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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 Host Heather Ordover explains historical references, vocabulary, and cultural context before each chapter so listeners can fully enjoy the story.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:

373: Ch 8 — Herland Jan 30, 2015

Show notes

| BOOK TALK | 15:10 min |

A Huguenot in luuuuve

*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

372B: Theater of War — CraftLit Bonus Jan 28, 2015

Show notes

The Theater of War's website, in case you want a look-see and the GoFundMe site of an actual soldier who is facing actual medical problems after decades of service. If you would like to help, please go here, spread the word, and donate if you can.*

*Disclosure: this is the family of a long-time listener and Defarge designer.

CraftLit Bonus: On Serial Jan 26, 2015

Show notes

You can find Serial here, Startup here, the adorable video with Ira Glass and Mary here, The Spinal Column Radio Podcast (now podfaded) here, Today in iOS here, Knitmore Girls here, Elsie's Yoga Kula here, Chop Bard here, and CraftLit here.

You can contact Apple iTunes here and Stitcher Radio here.

Share on Twitter.

372: Ch 7 — Herland Jan 23, 2015

Show notes

| BOOK TALK | 12:50 min |

Backstory - Rinse Repeat: Cleanliness in America I think you'll like the podcast!

*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

371B: A Conversation — Herland Jan 16, 2015

Show notes

| Call-in Line |

1-206-350-1642

Call in and leave an audio comment! How to call from outside of the US.

| Current Book |

Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Book talk begins at 11:20. The first Herland episode is 336.

If the iTunes feed ever goes down, please head over to the Libsyn site, the Premium Member Audio stream can be found here and on the free CraftLit smart phone apps.

| Links | | Not so much the Crafty Bits this week (unless you count my dad's mind) |

Rod Piazza and his surfboard and Duke
Alfred Kroeber, Theodora Kroeber, Ishi, Second Story Books, Ursula K. Le Guin

Melanie Wallendorf
Learning to Love Criticism article on the differences between men's and women's work reviews
Uncle Tom's Cabin (listen to Julie read it)
Eugenics (oh Galton —Lord of the Cognitive Anchoring Fidget—We hardly knew ye)
Julian Simon / Paul Erlich wager

Malthus and his predicted Malthusian catastrophe (Upon which the awesome Musical Comedy Urinetown was based!—um... no joke...)
The Great-as-in-huge-and-horrid-but-not-so-much-Potato Famine
1940s Famine in Bengal, India
Want Famine? Throw a War and have everyone come! Or have a democracy and not so much of the Famine.
FEWS - Famine Early Warning System
Keeping Women Reading in countries where they might not have such an easy time doing it.
"Bread and Circuses"
Kibbutzim

Newsletter Links

The "I like to keep up with general CraftLit news" newsletter (just one at start of the month—or if there's some wacky audio emergency I'll send info out)
The "I'm interested in the CraftLit Tour!" newsletter (you'll only hear from us when there's a trip to go on)
The "Can you please explain podcasts and subscriptions and what-have-you" newsletter

Our Giveaway is Hunter Hammersen's Curls book

Yummy Wonderfulness. Have a look!

The Picture of Dorian GrayPremium Audio covers chapter 6 (1881) of The Picture of Dorian Gray this week.

| | Different from Premium Membership Audio but still awesome fun! learn more about Subbable | see more of the perks you can purloin | Subbable FAQ

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371: Ch 6 — Herland Jan 09, 2015

Show notes

| BOOK TALK | 11:20 | chapter 6

*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

370: Ch 5 — Herland Jan 02, 2015

Show notes

| BOOK TALK | right away | chapter 5

*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

Ch 4: A Christmas Carol — T'was a Treat Dec 24, 2014

Show notes

Your special treat from Jon Scholes. (And its mysterious origin story.)

Ch 3: A Christmas Carol Dec 23, 2014

Show notes

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens—Stave the Fourth, Stave the Fifth

Music used in this Audiobook with Benefits compiled from

"Carol of the Bells" from Community Audio Internet Archive
Holiday Brass Ensemble, Nemesis, 12 Days of Christmas, and The First Noel all from the YouTube Music Library

Subscribe at iTunes--> New? Find out how to get all the audiobooks-with-benefits--> Dickens of a Christmas Blog Hop (from 2010, but still excellent recipe links!)

From the text:

...and Bob served it out with beaming looks, while the chestnuts on the fire sputtered and crackled noisily. Then Bob proposed: "A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!" Which all the family re-echoed.

"God bless us every one!" said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

In the 2010 holiday season a group of us hosted a Dickens of a Christmas blog hop:

April of 21st Century Housewife
Ken of Ken Albala's Food Rant and many, many books about food which you should check out
Sarah of Toranto Tasting Notes blog, print journalist, food blogger and author of an upcoming book about the home canning revolution
Margo of Hat Shadows, a professional milliner for film, theater, opera and ballet. She teaches hatmaking courses so check out her blog!
Diana of A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa
Annette of Sustainable Eats
and Me!

There are recipes for the traditional foods Dickens wrote of in A Christmas Carol, or recipes that would have been found in Victorian England around the holidays. There were giveaways (sorry, finished), themed knitting patterns and quite possibly hats! There may have been smoking bishop and suet cooked in organs. And there was certainly much making of merry.

We hope you enjoy this as much as we know we did! And we hope that you have a DICKENS OF A CHRISTMAS!

Ch 2: A Christmas Carol Dec 22, 2014

Show notes

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

Stave 3

Music used in this Audiobook with Benefits compiled from

Carol of the Bells from Community Audio Internet Archive

Holiday Brass Ensemble, Nemesis, 12 Days of Christmas, and The First Noel all from the YouTube Music Library

Dickens of a Christmas Blog Hop (from 2010, but still excellent recipe links!)

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