Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Have you ever wondered what a Garth Brooks Science Fiction song would sound like? No?  That's okay, neither had I.  Then I heard this episode, and oh my... This week, Ken has a story for Heather that was written by a railroad watchman who never went to school. And if that doesn't get you excited, you're probably a clever person. H. Beam Piper wrote "The Answer" and it was published back in 1958.  Once again, lazy copyright lawyers make it available to us already!  Though we're not so sure that song about raccoons is in the public domain yet, so... ssshhhhh. As the story progresses your hosts discuss 1920s frat boys, 50 foot shafts, and putting long things in your mouth. "The Answer" was published in 1958.  Extensive research has found no evidence of active copyright. Email us at [email protected]. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! In a world where EVERYONE has a podcast, you must ask yourself...why aren't we a union yet!? Did you read that in you best Don LaFontaine voice?  I hope so.  Anyway, about the episode. Heather has chosen a story for Ken to read.  It's a Western by the guy who wrote Destry Rides Again.  The story is "Wine on the Desert" by Frederick Schiller Faust, AKA Max Brand, AKA Evan Evans, AKA George Owen Baxter, AKA George Evans, AKA Peter Dawson, AKA David Manning, AKA John Frederick, AKA Peter Morland, AKA George Challis, AKA Peter Ward, AKA Frederick Frost...I'm tired now, what was I saying? Ken reads, and along the way your hosts discuss their favorite listeners, dead wood dick, and sweet sweet revenge cherries. "Wine on the Desert" was published in 1941 under the pen name Evan Evans. Email us at [email protected]. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Happy 100 episodes! That's right!  Our silly little podcast has made it to 100.  That's wild! To celebrate Heather returns to the microphone, and Ken decides to badmouth a bunch of beloved TV shows that were cancelled way before their time.  Because this is a classy show...or something. Ken has selected the story for Heather to read, and surprising no one, it's an Agatha Christie story.  And you know what that means!  That's right. Heather has to try to do her Hercule Poirot voice.  And it goes about as well as it always does. So, we listen to "The Plymouth Express Affair" while Ken and Heather drink bubbly wine, discuss the family jewels, and tell Trekkies to suck it. Because picking on nerds is cool? It's okay. We can make those jokes. We're nerds, too. "The Plymouth Express Affair" was published in the January 1924 issue of The Blue Book Magazine. Email us at [email protected]. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! And welcome back Craig to Episode 99!  We're almost at a landmark! How do we celebrate?  By reading a story that we don't really understand and planning the worst musical ever constructed! Obviously. Ken has selected the story (if that's what we're calling it) from a new author named Andrew Halliday.  His story "The Engine-Driver" is about...an engine driver, I guess.  I'm actually not sure.  I just finished editing the episode and I don't think your hosts even know what it was. Anyway, along Ken and Craig make some truly outlandish theatrical plans, speculate wildly over the motivations of (probably) innocent man, and once again taking up valuable podcasting time making fun of a Tom Cruise movie. "The Engine-Driver" was published in the 1866 book Mugby Junction. Email us at [email protected]. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! There's a new host in town this week. Campfire Classics recurring character Ken's Mom (known to most of the world as Jamie Sandberg) has finally shown up in the flesh for a Mothers Day Weekend recording session.  That means this is going to be a nice clean wholesome episode, right? Right? Aw, that's cute. Ken clearly is a little tentative about the usual brand of humor in front of his own mother, but she pushes the issue and...well...you'll just have to listen. Jamie has a story for Ken to read.  It's by a new author to the podcast named M.E. Braddon, and you're going to want to listen to these fun facts because her life was a ride. Ken does a reasonably good job, but he just abandons the German accent that was laid in front of him.  Come on, Ken.  Do better. During the episode, Ken and Jamie discuss accidental bigamy, cousin marriage, and infrequent ejaculation.  So we're clear, this is Ken...AND HIS MOTHER. Someone is making some life choices. "The Cold Embrace" was published in 1860. Email us at [email protected]. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! This week's co-host is Ken's brother, Craig!  The boys had fun last time he came on, but this week Craig starts the episode off with a shocking revelation! Once they sort that out, Ken introduces this week's author and story, and Craig jumps into a valiant reading of C.M. Eddy, Jr's "The Ghost-Eater". Along the way, the boys discuss a new music genre, Craig struggles to pronounce words (this is why you warm up), and Ken fails to remember the name of the guy who wrote Conan the Barbarian.  It's Robert E. Howard, Ken, you've read him on this show.  Get your crap together, dude. If you listened last week, a "cash clo man" was a man who would stand in the street ringing loud cowbells and offering to buy people's junk, especially old clothes.  They were outlawed across most of the planet by the late 1930s for being loud and annoying. "The Ghost-Eater" was published in Weird Tales in 1924. Email us at [email protected]. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Hey, who's that on the podcast?  Heather!  