Thu, Jan 29 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1272 We are continuing to explore the woolly western humor of Bill Nye, with a tale of a tonsorial parlor visit gone awry in 'A Hairsbreadth Escape' from 1881. Time: approx five and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Bill Nye Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/billnye.html...
Wed, Jan 28 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1271 Edgar Wilson ('Bill') Nye was one the funniest people ever to put pen to paper. An excellent example of this is his 1881 story about tobacco-chewing in Church, 'Fine-Cut As a Means of Grace'.' Time: approx five minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Bill Nye Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/billnye.html...
Tue, Jan 27 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1270 For Mark Twain Monday, we present Chapter Twenty-Nine of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' from 1889 -- where the Boss and the King visit 'The Smallpox Hut.' This chapter is not even close to being funny! It is one of the saddest things we've ever read... Time: approx sixteen and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Mark Twain Catalog of Stories is at: h...
Mon, Jan 26 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1269 SUNDAY SALAD has TWO funny Stanley Huntley stories today! First, a pained young woman seeks help from a newspaper editor in 'An Idyl' from 1883. Then, from 1881, 'The New Society Reporter' discusses the events of a Fancy High Class Event. Time: approx nine and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Stanley Huntley and Spoopendyke Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronev...
Sun, Jan 25 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1268 We have presented around one hundred and twenty of C. B. Lewis's Mr. Bowser stories for the last couple of years. While Lewis wrote these every week for almost forty years, we are not going to try to read all, or even most of them. So this week's episode is the LAST Bowser story we will read (for the time being). We have catalogued ALL the Mr. Bowser stories presented here at the link below. Have fun! In today's tale, Mr. Bowser finally gets his due a...
Sat, Jan 24 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1267 Eugene Field had the kind of popularity in the 19th century that newspaper humorists rarely experienced in later years. He wrote fun prose and poetry, sometimes thinly disguised political satire, and other times witty observations of life in the United States. Today's poem is fun for youngsters and oldsters. From 1893, we present 'Extinct Monsters.' Time: approx three and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ro...
Thu, Jan 22 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1266 Eugene Field had the kind of popularity in the 19th century that newspaper humorists rarely experienced in later years. He wrote fun prose and poetry, sometimes thinly disguised political satire, and other times witty observations of life in the United States. Today we offer a wonderful poem from 1890 concerning Eugene Field's great love in life - 'In Praise of Pie.' After you've heard this, you may want to go back and listen to Episode Number 753, fe...
Wed, Jan 21 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1265 Eugene Field had the kind of popularity in the 19th century that newspaper humorists rarely experienced in later years. He wrote fun prose and poetry, sometimes thinly disguised political satire, and other times witty observations of life in the United States. Today, Field compares a couple of, well, interesting poems in 'Sir Galahad and Sir Sullivan' from 1887. Time: approx four and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found a...
Tue, Jan 20 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1264 Eugene Field had the kind of popularity in the 19th century that newspaper humorists rarely experienced in later years. He wrote fun prose and poetry, sometimes thinly disguised political satire, and other times witty observations of life in the United States. This week, we will begin exploring some of his sharp pieces, beginning with a poem from 1886 concerning 'An Overworked Word.' Time: approx two and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full C...
Tue, Jan 20 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1263 For Mark Twain Monday, we present Chapter Twenty-Eight of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' from 1889 -- where the Boss tries his best to teach Arthur how to act like a Peasant in 'Drilling the King.' Time: approx ten and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Mark Twain Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/Twain.html The Mark Twain Connecticut Yan...
Mon, Jan 19 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1262 SUNDAY SALAD offers TWO fun Stanley Huntley stories today (sorry, no Spoopendykes available). First, in an hilarious fantasy from 1882, a badly beaten visitor to the Eagle office tries to rouse his fellows in 'On A Strike.' Next, we meet a rough and tumble miner from Dakota visiting Brooklyn in 'Another Ranger' from 1883. Time: approx nine minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html ...
Sat, Jan 17 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1261 Our favorite Old Crank takes up the study of a science and lets everyone know about it in 'Mr. Bowser Takes Up Botany,' by C. B. Lewis, from 1902. Time: approx ten minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/quad.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Mister Bowser Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/mrbowser.htm...
Fri, Jan 16 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1260 We are wrapping up our week-long celebration of funny writing by Edgar Allan Poe (his 200th Birthday is on January 19, 2009) with a lengthy, but fascinating, and at times quite funny story from 1845 called 'Some Words with A Mummy.' This is most likely the very first popular story ever written concerning a Mummy brought back to life. Today there are Mummy movies and television programs everywhere. But in 1845, this tale hit the reading public with a b...
Thu, Jan 15 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1259 As part of our celebration of Edgar Allan Poe's Bicentennial this month, we are reading some of his funniest works. Today we offer a short poem from 1845 that gives some good advice for today's troubled economy -- it's called 'Epigram for Wall Street.' Time: approx two and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html...
Thu, Jan 15 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1258 In celebration of Edgar Allan Poe's Bicentennial this month, we are delivering some of Poe's funniest stories. Today, we learn some of the tricks of the con man, who, back in the 1840s, was called a 'Diddler.' From 1843 comes 'Diddling Considered as One of the Exact Sciences.' Read more about this fascinating story, and where (apparently) Poe got at least part of it from on the Mister Ron blog at http://misterronsbasement.blogspot.com/2009/01/edgar-al...
