an author, mostly because linking to a single poem in some collection or other is difficult (also: what if the poem has been read by many people?) but also because I like to introduce a work that is larger than a couple of minutes...

You are always welcome to read a whole book or collection of theirs though. It shouldn't take more than a month, no?

[Lynnet]

Maybe this is the time for I, Mary MacLane https://librivox.org/i-mary-maclane-by-mary-maclane/ ? I suggested it a couple of months ago for another topic, but it didn't make the cut. Mary was openly bisexual.

[Availle]

Thanks Lynne!

You probably know now why she didn't make the cut then

[MARTIN GEESON]

Hi

I've made a point of recording as much LGBTQ-related material as I could find within the pre-1923 remit. Inevitably it means shamelessly nominating projects of my own:

Edward II
https://librivox.org/edward-ii-by-christopher-marlowe/

The Awakening of Spring
https://librivox.org/the-awakening-of-spring-by-frank-wedekind/

Oscar Wilde: Art and Morality
https://librivox.org/oscar-wilde-art-and-morality-edited-by-stuart-mason/

Oscar Wilde: His Life and Confessions
https://librivox.org/oscar-wilde-his-life-and-confessions-by-frank-harris/

A Problem in Modern Ethics
https://librivox.org/a-problem-in-modern-ethics-by-john-addington-symonds/

The Greek View of Life
https://librivox.org/the-greek-view-of-life-by-goldsworthy-lowes-dickinson/

(There are several poems as well, but these are contained within Short Poetry Collections.)

All the best
Martin