She's back for this one as she gets closer and closer to getting off the ship! Ken has a story for her to read by a new author, Richard Le Gallienne, called "The Haunted Orchard". It is, unsurprisingly, a little haunting story about a ghost.  In an orchard.  But despite being a little on the nose, it's beautiful story with some incredible imagery. Ken and Heather catch us up on Heather's recent adventures, then they get into the story discuss some bizarre side topics like Shakespeare's little Willy, furniture made by exotic dancers, and mormons at a beach bar. Oh, and they don't have internet access, so you're going to have to look up words yourself. "The Haunted Orchard" was published in Harper's Magazine, January, 1912. Email us at [email protected]. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Alright, we're swinging hard back into the realm of SciFi this week with a short story from one of the biggest names in the genre, Philip K. Dick.  He gave us Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report, and this week he's giving us "The Gun". This is one of those stories that is mostly so engaging that your hosts forget to be funny, but don't worry, they still find time to discuss their end of the world time capsule items, talk in ridiculous voices, and speculate on praying mantis breasts. "The Gun" was published in 1952. Thorough research has been unable to uncover a current copyright.  Please, email us at [email protected] and request to hear Emily's anime Fan Fiction read on an upcoming episode. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Ready for a story with a moral?  Nah, me neither.  How about this vague fairy tale by Scotsman Andrew Lang.  Ken has selected the story "The Fisherman and his Wife" from The Green Fairy Book. Your hosts also play a new game that you can play along with at home!  Write in and let us know how you stack up. Along the way, Ken and Emily discuss decorative metals, crown fashion, and filthy song lyrics! "The Fisherman and his wife" was published in 1892. Please, email us at [email protected] and request to hear Emily's anime Fan Fiction read on an upcoming episode. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Here's a bit of tonal whiplash from last week.  Good lord, you really never know what you're going to get with this show, do you!? So, Ken is reading a children's story this week called "The Book of Beasts"!  Written by Edith Nesbit, it is an early children's adventure story about a boy king and a dragon. Also, pay attention to this week's fun facts, because Nesbit's personal life was bananas! Ken puts in a respectable effort at reading the story, but plenty of ridiculousness is still covered ranging from the slap heard round the world, our upcoming mile marker, and laughter is the root of all evil. "The Book of Beasts" was published in the book The Book of Dragons in 1901. Please, email us at [email protected] and request to hear Emily's anime Fan Fiction read on an upcoming episode. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Oh no.  They are punchy this week.  The first twenty minutes is nothing but foolishness with no serious material covered.  It was almost like someone told our hosts that this podcast was supposed to be FUNNY.  But we all know that here at Campfire Classics we won't stand for frivolity in our literature. Eventually, Ken and Emily buckle down to the solemn business of reading the great work selected for this week's episode, "The Shadows on the Wall" by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman. Irksomely filled with utter nonsense, our conversation topics include the Big Bang, English funerary rites, and too much poo. Please, email us at [email protected] and request to hear Emily's anime Fan Fiction read on an upcoming episode. "The Shadows on the Wall" was published in the book The Wind in the Rose-Bush, and Other Stories of the Supernatural in 1903. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Tracks in this week's episode: "Dark Memories of the Past Still Linger"  from CO.AG Music "Are You in Here With Us" from CO.AG Music "A Dark but Peaceful Place" from Gabriel Richards Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! We're back with another ghost story, this one from Rudyard Kipling of The Jungle Book fame. It's a weird one given that the scariest thing that happens is a game of billiards, but manages to be spooky despite Ken's Reading of it.  Emily does give some fascinating Fun Facts about our author though, complete with a fake news death hoax. This week, discussion topics include surprise manual labor, mustache grooming tips, and...do all old white people know each other? Please, email us at [email protected] and request to hear Emily's anime Fan Fiction read on an upcoming episode. "My Own True Ghost Story" was first published in 1888. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Okay, so, spoilers, but apparently the author doesn't care so why should we: this week's story is called "A True Relation of the Apparition of one Mrs. Veal, the next Day after her Death: to one Mrs. Bargrave at Canterbury. The 8th of September, 1705."  No, really, that is the title of the story, not the story in its entirety.  Written by Daniel Defoe of Robinson Crusoe and more commonly known by its shorter title "The Apparition of Mrs. Veal," this story is sometimes credited as the first modern ghost story. You'll have to let us know if you agree.  Emily does a great read, and along the way your hosts discuss high school musicals, the Bechdel Test, and Emily's anime Fan Fiction. Please, email us at [email protected] and request to hear Emily's anime Fan Fiction read on an upcoming episode. "The Apparition of Mrs. Veal" was first published in 1705. