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CraftLit — Arts
CraftLit

CraftLit — Annotated Audiobooks for Busy People

Love classic literature…or wish you did?

CraftLit is a weekly podcast featuring classic audiobook chapters paired with entertaining literary commentary that makes great books easier—and more fun—to understand. Host Heather Ordover explains historical references, vocabulary, and cultural context before each chapter so listeners can fully enjoy the story.

Think of it as a global book club for classic literature, perfect for listening while commuting, crafting, walking, or doing chores.

CraftLit has been in continuous weekly production since 2006, making it one of the longest-running literature podcasts. Listeners also send in voicemail comments that keep the show feeling like a lively reading group.

Authors featured include:

• Jane Austen
• Mark Twain
• Elizabeth Gaskell
• Mary Shelley
• Wilkie Collins
• Alexandre Dumas
• Robert Louis Stevenson

Recent and current readings include Mark Twain’s Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc and Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford.

Classic audiobooks—because loving great books in a busy world is tough.

Copyright: © (c) 2006-2019 Heather Ordover

Latest Episodes:

Tenth Day of CraftLit (2016) Dec 23, 2021

Show notes

Originally released December 23rd, 2016.

All of CraftLit's Christmas episodes can be found at craftlit.com/all-the-christmas/

Christmas at Red Butte

By: Lucy Maud Montgomery - https://librivox.org/author/75
From: https://librivox.org/fireside-christmas-short-stories/
eText: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24878
Read by: Lynne Thompson - https://librivox.org/reader/7756

A Christmas Surprise at Enderly Road

By: Lucy Maud Montgomery - https://librivox.org/author/75
From: https://librivox.org/lucy-maud-montgomery-short-stories-1905-1906-by-lucy-maud-montgomery/
eText: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/24876/24876-h/24876-h.htm#Enderly_Road
Read by: Read by Jedopi - https://librivox.org/reader/4936

The First Noel (c. 1823)

Traditional English - https://librivox.org/author/8102
From: https://librivox.org/christmas-carol-collection-2006/
eText: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_Noel
Sung by: Claire Goget - https://librivox.org/reader/125

CraftLit Podcast • Annotated Audiobooks | Audiobooks with Benefits

CraftLit.com

Twitter: @CraftLit.com

Library: CraftLit.com/library

Facebook: Facebook.com/craftlit

Voicemail line: +1-206-350-1642

NEW! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Craftlit-channel

Ninth Day of CraftLit (2016) Dec 22, 2021

Show notes

Originally released December 22nd, 2016.

All of CraftLit's Christmas episodes can be found at craftlit.com/all-the-christmas/

A Christmas Inspiration

By: Lucy Maud Montgomery - https://librivox.org/author/75
From: https://librivox.org/lucy-maud-montgomery-short-stories-1896-to-1901-by-lucy-maud-montgomery/
eText: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/24873/24873-h/24873-h.htm#A_Christmas_Inspiration
Read by: Darcia Douglass - https://librivox.org/reader/4990

A Christmas Mistake

By: Lucy Maud Montgomery - https://librivox.org/author/75
From: https://librivox.org/lucy-maud-montgomery-short-stories-1896-to-1901-by-lucy-maud-montgomery/
eText: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/24873/24873-h/24873-h.htm#A_Christmas_Mistake
Read by: TriciaG - https://librivox.org/reader/3157

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

By: Edmund Hamilton Sears (1875) - https://librivox.org/author/206
From: https://librivox.org/christmas-carol-collection-2009/
eText: http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/it_came_upon_the_midnight_clear.htm
Sung by: Kristin Hughes - https://librivox.org/reader/28

CraftLit Podcast • Annotated Audiobooks | Audiobooks with Benefits CraftLit.com Twitter: @CraftLit.com Library: CraftLit.com/library Facebook: Facebook.com/craftlit Voicemail line: +1-206-350-1642

NEW! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Craftlit-channel

Eighth Day of CraftLit (2016) Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

Originally released December 21st, 2016.

All of CraftLit's Christmas episodes can be found at craftlit.com/all-the-christmas/

A Conscience Pudding (1904)

By: Edith Nesbit - https://librivox.org/author/24
From: https://librivox.org/christmas-short-works-collection-2007/
eText: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/nesbit/new/new.html
Read by: Cori Samuel - https://librivox.org/reader/92

Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming

By: Michael Praetorius (1571 - 1621) - https://librivox.org/author/3505
From: https://librivox.org/christmas-carol-collection-2009/
eText: http://www.cantatedomino.org/cd/index.shtml?79.txt
Sung by: Mark F. Smith - https://librivox.org/reader/204 & Laurie Anne Walden - https://librivox.org/reader/1066

Fiona Shaw (Medea) and the showâ€™s director (the FABULOUS) Deborah Warner on a theater chat show:

And the whole show as a BBC Radio 3 production:

BBC recipe for Christmas Pudding: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1159/classic-christmas-pudding (share your fave recipe below!)

