Suggest a "Staff Pick" for archive.org

[Kitty]

another thing that comes to mind is the Spanish Inquisition and the persecution, imprisonment and execution of so-called witches.

We have the whole history of the Inquisition in 4 volumes: https://librivox.org/history-of-the-inquisition-of-spain-by-henry-charles-lea/

And we have a play about the Witch of Edmonton, which deals more of the superstition of the people around the woman, and only in the end is the trial: https://librivox.org/the-witch-of-edmonton-by-thomas-dekker/

And of course the Salem Witch trial... this is a historical novel, so not necessarily the real deal: https://librivox.org/the-witch-of-salem-by-john-r-musick/ The crucible is not PD yet unfortunately.

Sonia

[Availle]

Ooooh, witches! My favourite subject.

[Kitty]

on a hunch looking for German keywords, I found some poetry written in jail by Ernst Toller: https://librivox.org/gedichte-der-gefangenen-by-ernst-toller/

Which reminds me of Oscar Wilde...his trial and downfall for his homosexuality, which we have as dramatic reading: https://librivox.org/the-trial-of-oscar-wilde-dramatic-reading-by-anonymous/ and his poem from Reading Jail: https://librivox.org/the-ballad-of-reading-gaol-by-oscar-wilde-jg/

Sonia

[Kitty]

Ooooh, witches! My favourite subject.

yes I thought we probably used those already for Halloween

Sonia

[Availle]

The staff has picked for this month, thank you for your many suggestions! Please have a look at this page for the current pickings. You can also check out our wiki page for a plain vanilla list that contains all the staff picks for this year plus the readers.

For December, to follow the theme of light, let's talk about

Heroes and Heroines

Both fictional and non-fictional heroes/heroines can apply, men, women, kids, animals, plants... okay, the last ones may be a bit difficult. Do we have something on penicillin?

Especially welcome are suggestions of plays and poetry!
And, as always: All languages welcome!

Suggest away!

[mightyfelix]

Ooh! Well, one of my favorite heroes has always been Robin Hood!

https://librivox.org/robin-hood-by-amice-macdonell/

We do, of course, have a number of works about Robin Hood. I picked this one only because I saw that it's a play, but I haven't read or heard it. There are many others to choose from!

[Leni]

Perhaps not exactly what you had in mind, but Pericles is kind of a hero in the Peloponnesian War... https://librivox.org/the-history-of-the-peloponnesian-war-by-thucydides/

I also thought of Orlando and the other knights (and Bradamante!) in Ariosto: https://librivox.org/tales-from-ariosto-by-ludovico-ariosto/

Recent ones in Spanish, we have Sinbad: https://librivox.org/historia-de-simbad-el-marino-by-anonymous/ ... and can Don Juan be considered a hero? https://librivox.org/don-juan-by-jose-zorrilla-y-moral/

[Availle]

Ugh, with all the stuff going on in RL, I completely forgot to post about the staff picks! Well, better late than never, here we go:

The staff has picked for this month, thank you for your suggestions! Please have a look at [https://librivox.org/2021/12/01/the-worlds-heroes-and-heroines/] this page[/url] for the current pickings. You can also check out our wiki page for a plain vanilla list that contains all the staff picks for this year plus the readers.

For January, to embody the hope of something better - in particular, the end of that stupid pandemic... let's go for something uplifting again and jump start 2022 with

Shine a Light

I'd be happy about anything uplifting, encouraging, books where people overcome hardships, the light at the end of the tunnel... Religious themes (any creed) are welcome, but not necessary.

Especially welcome are suggestions of plays and poetry!
And, as always: All languages welcome!

Suggest away!

[jennlea]

The play “Sunshine” might fit the bill:
https://librivox.org/sunshine-by-walter-ben-hare/

It’s really sweet and fun with a good message about overcoming trials.

[Availle]

sounds super funny, thank you!

[schrm]

oh i just saw im too late - im sorry









I was just looking over the covers i made and do think, that some may suit the topic or may be inspiring to find other suggestions:

german:

- Der Aufbruch Ernst Stadler https://librivox.org/der-aufbruch-by-ernst-stadler/
stadler was less pessimistic and more religious than most other expressionists, he developed some sort of love to the surroundings
one of his poems was called "nearing morning", another "cleaning", nother "summer".

- the author stefan zweig comes into mind, when the keyword is "overcoming" troubles, or trying to.
we have many audiobooks of him, maybe this one could be a suggestion worth it. i don't need to describe it:
https://librivox.org/die-liebe-der-erika-ewald-by-stefan-zweig/

- https://librivox.org/kurze-erzaehlungen-christoph-von-schmid/
christian stories for children, each one ending with a moral.

- https://librivox.org/kunterbuntergang-des-abendlandes-by-klabund/
Klabund, satires, grotesques - nice who have heard or read them, you may experience some feelings like having overcome some difficulties.


french:

- Le pédagogue n'aime pas les enfants
Henri Roorda (1870 - 1925)
https://librivox.org/le-pedagogue-naime-pas-les-enfants-by-henri-roorda/
i don't speak french, but the authors work was some sort of overcoming dark ages in the pedagogical teachings, and bringing humor, freedom (well, his father was an anarchist) and light, or even love into the work.


english:

- https://librivox.org/self-control-a-novel-by-mary-brunton/
the writing of the novel was to justify the time lost while writing it.
the aim was to bring back some smilings to the author?

