Audio Literature Odyssey

Lord Arthur Savile's Crime by Oscar Wilde

podcast@nikolledoolin.com (Nikolle Doolin) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0500

During a reception hosted by Lady Windermere, Lord Arthur Savile has his palm read by the chiromantist Mr. Podgers who sees a most alarming future. Lord Arthur is destined to commit murder, according to the odd little man. This news provokes a crisis for Lord Arthur who feels the weight of the world upon his shoulders. He wants to forget all about it, but this would be the easy way out. No, it is his duty to fulfill his destiny and to make this heroic sacrifice for his fiancee Sybil Merton before their marriage, so that no wrongdoing will sully their union. Thus, Lord Arthur is determined to lend destiny a hand.

Six Sonnets by Various Authors

podcast@nikolledoolin.com (Nikolle Doolin) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:00:00 -0500

This episode contains sonnets by Sir Thomas Wyatt, Henry Howard, Edmund Spenser, William Shakespeare, John Donne, and Percy Bysshe Shelley.

The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson

podcast@nikolledoolin.com (Nikolle Doolin) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0400

The Lady of Shalott borrows from the Arthurian legend and is a poem about a woman who is isolated in a tower with a curse hanging over her. She cannot venture outside into the world to be with others. What is worse, she cannot even look directly outside. She sits at her loom weaving daily and looks at shadows of the world cast in a mirror. She envies the freedom of others and grows sick of her limitations. When Sir Lancelot appears, she spies a gallant knight and dares to look outside. The curse is set in motion as she races toward Camelot in a boat. Yet, the Lady of Shalott cannot escape her doom.

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

podcast@nikolledoolin.com (Nikolle Doolin) — Thu, 8 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0400

Set in Italy during the carnival season, The Cask of Amontillado delves into the mind of a diabolical man bent on revenge. Montressor narrates the horrifying tale, which alerts the reader to impending doom for the buffoon Fortunato, who has reportedly inflicted a thousand injuries upon Montressor. Yet, the unwitting Fortunato is easily lured to his demise with an appeal to his vanity. He is asked to authenticate the Amontillado, which Montressor has stored in the catacombs of his palazzo. With each step, the tale's suspense grows, until at last, the shocking retribution has been exacted.