And a version with step-by-step pictures: http://goodfoodshared.blogspot.com/2011/09/traditional-christmas-pudding.html

And the American version, a Claxton Georgia Fruit Cake: https://www.claxtonfruitcake.com

CraftLit Podcast â€¢ Annotated Audiobooks | Audiobooks with Benefits CraftLit.com Twitter: @CraftLit.com Library: CraftLit.com/library Facebook: Facebook.com/craftlit Voicemail line: +1-206-350-1642

NEW! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Craftlit-channel

Seventh Day of CraftLit (2016) Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

Originally released December 20th, 2016.

All of CraftLit's Christmas episodes can be found at craftlit.com/all-the-christmas/

The Eve of St. Nicholas

By: Elizabeth M. Laws Hibberd / Faith Wynne (1836 - c. 1930) - https://librivox.org/author/10096
From: https://librivox.org/fireside-christmas-short-stories/
eText: What the Little Bird Told the Christmas Tree (1913) http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009926444
Read by: Ruth Golding - https://librivox.org/reader/2607

The Thin Santa Claus or The Chicken Yard That Was a Christmas Stocking (1909)

By: Ellis Parker Butler - https://librivox.org/author/53
From: https://librivox.org/librivox-2006-christmas-short-works-collection/
eText: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17937/17937-h/17937-h.htm
Read by: Several readers

Sussex Carol

Traditional: https://librivox.org/author/8101
From: https://librivox.org/christmas-carol-collection-2009/
Etext: http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/on_christmas_night-1.htm
Sung by: Kristin Hughes - https://librivox.org/reader/28

CraftLit Podcast • Annotated Audiobooks | Audiobooks with Benefits

CraftLit.com

Twitter: @CraftLit.com

Library: CraftLit.com/library

Facebook: Facebook.com/craftlit

voicemail line: +1-206-350-1642

NEW! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Craftlit-channel

Sixth Day of CraftLit (2016) Dec 19, 2021

Show notes

Originally released December 19th, 2016.

All of CraftLit's Christmas episodes can be found at craftlit.com/all-the-christmas/

Reginald on Christmas Presents (1904)

By: Saki - https://librivox.org/author/889
From: Reginald (1904) - https://librivox.org/christmas-short-works-2011-by-various/
eText: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2830
Read by: Bob Gonzalez - https://librivox.org/reader/6446

Grandmother's Christmas Story (1913)

By: Elizabeth M. Laws Hibberd / Faith Wynne (1836 - c. 1930) - https://librivox.org/author/10096 / http://readseries.com/auth-oz/wynne-bio.html
From: https://librivox.org/fireside-christmas-short-stories/
eText: What the Little Bird Told the Christmas Tree (1913) http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009926444
Read by: Ruth Golding - https://librivox.org/reader/2607

Reginald's Christmas Revel (1904)

By: Saki - https://librivox.org/author/889
From: Reginald (1904) - https://librivox.org/christmas-short-works-2011-by-various/
eText: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2830
Read by: Bob Gonzalez - https://librivox.org/reader/6446

Joy to the World

Georg Friedrich Händel-https://librivox.org/author/2630
From: https://librivox.org/christmas-carol-collection-2006/
Etext - http://hymnsite.com/
Sung by: Kim Butler - https://librivox.org/reader/631

CraftLit Podcast • Annotated Audiobooks | Audiobooks with Benefits CraftLit.com Twitter: @CraftLit.com Library: CraftLit.com/library Facebook: Facebook.com/craftlit voicemail line: +1-206-350-1642

NEW! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Craftlit-channel

Fifth Day of Craftlit (2016) Dec 18, 2021

Show notes

Originally released December 18th, 2016.

