BRASS Stacks 15 : Oh Whistle, And I’ll Come to You, My Lad

A classic ghost story from an acknowledged Master, “Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad” is a reminder that not all finders should be keepers. Read by our Lord Brass, Charles Leggett. Podcast (brass-stacks): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Politics and the Imagination

I rarely look to politics for artistic inspiration. I don’t think most writers do. But even the most apolitical of artists can find their imaginations snagged by momentous events, particularly when that old bromide “we’re living through history” is regularly evoked. Rarely has History, of the national, international and global sort, been so relentless in establishing omnipresence in our lives. … Read More

BRASS Season Four: Previously….

The story of the Brass Family returns for its final (for now) chapter, Season Four, starting in two weeks. If you could use a gentle reminder of a plot line or two, give this a listen! (Though no guarantee that it won’t leave you MORE confused….) Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

God Blesses Fools and Babies

I love fools and idiots. The current crop of idiots, those who believe that COVID-19 is a hoax or that the current occupant of the White House a reliable sort of information, really do give idiots a bad name. The classic Idiot, the white-face clown signified by the Fool in the Tarot and the Harlequin in the Commedia dell’Arte, see … Read More

Pandemic Filming 101

Ah, the glamour of film directing during a pandemic. Nothing has gone right for anyone this year. In my own little tale of 2020 disruption, I had planned to film a short, oddball film entitled “Percy & Reggie and the Great Airship Exposition” in March. Inspired by a meeting with Portland filmmaker Jerry Wilson, this light comedy was to be … Read More

BRASS Stacks 14: The Open Window by Saki

Our latest Stacks is this classic story by H.H. Munro, the illimitable Saki. A young man of nervous temperament meets a young woman with a tale to tell. Narrated by our Gwendolyn Brass, the lovely Katherine Grant-Suttie. Podcast (brass-stacks): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

BRASS Stacks 13: Gabriel Ernest

We return to our favorite short story writer, Saki, for this classic tale of a disquieting encounter with a strange young man. Podcast (brass-stacks): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

BRASS Stacks 12: The Flowering of the Strange Orchid

This episode is an eerie short story from H.G. Wells, “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid,” about a mild-mannered orchid enthusiast who gets much more than he bargains for at a bulb auction. Podcast (brass-stacks): Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

BRASS Stacks 11: When the Door Opened by Sarah Grand

A witty parable about the problem of assuming too much about one’s spouse, “When the Door Opened” was written by the Irish author Sarah Grand, one of the pioneers of fiction dealing with the “New Woman.” It’s read by renowned radio actor Larry Albert, best known for playing the titular detective in “The Adventures of Harry Nile” as well as … Read More