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! "Little Mummies" was the alternative title to this episode, but you know...shock value.  Throw some saucy language in the title and you get more listens.  Anyway!  Welcome!  This week, Emily has dug up and old mummy's curse story for Ken to read.  It was written by Louisa May Alcott, and...wait...that can't be right.  I'm going to double check that.  Yes, that is correct.  Louisa May Alcott, the woman who brought us Little Women, is responsible for this disturbing tale about a curse coming from an Egyptian mummy.  Okay... Ken does his best to read the story, and along the way your hosts: Discuss baby snow angels. Impersonate Britney Spears. Contemplate erotic flowers. "Lost in a Pyramid; or, The Mummy's Curse" was first published in 1869 Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. The song "A Dark but Peaceful Place" is by Gabriel Richards and is used thanks to Creative Commons. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Officially knighted by...well...us...Sir Johnny Bangs has returned! That's right friends, our author from Episode 1 of this season is back! Back then we read "The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall," which was an amusing or sad ride, depending on whose side you were on.  This week we're reading a Sherlock Holmes/A.J. Raffles mashup called "The Adventure of the Dorrington Ruby Seal". Emily works her way through the story, but the usual distractions still exist: How's the puzzle going? What is a turf person? Who is going to ejaculate this week!? "The Adventure of the Dorrington Ruby Seal" was published in 1906 in the book R. Holmes & Co.: Being the Remarkable Adventures of Raffles Holmes, Esq., Detective and Amateur Cracksman by Birth. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Like, subscribe, leave a review. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Happy Big Game Week! We hope your team won. Happy Valentine's Day!  We hope your day was fun. And happy New Episode Day! Always our favorite one. This week's story, read by Ken, is an uncommonly romantic story compared to our usual selections. Written by early feminist author Kate Chopin, the story "A Mental Suggestion" takes a few unexpected turns.  And even more very expected ones.  Why is it that characters are so terrible at seeing their own mistakes when it's so obvious to the rest of us.  Good thing that's not true about people, right? This week's discussion topics include a new country song, whether or not this is in fact a history podcast, and kink that you may or may not need to google to understand.  I'm not judging either way.  I don't know your life. "A Mental Suggestion" was written in 1896, and today can be found in The Complete Works of Kate Chopin. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Also, the 2022 calendar featuring co-host Ken in Halloween animal ears is now available on our website! And find Emily online using her social media handle @embosc Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! This week in honor of the upcoming romantic holiday, we're reading a horrifying story by master of creepiness, H.P. Lovecraft, called "The Picture in the House". Naturally, your hosts do their due diligence, being weird, playful, and totally dorky.  But eventually they get to the story and then, well...Trigger Warning.  Because this Trigger Warning contains slight spoilers, the Trigger in question will be listed at the end of this blurb. Well, that's the important stuff out of the way.  Listen to audience members chime in on puzzle technique, Ken butcher a popular sea chanty, and Emily attempt a truly wild accent! "The Picture in the House" was first published in the July 1921 issue of The National Amateur. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Also, the 2022 calendar featuring co-host Ken in Halloween animal ears is now available on our website! And find Emily online using her social media handle @embosc Oh!  And that Trigger Warning for this week: cannibalism Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Ken gets to read again, finally, as Emily has chosen story for him to read.  This week we return to long time favorite author H.G. Wells with a story called "Mr. Brishner's Treasure." But first, your hosts take a few minutes to discuss their true passion: Puzzles!  No, not like cool puzzle boxes.  Not escape rooms.  Those pictures that someone cut into tiny pieces so that we have to put them back together just to see what they look like. Except that we don't need to do that, because there's a picture of the puzzle already put together on the box cover.  And that picture doesn't have little cuts and divots all over, so it's actually a BETTER PICTURE than the puzzle! I guess what I'm trying to say is that puzzles are pointless and you people are monsters. Now, what were we talking about?  Oh, right, Ken reads a story, and he and Emily get side tracked by by the usual assortment of misunderstood words, forced innuendos, and TALKING ABOUT PUZZLES. "Mr. Brishner's Treasure" was first published in April 1899 in the Strand Magazine. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Also, the 2022 calendar featuring co-host Ken in Halloween animal ears is now available on our website! And find Emily online using her social media handle @embosc Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! This week, it almost seems Ken and Emily have a prophetic connection to the story, which would be way cooler if it weren't a story called "And All the Girls Were Nude".  As you might imagine it's not our most PG story.  