Today, we explore three stories that, with a sense of humor, delve into the complexities of reputation, political and journalistic and the mathematical quirks of time. These tales from the early 20th century showcase authors who found the extraordinary within the seemingly ordinary.

• "The Boulevard of Rogues" by Meredith Nicholson: A humorous and satisfying tale of one man's attempt to take on a corrupt local political machine. Nicholson, a prominent "Hoosier" author, often explored the intersection of American politics and society with a sharp, observational wit.
• “My First Literary Venture" (1871), Mark Twain offers a humorous, autobiographical (?) account of his earliest foray into the world of journalism. The story captures a pivotal moment from his teenage years in Hannibal, Missouri, when a thirteen-year-old Samuel Clemens was left in charge of his uncle’s newspaper, the Weekly Hannibal Journal.
• "Sixteen Years Without a Birthday" by Brander Matthews: A fascinating mathematical curiosity framed as a narrative. Matthews, a distinguished professor and literary critic, uses this tale to prove how a person could legitimately go nearly two decades without a birthday—an unlikely but entirely possible scenario involving the quirks of the leap year and the turn of the century.

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All music courtesy of Ende.app.

Audiobooks narrated by Sally Barron can be found at:

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We’re stepping into the experimental world of the 1920s with a haunting piece of short fiction titled “The Old Lady”, by Evelyn Scott.

Originally published in the May 1925 issue of The Dial—the premier magazine of the American modernist movement—this story, “The Old Lady”, was so well-regarded it was selected for The Best Short Stories of 1925. In it, we see a master of psychological depth at work, peeling back the layers of aging, memory, and the stifling weight of tradition.

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Today, we’re stepping out of the high-brow literary salons and into the world of Clarence Louis Cullen, a man who wrote about the hustle, the gamble, and the gritty humor of the American underdog.

In this episode, we have a double feature of Cullen’s sharp-witted prose

• First, is an introductory note from the author for his book Taking Chances.
• Then we follow a man chasing the elusive dragon of a winning run in “'Red' Donnelly’s Streak of Luck”. It’s a classic look at the superstitions and adrenaline of the gambling life.
• Finally, "Just Like Finding Money", a clever tale that reminds us that in the city, nothing—not even a windfall—is ever quite as simple as it seems.

Both "Red Donnelly’s Streak of Luck" and "Just Like Finding Money" were originally part of a series Clarence Louis Cullen wrote for the New York Sun around the turn of the century.

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In this episode we’re unearthing the legacy of a woman whose mind was once called the 'most original and challenging' of the entire women’s movement. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a philosopher, a sociologist, and a writer who dared to imagine a world where women were defined not by their domesticity, but by their economic independence.

Her short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” is regarded as an important early work of American feminist literature for its illustration of the attitudes towards the mental and physical health of women, specifically postpartum depression in the 19th century. It is also lauded as an excellent work of horror fiction.

The semi-autobiographical story is written as a collection of journal entries narrated in the first person. As the reader continues through the journal entries, they experience the writer's gradual descent into madness with nothing better to do than observe the peeling yellow wallpaper in her room.

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Audiobooks narrated by Sally Barron can be found at:

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In this episode of Narrated Archives, we explore the sophisticated yet surprisingly tender world of the Gilded Age through three of Richard Harding Davis's most evocative stories: "A Walk Up the Avenue," "Van Bibber and the Swan-Boats," and "Van Bibber as Best Man." These narratives offer more than just a glimpse into high-society New York; they capture the universal tension between public persona and private longing, proving that even the most polished "man-about-town" is humanized by moments of quiet empathy and romantic missed connections.

It is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys sharp social observation paired with the bittersweet nostalgia of a vanished era.

• A Walk Up the Avenue - follows a young man walking through New York City as he reflects on his break-up with his fiance.
• Van Bibber and the Swan-Boats - Van Bibber finds himself on a bench in Boston’s Public Garden when he encounters 3 little girls from a different side of the city. The tale highlights his capacity for kindness and the experience of bridging class divides.
• Van Bibber as Best Man - centers on Van Bibber assisting a distraught couple with a secret marriage. He utilizes his social influence and resources to ensure the success of the plan.

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Audiobooks narrated by Sally Barron can be found at:

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In this episode we’re celebrating the pure, nonsensical joy of Carl Sanburg’s Rootabaga Stories and Rootabaga Pigeons. Know for his monumental 6 volume biography of Abraham Lincoln, Sandburg also wrote poetry and children's fairy tales. These stories are set in a world where the railroad tracks run off into the sky and the Village of Cream Puffs floats away in the wind! Join me to step into this whimsical past together letting our imaginations soar with the echoes of these delightful tales!

• How Gimme the Ax Found Out About the Zigzag Railroad and Who Made It Zigzag
• How to Tell Corn Fairies If You See ’Em
• Many, Many Weddings in One Corner House”
• How Six Pigeons Came Back to Hatrack the Horse After Many Accidents and Six Telegrams
• Never Kick a Slipper at the Moon

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Audiobooks narrated by Sally Barron can be found at:

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In this episode we’re unearthing a chillingly prescient piece of Victorian science fiction by Robert Barr that feels all too modern.

In 1892, Robert Barr—a writer who influenced the likes of Agatha Christie—penned a pioneering harrowing account of urban catastrophe titled “The Doom of London”. Set in a then-future mid-20th century, our narrator looks back on the final days of the 19th century, when a freak meteorological coincidence turned London's iconic fog into a lethal atmospheric trap.

Step back in time together and listen to the voice of the past with “The Doom of London”.

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Audiobooks narrated by Sally Barron can be found at:

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In this episode of Narrated Archives we step into the brief, blazing life of Stephen Crane, author of The Red Badge of Courage. In the four stories presented, Stephen Crane captures the intersection of quiet human longing and the harsh often indifferent realities of society.

• “An Eloquence of Grief” - written around 1896, captures a routine New York City police court.
• “The Auction” - a public auction features the possessions of a former sailor named Ferguson and his wife. Crane explores the collision of financial tragedy and social humiliation.
• "A Great Mistake" - a brief, atmospheric scene that centers on the silent, intense longing and hunger of a small child gazing at an elaborate fruit stand.
• “A Fishing Village" - a descriptive piece, originally published in the August 1899 issue of The Philistine, that captures the rugged isolation, quiet endurance and daily rhythms of a coastal community with his characteristic impressionistic detail.

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Send requests for authors or short stories to: sbnarration@sallybarronvoiceovers.com

Here's my website: www.narratedarchives.com

Audiobooks narrated by Sally Barron can be found at:

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