- The White Canoe and Other Verse
https://librivox.org/the-white-canoe-and-other-verse-by-alan-sullivan/
i enjoyed this very much, some very short poems, read in an expressive manner, with some amount of humor and wisdom.
maybe too far away from the topic, though.

- https://librivox.org/reincarnation-study-in-evolution-by-theophile-pascal/
i think, this topc cannot be fullfilling, without some buddhistic, finding inner peace harmony and smiling literature.
this is not the book for that, but a scientific study.

- overcoming difficulties and psychoanalysis are somewhat going hand in hand.
but there are limitations, which siegmund freud has described in his talks.
https://librivox.org/general-introduction-psychoanalysis-by-sigmund-freud/

- https://librivox.org/the-jesus-of-history-by-terrot-r-glover/
a religious inspired book , in which the real jesus was tried to be found and described by comparing the historical settings with possible interpetations.

- https://librivox.org/the-daisy-chain-or-aspirations-by-charlotte-mary-yonge/
it is a dramatic reading, a family saga. from the summary: "a domestic record of home events, large and small, during those years of early life when the character is chiefly formed, and as an endeavour to trace the effects of those aspirations which are a part of every youthful nature."

- as a topic, boyscouts would have an expression of light, i think. associated with that word are "do a good thing at least once a day", camp fires, maybe reading with torches.
we have many books about boyscouts all over the world, i think.
here is one of them: https://librivox.org/boy-scouts-handbook-by-boy-scouts-of-america/

- where does the light shine into the room? through two windows in this case:
https://librivox.org/two-windows-by-kate-seymour-maclean/
> this is a weekly poem, so maybe not suitable or something rather special.

- > another weekly poem deals with lucifer, the one who brought light onto earth and has fallen because of it.
"Soaring through wider zones that pricked his scars
With memory of the old revolt from Awe,
He reached a middle height, and at the stars,
Which are the brain of heaven, he looked, and sank."
(not the ending of the poem)
https://librivox.org/lucifer-in-starlight-by-george-meredith/

- https://librivox.org/a-group-of-famous-women-by-edith-horton/
i know, you didn't enjoy this audio book - but it suits the topic.

- https://librivox.org/the-golden-book-of-the-dutch-navigators-by-hendrik-van-loon/
this is part of the suggestions because of the title, only. topic is more great failures and deaths.

[ToddHW]

Here's another uplifting play by Walter Ben Hare.
https://librivox.org/civil-service-by-walter-ben-hare/

Subtitled "An American Drama in Three Acts. A Play with a Punch." "A comedy drama of American life depicting the joys and sorrows, the heartaches and struggles and temptations of a small group of government employees working in a post office in a small city in the middle west. There is the stern inspector, the officious postmaster, the busybody mail clerk, the ambitious young clerk..., the kind hearted old man who carries the rural route, the raw recruit and the noble hearted, plucky little stamp clerk, who bravely stifles her own feelings and lives for the advancement of her friends."

(You may remember this - you were The Plucky Little Stamp Clerk.)

Thanks, Todd

[ToddHW]

Or, howsabout a Play by a Poet? Children on their own in the country house, strange beings, drama, and (spoiler) - a happy ending.

https://librivox.org/crossings-a-fairy-play-by-walter-de-la-mare/

Under the terms of a will, the Wildersham children have to relocate from the family house in the city to "Crossings" in the country, and to spend the first fortnight alone fending for themselves in the house. The children encounter interesting country neighbors, including ghosts and fairies. Or are they dreaming?

Walter De La Mare was a poet, and we have a number of his poems available at Librivox. This is his only play: "Crossings was produced for the first time in 1919, at the Wick School, Hove, to celebrate the coming of Peace. With the exception of one grown-up, Mr. Sebastian Sprott, its characters were taken by boys aged fourteen, or under."

Thanks, Todd

[Availle]

The staff has picked for this month, thank you for your suggestions! Please have a look at this page for the current pickings. You can also check out our (soon to be set up...) wiki page for a plain vanilla list that contains all the staff picks for this year plus the readers.

Next month is February - did you know that while we're freezing in the north, the Southern Hemisphere is at the height of summer? So, let's go with a theme of...

Antipodes and Opposites

I'd be happy about anything that shows a "it's not what it seems" kinda theme, things that are quite obvious once you think about them, surprises, unexpected topics... and of course: any book from the Southern Hemisphere

Especially welcome are suggestions of plays and poetry!
And, as always: All languages welcome!

Suggest away!

[lightcrystal]

OK, here's a book about the southern hemisphere! Some science fiction: Under the Ocean to the South Pole; Or, the Strange Cruise of the Submarine Wonder, by Roy Rockwood. [1907]
At Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19731