Written by Richard Magruder (that's MagruDer with a D, not a B), it is a story which, while not particularly subtle, is wildly entertaining. As the story progresses your hosts discuss the educational value of this very podcast, the euphemistic possibilities of the Grand Canyon, and how neither of them have ever seen any pornography. "And All the Girls Were Nude" was first published in December 1954 in the magazine Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy.  Extensive research has not uncovered any evidence of a current copyright on the story. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Also, the 2022 calendar featuring co-host Ken in Halloween animal ears is now available on our website! And find Emily online using her social media handle @embosc Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! We really need to start more episodes with dance parties.  That would be fun. This week we've got a 20 second disco early on, and it just keeps getting weirder. We're celebrating Edgar Allan Poe's birthday this week.  Fun facts are all about the Poe Toaster, and Emily reads the story "The Angel of the Odd".  And oh boy, is it odd. Conversation along the way includes the worst day ever, bouncing for fun and exercise, and repeated ejaculations! "The Angel of the Odd" was first published in 1844 in The Columbian Lady's and Gentleman's Magazine. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Also, the 2022 calendar featuring co-host Ken in Halloween animal ears is now available on our website! And find Emily online using her social media handle @embosc Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! We're a little slap happy this week!  But the best things in life always happen... That's it, the best things in life always happen.  It's not profound but there it is. Emily is back behind the mic, taking some of the pressure off of Ken this week, and she jumps in to read a mid '50s Pulp Detective ScifFi by a guy called Paul Fairman.  His story, "Dalrymple's Equation" is pretty wild, but not near as wild as our hosts tangents. What is Ken's police informant name?  What part of Boston is Chicago?  And why is the puss sneering? "Dalrymple's Equation" was first published in 1956 in the magazine Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy.  Extensive research has found no evidence of an active copyright. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Also, the 2022 calendar featuring co-host Ken in Halloween animal ears is now available on our website! Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! A short one this week, just a quick Happy Public Domain Day message from host Ken Sandberg. Life has gotten away from your hosts, but it's not every week that Winnie-the-Pooh enters public domain!  So, if you're a fan of that silly old bear all stuffed with fluff, give this one a listen. Next week will return to the usual irreverent insanity, but for now, enjoy a sweet simple story from our childhood. And, to see Ken read from A.A. Milne's book of poetry When We Were Very Young, check out 50/50 Arts Productions videos here. So sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! That title really says it all.  This is a weird one.  The story is lovely, but the setup is unconventional.  If you're a new listener, maybe start somewhere else. If you listen anyway, the first listener to message us having figured out what is different about this week wins 150 points and a brand new shiny Thank You from us! This week, the story comes from P. G. Wodehouse.  For fun facts about this funny man, check out Episode 33, Dynamite of the Soul. And on that note, I'm going to let you get to it.  Short and simple.  This week's story, "Jeeves and the Hard Boiled Egg" was published in the Saturday Evening Post in the United States on 3 March 1917, and in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in August 1917. The story was also included in the 1925 collection Carry On, Jeeves. So sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! This week we have a mascot! Lucy the sad eyed dog! She's adorable, but we try not to dwell.  As you know, we here at Campfire Classics are very good at keeping on track with our job of reading literature.  Speaking of, this week Emily Bosco is back and she's reading a Charles Dickens short called "The Ghost in Master B.s Room". The jokes start before we get around to the first paragraph, but that's not uncommon.  Along the way topics discussed include bisexual textiles, cockney rhyming slang, and inappropriate school age activities. "The Ghost in Master B.s Room" was first published in 1859 in the book The Haunted House. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Also, the 2022 calendar featuring co-host Ken in Halloween animal ears is now available on our website! Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! We're making history with Campfire Classics this week!  Something that has never been done.  It's a podcast hosted by...two dudes. That's right, this week, with Heather once again unavailable for comment, Ken's brother Craig is stepping up to the mic to read a story by a new author named Gertrude Barrows Bennett.  The story is called "Behind the Curtain".  And spoilers...there's a curtain in it. We don't think this episode gets too inside jokey despite the fraternal co-hosts, but one concern we do have is how similar Ken and Craig sound while speaking.  If you're reading this, please let us know: can you tell them apart? This weeks tangents include Animorphs, prescription vacations, and pregnant sloths!  Strap in kiddos, it's a weird one. "Behind the Curtain" was first published in 1918. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Also, the 2022 calendar featuring co-host Ken in Halloween animal ears is now available on our website! Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! This week we have a pair of Fairy Tales read to us by real life fairy, well, self proclaimed half-fairy, Tauren Hagans! She's able to take a break from singing Christmas tunes out in North Carolina to sit behind a mic and read with Ken. Ken has chosen two stories from L. Frank Baum's American Fairy Tales, and the stories are delightful.  We've read from this book before, so you get a few fun facts, but for more in depth looks into Baum's life check out episode 1/31 "Acetone High on the Yellow Brick Road" or 2/8 "Baum 2.0". The episode is charming, and along the way Ken and Tauren discuss life as a half-fairy and the evils of seagulls, all while rewriting the endings of Mr. Baum's stories. "The King of the Polar Bears" and "The Capture of Father Time" were first published in American Fairy Tales in 1901. Find Tauren at her website taurenhagans.com, and learn all about how you too can be a fairy, or at least have the hair of one, at at fairyhairnyc.com! Also, the 2022 calendar featuring co-host Ken in Halloween animal ears is now available on our website! Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Here at Campfire Classics, the coming of the holiday season means only one thing.  A shift in the tone of our stories.  It’s time to leave the mysteries and frivolities of the rest of the year behind and turn our minds back to that genre truly synonymous with Christmas...GHOST STORIES! Emily is back behind the mic, coming at us from Connecticut.  Ken has chosen a story for her from long time Campfire Classics favorite M.R. James.  The story is called "The Diary of Mr. Poynter", and though it is a slow burn to the spookiness, it definitely gets to that creeping horror we've come to expect from his writing. In the tradition of great episodes before, this one devolves into bouts of giddy laughter as Ken and Emily discuss Thanksgiving cuteness, perpetually wet spots, and a sexual goat auntie. "The Diary of Mr. Poynter" was first published in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary in 1904. Also, the 2022 calendar featuring co-host Ken in Halloween animal ears is now available on our website! Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Happy American Thanksgiving, if you celebrate that holiday.  If you don't, Happy Alien Sex Party Day.  If you are unfamiliar with this holiday, that's because I am making it up right now as I write this episode blurb. Heather is out of quarantine and performing, but she was able to squeeze us in to her busy schedule long enough to select a story for Ken to read.  This week's story is the misleadingly titled "The Vegans Were Curious" by possible extra terrestrial Winston K. Marks.  The story is an interstellar romp through human/alien relations, but even that isn't enough to keep our hosts focused for long, as discussion topics cover...well, actually a lot of it is almost on topic.  Vegan Thanksgiving recipes, vegan celebrities, and is "going down" vegan? Our sincere apologies to any vegans we might offend.  It was unintentional, and as you'll see, completely unnecessary.  "The Vegans Were Curious" was first published in Imagination in 1954.  Extensive research has discovered no evidence that the story is still in copyright.  If we are wrong, please let us know so that we can docilely accept our punishments. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! We're on a roll now!  Two in a row with your favorite hosts.  Heather is once again recording from quarantine on board a cruise ship, but, by the time you're reading this she's FREE! Not that she's been counting the days.  Or hours.  Or seconds. This week, Ken has selected a story for Heather to read.  Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this non-Sherlock Holmes related story is called "Playing with Fire".  Despite this title, you will be relieved (or disappointed) to know that neither of your hosts sets anything on fire during this episode.  It is a wild story which features a Campfire Classics first!  but you'll have to listen to find out what that is.  Along the way, Ken and Heather discuss how to infiltrate a secret military base, the history of bodybuilding, and...whoa there, buddy, is that a unicorn in your pocket or...well, you know the rest. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! With Heather reporting in from shipboard quarantine off the coast of Puerto Rico, it's time for another episode of your favorite "edu-taining" "literary" "comedy" podcast.  Wow, that's a lot of sarcastic quotey fingers... But, Heather is back at the mic, and she has selected a story for Ken to read from a new (to us) author name Laura E. Richards.  The story is called "Maine to the Rescue", and though there is a little confusion at first regarding what the heck is actually happening, once we get into the meat of the story it is charming. In truth, the bulk of the episode seems to be a subtle game of "Tell me how old you are without telling me how old you are" as your hosts get sidetracked making jokes about Sir Mix-a-Lot, Sisqó, and Milli Vanilli.  They also discuss starting a new podcast, the origins of American sign language, and babies in thongs. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Heather is getting on a ship!  Like, tomorrow.  Or possibly yesterday!  I don't know what day it is, but the point is she was unable to join us this week.  I have it on good authority this is going to stop happening soon. But for this week, Ken is joined by Kim Wilpon, who tries her hand at reading a story by our muse, Dame Agatha Christie.  It's her first foray in into co-hosting with us, but you may recognize her voice from her brief appearance a couple of weeks back when she told all about her series "Kim Wilpon Crafts".  