#171: “The Golden Ingot” by Fitz-James O’Brien

Clan Honor Monday
continues with this little story from 1858. Fitz presents us with a
young doctor, a mysterious woman who begs him to make a house call, and
a tiny ingot of gold.
“The Golden Ingot”
38:06.

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#163: “The Tenement House” by Fitz-James O’Brien

A bitter poem about a tenement house and its rich landlord. Includes some very vivid description of a New York tragedy.
“The Tenement House”

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#150: “Ballad of the Shamrock” by Fitz-James O’Brien

Of course a man named O’Brien would have written something Irish for a March 1861 issue of Harper’s. And of course it’s going to be pulling on your heartstrings. It’s Irish! As Chesterton pointed out, “All their wars are merry, And all their songs are sad.” And their poems, too.
“Ballad of the Shamrock”
6:30.

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#142: “A Soldier’s Letter” by Fitz-James O’Brien

I really like this one. Yes, it’s slathered in sentiment; but it’s self-aware of that and uses it to its advantage. It’s an interesting comment, coming from a guy who was in the Army and wounded, or about to be wounded, himself.
“A Soldier’s Letter”
4:36.

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#130: Part 2 of “The Diamond Lens” by Fitz-James O’Brien

The conclusion of “The Diamond Lens”. One man’s dream of the perfect microscope leads him to cruel deeds and a strange fate.
Part 2, “The Diamond Lens”
38:08.

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#119: Part 1, “The Diamond Lens” by Fitz-James O’Brien

“The Diamond Lens” was one of Fitz-James O’Brien’s most acclaimed stories. You won’t really know why until I post Part 2. (Sorry about that.) Still, the setup section is pretty interesting and bizarre in itself. (Although I can’t figure out if he was gullible about spiritualism, or he liked writing about how it would work [...]

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#106: “Captain Alicant” by Fitz-James O’Brien

A tale of a warm heart barricaded with ice — and a snowy night.
“Captain Alicant”
21:24.

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#92: “Minot’s Ledge” by Fitz-James O’Brien

“Minot’s Ledge” is not just a poem; it’s a notoriously dangerous shelf of rocks outside Boston Harbor. The lighthouse built there almost always had its feet wet. Here’s a pretty spooky webpage about the lighthouse and its history.
“Minot’s Ledge”
2:48.

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#73: “The Skaters” by Fitz-James O’Brien

It’s almost time for the Winter Olympics. Here’s a poem about pairs skating that’s even more suspenseful than watching the competition!
And yeah, I know the direct link for manual download doesn’t seem to be working real well. I wish I knew what to do about it.
MANUAL DOWNLOAD HERE!
“The Skaters”
2 minutes, 43 seconds

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#65: “Three of a Trade” by Fitz-James O’Brien

I actually managed to get a little podcasting done! So here’s another New Year’s story from Fitz-James O’Brien, because back in his day in New York, Santa and Kriss Kringle came at New Year’s. (Apparently back in his day, midnight was quiet except for bells, too.)
This one is about two street children who are still [...]

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#62: “Our Christmas Tree” and “The Prisoner of War” by Fitz-James O’Brien

“Our Christmas Tree” is a poor but proud man’s comparison of his Christmas tree to a millionaire’s.
“The Prisoner of War”, which O’Brien wrote in December 1861, is about a Union soldier whose best friend is imprisoned down South.
MANUAL DOWNLOAD HERE!
“Our Christmas Tree”
2 min.
“The Prisoner of War”
4 min.

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#56: “The Wondersmith” by Fitz-James O’Brien, Part 2

The creepy Christmas story becomes a creepy New Year’s Eve, as the Wondersmith’s evil plans move into their final phase. Beware the Wondersmith!
Btw, I knew I’d heard that phrase before. I have a fairy tale book about the Gobhan Saor called The Wonder Smith and His Son. (It came out in 1927.) Wayland, [...]

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#51: “The Wondersmith” by Fitz-James O’Brien, Part 1

This week, the honor of the name demands that I begin to read Fitz’s creepy Christmas chronicle of bloody Romany revolution on the sidewalks of New York — by magic!
I’m torn about this story. On the one hand, there’s no denying that it’s a very clever and scary little urban fantasy. It deals with contemporary [...]

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#47: “An Arabian Nightmare” by Fitz-James O’Brien

First, my strep throat slowed me down. Then going back to work slowed me down. And now hundreds of people rushing to upload before Thanksgiving have slowed archive.org down. (Surtees is up; check my catalog link to archive.org if it doesn’t get up in time for the morning.) But all the same, Clan Honor must [...]

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#43: “The Enchanted Titan” and “The Sewing Bird” by Fitz-James O’Brien

I promised I’d try to lighten up this place a bit. Also, I realized that last week I may have bit off more than I can chew in terms of looooong works. So instead of a story, today clan honor will be satisfied with a couple of Fitz-James’ less dark poems.
“The Enchanted Titan” brings a [...]

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