The 12 Days Before Christmas begins here:

http://craftlit.com/on-the-first-day-of-christmas/

The Snow Man (1902)

By: Alfred B. Cooper (1863 - 1936) - https://librivox.org/author/10217
From: https://librivox.org/fireside-christmas-short-stories/
eText: (interactive) http://archive.org/stream/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/TheStrandMagazine1902bVol.XxivJul-dec#page/n634/mode/1up
Read by: Garth Burton - https://librivox.org/reader/4969

Yes Virginia... (1897)

By: Francis P. Church - https://librivox.org/author/2604
From: https://librivox.org/librivox-2006-christmas-short-works-collection/
eText: http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/
Read by: 2Bears - https://librivox.org/reader/860

Angels We Have Heard on High

By: Traditional, French, translated to English by Bishop James Chadwick - 1813–1882 - https://librivox.org/author/8101
From: https://librivox.org/christmas-carol-collection-2010/
eText: http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/angels_we_have_heard_on_high_1.htm
Sung by: Sunshine Paul - https://librivox.org/reader/4545

CraftLit Podcast • Annotated Audiobooks | Audiobooks with Benefits CraftLit.com voicemail line: +1-206-350-1642

Fourth Day of Craftlit (2016) Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

Originally released December 17th, 2016.

All of CraftLit's Christmas episodes can be found at

craftlit.com/all-the-christmas/

The lineup:

The Christmas Stocking (1905)

By: L Frank Baum - https://librivox.org/author/406

From: https://librivox.org/librivox-2006-christmas-short-works-collection/

eText: http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Text/christmas_stocking.htm

Read by: Judy Bieber - https://librivox.org/reader/100

The Shepherd Who Didn't Go (1916)

By: Jay T. Stocking https://librivox.org/author/10171

From: https://librivox.org/fireside-christmas-short-stories/

eText: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17770/17770-h/17770-h.htm#Page_135

Read by: Angela (BookAngel7) - https://librivox.org/reader/4323

A Kidnapped Santa Claus (1904)

By: L Frank Baum https://librivox.org/author/406

From: https://librivox.org/librivox-2006-christmas-short-works-collection/

eText: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/KidnSant.shtml

Read by: Judy Bieber - https://librivox.org/reader/100

(If you love Baum, you might also want to check out the much longer: Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, version 1 (https://librivox.org/the-life-and-adventures-of-santa-claus-by-l-frank-baum) and version 2 (https://librivox.org/life-and-adventures-of-santa-claus-version-2-by-l-frank-baum/)

What Child Is This? (words 1865 | music 16th C)

By: William Chatterton Dix - https://librivox.org/author/193

From: https://librivox.org/christmas-carol-collection-2010/

Sung by: Mark F Smith and Laurie Ann Walden

CRAFTLIT - END OF THE LEAVENWORTH CASE HERE Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

580: Chs 37-39 — The Leavenworth Case (End of Book) Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

Book Talk @3:50

*CraftLit's Socials*

• Find everything here: https://www.linktr.ee/craftlitchannel

• Join the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/2raf9

• Podcast site: http://craftlit.com

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraftLit/

• Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftlit

• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/craftlit/

• TikTok podcast: https://www.tiktok.com/@craftlit

• Email: heather@craftlit.com

• Previous CraftLit Classics can be found here: https://bit.ly/craftlit-library-2023

*SUPPORT THE SHOW!*

• CraftLit App Premium feed bit.ly/libsynpremiumcraftlit (only one tier available)

• PATREON: https://patreon.com/craftlit (all tiers, below)

——Walter Harright - $5/mo for the same audio as on App

——Jane Eyre - $10/mo for even-month Book Parties

——Mina Harker - $15/mo for odd-month Watch Parties

*All tiers and benefits are also available as*

—*YouTube Channel Memberships*

—*Ko-Fi* https://ko-fi.com/craftlit

—*NEW* at CraftLit.com — Premium Memberships https://craftlit.com/membership-levels/

*IF you want to join a particular Book or Watch Patry but you don't want to join any of the above membership options*, please use PayPal.me/craftlit or CraftLit @ Venmo and include what you want to attend in the message field. Please give us at least 24 hours to get your message and add you to the attendee list.

• Download the FREE CraftLit App for iOS or Android (you can call or email feedback straight from within the app)

• Call 1-206-350-1642

Third Day of Craftlit (2016) Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

Originally released December 16th, 2016.

All of CraftLit's Christmas episodes can be found at craftlit.com/all-the-christmas/

Christmas - by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Christmas Carol - by Paul Laurence Dunbar

An Old-Time Christmas - by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Speakin' of Christmas - by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Jimmy Scarecrow's Christmas - by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

Christmas in the Heart - by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Many thanks to our voices:

Douglass Nathaniel Williams

and

and

Alan Davis Drake

and

Laura Armentrout

And

Franz Gruber's music, sung by DL Pead

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