Or maybe you skipped that part because it was advertising. Anyway, after taking a short break to watch this video, they get to the story.  This week it is "The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman".  As Kim tries to read the story, she is briefly distracted by Ken's insistence that Arsenio was a contemporary of Poirot, a discussion of beef tornados, and questioning just what is in June's mouth! You can follow Kim on YouTube or the social media by searching for Kim Wilpon Crafts! Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! We've got heather back for 1 hour during a rehearsal break! Can we do it?  Could anybody do it?  Is it madness to even try? Record an episode of Campfire Classics in such a short time!? Can Ken and Heather stay on track!? Let's find out... Well, it's Halloween, or close enough, and since last week's story was less scary than anticipated, we've decided to go with the never miss spookiness of H.P. Lovecraft.  This week's story is called "The Unnamable", which seems inherently false advertising.  If you name something "The Unnamable" it is no longer unnamable.  Lies!  Lies on the level of "The Neverending Story"! That bit of perturbation dealt with, the story is really quite engaging, despite a few tangents during which your hosts discuss: Dicks and why they are always swinging. The origins of Harry Potter's name. And, of course, arboreal vampirism.  Look at the episode title. Ken's Fun Facts are all about the history of Halloween, so if you want to learn a bit about our author, check out episode number 11, titled "Don't Go in the Moist Hole" where Heather tries to read the story "The Tomb".  Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! With Heather deep in rehearsals for Footloose she was sadly unavailable this week.  Fortunately, guest host Emily has graciously agreed to return to the campfire! Ken has selected a story by Edgar Allan Poe, because it's October and Poe is good for spooky season.  The story, maintaining the satanic theme of last week, is called "The Devil in the Belfry".  It is, however, much less traumatizing than the last Poe story we read.  If you would like to listen back to that episode (and really upset yourself) you can check it out at Edgar Allan Poe-nus Episode. This is a surprisingly light story for a Poe crafted tale, so Ken and Emily are free to pontificate the usual absurdities. Ken plans his Halloween costume. Emily discovers she has a disappointingly good Dutch accent. And both ponder the value of a pet Cabbage. This week's episode sponsored by Kim Wilpon Crafts.  Go check her out, say thank you, and tell her you want Ken to be a guest crafter on her YouTube Channel! Also, here is that Pas de Zephyr video. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! This week, we're doing some special "Platinum Members Only" content.  But don't worry regular listeners, you're only missing some minor gymnastics work and a brief eyeliner tutorial. Other than that, it's business as usual here at Campfire Classics.  Heather has chosen a short story by Guy de Maupassant again and continues to struggle with his name.  For details on his life, check out Season 1, Episode 48 entitled Naked Stew! The story is called "The Devil," and without giving too much away, the devil is bad.  In addition to disagreeing over what kind of story this is (stay tuned until the end to find out how you can weigh in) your hosts also: Share makeup tips. Discuss new job opportunities. And possibly invent a new kink! And Happy Birthday, Ken. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Did you get the title?  It's "doody" instead of "duty".  Because it's a bathroom joke! That's right loyal listeners, this week our hosts are explaining all of their jokes!  After complaints that the humor has become too sophisticated and high brow everything is getting dumbed down just a little more.  Can you believe it!? Heather is reading this week, and Ken chose another short story from recent fan and host favorite author Mack Reynolds (Season 2, Episode 3 "Sex Fly").  The story is called "Potential Enemy", and once Heather gets through reading the title, it moves along nicely, with only slight diversions to talk about things like: Our plan to end climate change. The greed of wanting friends AND money. And the difference between callouses and hemorrhoids. And the moral of the story is... Probably something we missed entirely.  But let us know what you think anyway. "Potential Enemy" was published in Orbit SciFi in 1953.  Extensive research has been unable to find any evidence of a current copyright.  If you know of any reason this story might not be in public domain, keep it to yourself.  No one needs that negative energy in their life. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Reunited and it feels so good! or Almost Heaven.  West Virginia. or Guess who's back.  Back again. Whatever musical theme you choose for this episode, I promise, it's a good one.  Heather has joined Ken in Lewisburg, WV, and together they work their way through another story.  This week, Heather has brought back Ambrose Bierce, last appearing in Episode 12, so that Ken can read the story "Beyond the Wall". Heather does sing a lot, and the whole show briefly teeters on the edge of become a GoT fancast, but your fearless hosts get us back on track by keeping us off track with such topics as: The disappearance of Jack Black. Horror with a side of French Toast. And the potential devastation of an ill timed fart. Plus, believe it or not, Ken gets briefly poignant as he pontificates on the importance of emotional honesty.  Like really.  It's touching.  And weird. "Beyond the Wall" was published in Cosmopolitan in 1907. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Don't panic, but I think there's something different about this week.  