A couple of weeks ago I was re-reading one of my top 10 favorite novels of all time, “Bridge of Birds,” by the late Barry Hughart. I was coming out of a wonderful reading fugue* and I said to myself, I says, “Self, it’s time to make a podcast.”

“We Still Read” is the result. My intent is to model this podcast site after the Wisconsin Public Radio show, “Chapter a Day”. Oddly enough, I find that, because I actually like to do the reading, I can’t seem to concentrate that well when someone else reads to me. I hope that you won’t have that issue with me!

I’ve read about 150 books aloud to my family over the years. I attempted once to make a list of a decent chunk of them, but I knew that I’d forgotten quite a few. The point being, I’ve done it a lot.

From The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien to The 39 Steps by Buchan; from the Rumpole of the Bailey stories by Mortimer to Startide Rising by Brin; from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Doyle to The Mote in God’s Eye by Niven & Pournelle; from the Jeeves and Wooster stories by Wodehouse to the entire Harry Potter series by Rowling; many Mark Twain stories and sketches; Ian Fleming’s James Bond… and on and on. I’ve read some of them aloud more than once since they were particular favorites.

I’m going to start out with a series of four Mark Twain sketches that I recorded in one two-hour session on December 28, 2002, at the WTDY radio studios in Madison, WI. My radio mentor, Tim Morrissey, and the morning drive man at the time, John “Sly” Sylvester, arranged for me to get into the studio. That was my first time in front of a microphone since 1984.

This is the graphic I came up with at the time to use for a CD cover:

Here is the track listing for the CD, which I’m presenting now as podcasts:

I had discovered these sketches of Twain’s while reading to my (ex) wife, Janet, one night. (Janet is the best audience one could ever ask for.) I started to read The Experience of the McWilliamses with Membranous Croup, but I could barely do it because we were laughing so hard.

But when we found 1601 – Conversation, I thought that it might really be all right to die laughing.

Before we get to the tracks themselves, I want to prime you with a few reviews of the CD that contained them.

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire CD. Slapped it in at 4 o’clock and listened straight through… even the naughty parts!

You are certainly a master of the dramatic read; my hat is off to you, sir, for a fine performance, one that I’m proud to have in my eclectic CD collection.

Tim M., Madison, WI
Radio journalist

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I thought it was really well done. Very professional and beautifully read. You have such a marvelous voice and Twain himself would have been pleased to have you reading his material. I’ve often thought it’s too bad my Grandpa wasn’t still alive. Twain was his favorite author and he’d have loved the way you read it.

Pamela B., St. Paul, MN
Stage manager

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It is delightful! That last section is incredibly obscene and crude even by modern standards, let alone late Victorian double standards. I laughed and laughed! You have a really nice voice. Thanks for the fun.

Karen R., Seattle, WA

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Your CD is very professional and entertaining, high quality, and your voice characterizations are rich… and of course your readings from some of Twain’s best humor kept the laughs and smiles coming. I’m in the 2nd run now and, like a good movie, I catch things I’d missed before. The CD is very professionally packaged with high quality graphics… this is no throw-a-way… I’m pleased as hell!

You sound like Clark Gable looked. Its a shame you didn’t stay with radio because you certainly have the voice for it… yeah, yeah, I know the pay sucks 🙂

William H., Loxahatchee, FL
Computer network consultant

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Drove home last night listening to the adventures of the McWilliamses. Fabulous!! I gather you did radio professionally? Why don’t you still? I knock down a couple of books on tape a month, and you’re as good as the best and better than most. Thank you so much. I must keep it from falling into my husband’s hands! … I still bust out your Mark Twain CD when I need a belly laugh.

Susan S., Appleton, WI
Op-ed page newspaper editor

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I had no idea your background was in radio!!! Yessss, I loved the recordings, your voice is fantastic!!! I would’ve loved to listen to you narrate on my drives. Why aren’t you still in radio??? Soothing, melodic, yet authoritative, you command the air!!! Dude, go back to your roots!!!

Franca B., DeKalb, IL

Are you ready to launch? After reading those glowing reviews (I’d call ’em five-star reviews, wouldn’t you?), I’ll bet you’re ready to binge listen! Well, here we go. Thank you for taking a listen to We Still Read.

1) The Experience of the McWilliamses with Membranous Croup (13:56)

2) The McWilliamses and the Burglar Alarm (14:49)

3) Mrs. McWilliams and the Lightning (14:42)

4) 1601 – Conversation, as it was by the Social Fireside in the Time of the Tudors (15:57)

(*) “Reading Fugue” definition: A flight from mundane reality into the world of a book. Usually accompanied by loss of awareness of the passage of time and of one’s surroundings. Frequently accompanied by loss of hearing. Exiting the fugue state can be very disorienting.