If you listen VERY carefully, you might notice what it is. Oh no, now I have to try to not give away the surprise in this blurb.  Hmmm...that'll be tricky... Okay, this week your hosts **giggle giggle** are tackling another mystery from the Campfire muse Agatha Christie.  One of you hosts **giggle snort** reads the story "The Case of the Missing Will".  But I'll confess it feels a little strange.  Almost as though one of the hosts is feeling quite like themself **poorly suppressed laugh**. Of course, the stupidity and overt NSFWness is the same as ever.  Off topic conversations include: What animal has the best ears? When is "handsome" not a compliment? And what would a sex show at Hand Lotion Manor look like? "The Case of the Missing Will" was published in Poirot Investigates in 1923. Our promo this week is **chortle** for a person, not a podcast.  Go say hi to Emily Bosco at emilybosco.com and tell her she's awesome! Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Wow!  This is a weird one.  Our hosts recorded from different timezones!  That's nothing new for most podcasts, but this was an odd experience here at Campfire Classics. Regardless, this week, our intrepid heroes return to the writing of one Mr. L. Frank Baum.  Last tackled back in January, this episode comes jam packed with new facts about the author and TWO new stories.  That's right folks, it's a two for one deal!  "The Queen of Quok" and "The Girl Who Owned a Bear" all in one sitting! You can't miss that. Hijinks and shenanigans ensue as Heather tries to carve her way through these two stories.  We learn that that "peg-topping" is not as kinky as it sounds, we hear ALL of heather's voices, and we invent "desecration yoga" (tm).  All in a days work. "The Queen of Quok" and "The Girl Who Owned a Bear" were both published in American Fairy Tales in 1901. Promo this week from Ta2squid Podcast.  Check him out, and tell him you want to hear Campfire Classics on his show! Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Neither rain, nor snow, nor too many Margaritas shall keep us from bringing you this show. And this week, we test a part of that promise.  But which part? I'll bet you can guess! This week Ken gets to read a loopholed Public Domain story from beloved children's author and apparent psychopath Roald Dahl.  Heather has chosen for Ken a story called "Lamb to the Slaughter," and I have it on good authority that it's not nearly as depressing as that title makes it sound! It's a twisted web our author weaves.  Unsurprising if you've actually read the horrifying book version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  And along the way our hosts get some real good work done, like starting a Happy Birthday choir, dashing their own political futures, and asking the age old question "Have you ever seen a sheep nipple? "Lamb to the Slaughter" was first published in 1953 and has since been adapted into an episode of Alfred Hitchcock presents.  Well Alfred, I guess great minds do think alike. Research has not discovered a renewal of the copyright on this story.  If you own the copyright, please contact us and we will take all appropriate action after saying only a small handful of snarky things to you. Promo this week from Hindsight Movie Reviews, a podcast that has Ken actively seeking a guest spot. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Bienvenue, nos amis!  Welcome, our friends! That's right! This week we're taking a crack at French literature, and Heather gets to swing at that sweet sweet troubling language. Our story today comes from author Maurice Marie Émile Leblanc, a French writer often compared favorably to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  The story Ken has chosen for Heather is called "The Arrest of Arsène Lupin," and is the first ever appearance of the great gentleman-burglar and detective Arsène Lupin. It is a fascinating case, but not so fascinating that our hosts stay completely on topic.  To Ken and Heather's credit, their tangents are almost relevant this time  We have officially entered the Brenaissance Era. Wine glass symphonies are under utilized. Don't mount booty in public. "The Arrest of Arsène Lupin" was first published in 1905 and started nearly 30 years worth of crime and mystery stories. Promo this week from Boozed and Confused, another couple hosted podcast that delves in to the odd, creepy, and possibly supernatural mysteries in our history. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! This week's author is a man who has not only been suspected of actual time travel, but has also been compared to American National Treasure Nick Cage. Did you get my pun?  National Treasure? Graham Green (the writer, not the actor from Dances With Wolves) wrote "The End of the Party," and then almost a hundred years later Heather decided Ken should read it.  So he did.  And now you are moments away from listening to that very read.  So in a way, you too are an actor in Dances With Wolves. As is always the case our hosts do their best to stay on topic, but important things do have a way of derailing them. What are the rules to Stab Apple? How bad is inbreeding? And why are kids so terrible? But really, kids, can't you just be cool? "The End of the Party" was first published in 1929 and has been reprinted in many anthologies.  Graham Greene considered it one of his best stories. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Are you ready for some new bits!? Here comes Science: Just in Case, a new segment of questionable scientific value where Ken explores stupid ways to set things on fire and Heather listens on in abject horror. The we get to the literature. This week, Heather reads for us another tale from SciFi great H. G. Wells. Ken has chosen a story called "The Truth About Pyecraft". But you could be forgiven for hearing "Pie Craft".  We were definitely hoping for a story about baked goods and witches. This weeks story comes with an extra little content warning because the narrator is pretty callous and careless about body shaming.  What a dick. Also, fair warning you will hear: Stupid things you should not do at home with household items (and when you don't do it, also don't send picture **winky face**). A very unappetizing tea recipe. An unpopular opinion about the television program The Office. "The Truth About Pyecraft" was first published in 1903 in The Strand, which is almost as cool as Highlights for Kids. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Let's kill Hitler! Good, now we have your attention! Our story this week was chosen by Heather.  It's another of those strange, more recent stories that managed to slip between the copyright cracks back in the '50s.  Author Mack Reynolds, sometimes known as "Maxine", has a fascinating first in literature related to the Star Trek universe. But, this week's tale, while still SciFi, stays a little closer to home. While Ken reads "Unborn Tomorrow," your hosts run off on the usual tangents and memories form their past. Which one of our hosts once set themself on fire? Where would you go to find an orgy? And why is the government bugging our room? "Unborn Tomorrow" was first published in Astounding Science Fiction June 1959. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed, so if you own the copyright...you screwed up! Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! This week's piquant tale is a puerile journey of perfidious intimacy bred of propinquity. Also, we learned a lot of new words that we wanted to squeeze into this intro!! Our story was chosen by Ken from the catalogue of Brazilian Literature.  Author Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, a criminally under appreciated artist in the English speaking world, brought us "The Fortune Teller," a short that will certainly please any fans of the Soap Opera or Telenovela genre.  And really anyone else.  Filled with over the top emotions, and a shocking number of Shakespeare references, this story literally fixed Heather's brain.  Just ask her. Over the hour-ish long episode, your hosts dive into the writing, but also discuss such topics as: Who's hot for teacher? Can nuns run track? What is the significance of raisins? "The Fortune Teller" was first published in Portuguese in 1884, and this translation into English was made in 1921. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! It's the season 2 premiere! Which really means nothing more than we're restarting the episode count because it feels cool. This week, Heather has selected a story for Ken to read by an author unknown to either of our hosts before this reading.  His name was John Kendrick Bangs, and he might have invented an adult film genre.  Or possibly just ghost story sub-genre.  You know it's hard to tell sometimes.  Regardless, the story is called The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall: A Victorian Christmas Spirit Story," and Ken gives a pretty good effort at reading it. Along the way, the hosts ask: Whose job is it to get things wet? How would you deal with a ghost? And who would you curse with perpetual mildew? "The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall" was the titular story in the 1894 collection The Water Ghost, and Others. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. Now sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Happy anniversary! We've been doing this for a year! A full trip around the sun! 12 calendar pages! 57 episodes in 365 days. To celebrate, we're reading a detective story by a woman who is one of the most important writers in the genre.  But no, it's not Agatha.  This week's story, "The Ninescore Mystery", was written by Baroness Emma Orczy, best known today for the stories of The Scarlet Pimpernel. This story centers on a detective known as Lady Molly and her sidekick Mary. They get up to delightful shenanigans, and along the way your hosts tackle hard hitting issues like accents that melt cheese, the worst Bennet sister, and questionable hair gel. "The Ninescore Mystery" was first published in the the 1910 collection Lady Molly of Scotland Yard. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. This week's promo is for SpyHards Podcast.  Give them a listen and let us know if they set you to melting and quivering. So sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.

Welcome to Campfire Classics, a Literary Comedy Podcast!! Have you had your taco today? This week, your hosts extend a tentative olive branch to recent Campfire Classics villain Mark Twain as they read the short story that made him famous "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County".  Heather chose this story, and Ken does his best to read it, but it isn't a straight path through.  Along the way your literary companions get distracted by Philadelphia geography, spaying and neutering pets, and beefy tacos. "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was first published in  the November 18, 1865 edition of The New York Saturday Press where it was wildly popular and catapulted Twain into the public eye. It has since been included in several short story collections. Remember to tell five friends to check out Campfire Classics. This week's promo is for Superiority Complex Podcast.  Check them out, and tell them their nerd friends at Campfire Classics sent you. So sit back, light a fire (or even a candle), grab a drink, and enjoy.