Tue, Jan 13 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1257 This month we are celebrating Edgar Allan Poe's 200th Birthday on January 19th! In honor of the Poe Bicentennial, we will be reading some of his funniest stories! 'Wait a minute!' you might be saying -- 'Poe? Funny stories?!!' Yes indeed, throughout his career, Poe often wrote what he considered humor, although some readers might find it a bit warped and ghastly, to say the least. Still, Poe's funny tales have a distinct voice, and are well worth list...
Mon, Jan 12 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1256 For Mark Twain Monday, we present Chapter Twenty-Seven of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' from 1889 -- where the Boss and the King pretend to be peasants on a stroll in 'The Yankee and the King Travel Incognito.' Time: approx seventeen and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Mark Twain Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/Twain.html The Mark T...
Sun, Jan 11 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1255 SUNDAY SALAD kicks up the Basement's tribute to Edgar Allan Poe's Bicentennial Celebration this month! Stanley Huntley often spoofed well-known authors in his humor column, but one of his favorites was Poe. From a number of accounts, Stanley Huntley had committed many of Poe's stories and poems to memory, and would recite them at the drop of a hat. Today we feature a brilliant satire of Poe's detective fiction that (almost) could have been written by ...
Sun, Jan 11 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1254 The next few Saturdays will find us reading the last few stories from C. B. Lewis's 1902 collection, 'The Life and Troubles of Mr. Bowser.' Today, our favorite old crank displays his eye for beautiful antiques in 'Mr. Bowser Buys Chinaware.' Time: approx nine minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/quad.html T...
Fri, Jan 09 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1253 C. B. Lewis wrote weekly columns of humor for newspapers for over fifty years! Long time Basement listeners are very familiar with his stories of Mr. Bowser, which we have been presenting for a long time. His earliest work might be considered his funniest. This week, we are presenting some hilarious gems from his 1875 collection, 'Quad's Odds.' Let's take a steamboat journey with a man who absolutely can't stand insects in the story, 'There Were Bugs ...
Thu, Jan 08 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1252 C. B. Lewis wrote weekly columns of humor for newspapers for over fifty years! Long time Basement listeners are very familiar with his stories of Mr. Bowser, which we have been presenting for a long time. His earliest work might be considered his funniest. This week, we are presenting some hilarious gems from his 1875 collection, 'Quad's Odds.' Today we will visit a few historical sites, where a number of Revolutionary War heroes fell. It's called 'De...
Thu, Jan 08 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1251 C. B. Lewis wrote weekly columns of humor for newspapers for over fifty years! Long time Basement listeners are very familiar with his stories of Mr. Bowser, which we have been presenting for a long time. His earliest work might be considered his funniest. This week, we are presenting some hilarious gems from his 1875 collection, 'Quad's Odds.' Today we pay a visit to an enterprising Nevada newspaperman named 'Primrose.' Time: approx five minutes The ...
Tue, Jan 06 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1250 C. B. Lewis wrote weekly columns of humor for newspapers for over fifty years! Long time Basement listeners are very familiar with his stories of Mr. Bowser, which we have been presenting for a long time. His earliest work might be considered his funniest. This week, we are presenting some hilarious gems from his 1875 collection, 'Quad's Odds.' Today we hear about a grocer who learned a painful lesson in 'The Awful Fate of the Man Who Advertised.' Tim...
Tue, Jan 06 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1249 For Mark Twain Monday, we present Chapter Twenty-Six of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' from 1889 -- Where the Boss learns of King's-Evil and it's miraculous cure and examines 'The First Newspaper.' Time: approx twenty-one minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Mark Twain Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/Twain.html The Mark Twain Connecticut Yankee ...
Sun, Jan 04 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1248 SUNDAY SALAD explores the joys of performing in the theater! Stanley Huntley's characters trod the boards in THREE fun tales today. First, a 'swell' theatrical impresario talks up his productions with the Eagle editor in 'Getting A Notice' from 1882. Then the Breezy family has it out concerning Mrs. Breezy's desire to play romantic roles in 'Asserting His Position,' also from 1882. Finally, we have a truly rare Spoopendyke story from 1884 -- 'Mrs. Spo...
Sat, Jan 03 2009 Mister Ron's Basement #1247 The next few Saturdays will find us reading the last few stories from C. B. Lewis's 1902 collection, 'The Life and Troubles of Mr. Bowser.' Today, Mr. Bowser is honored with a request to sit for a portrait in 'Mr. Bowser's Picture.' Time: approx eight and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/quad.htm...
Thu, Dec 25 2008 Mister Ron's Basement #1246 Our special Christmas Episode features the original 1921 F. Scott Fitzgerald story 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.' A wonderful motion picture adaption of this story starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett is being released to movie theaters right now. It is a great movie. But the original Fitzgerald story is a work of genius, and the movie differs from it dramatically. We had considered serializing it across the span of a week, but instead offer ...
Wed, Dec 24 2008 Mister Ron's Basement #1245 SUNDAY SALAD offers up a special Spoopendyke Christmas story from 1880 that was possibly done special for the Washington Post at the time (yes, we know that we thought there were no more of Spoopendykes, but we stumbled into this one). Stanley Huntley had previously been the Post's first City Editor back in 1877-78, and was good friends with the paper's founder, Stilson Hutchins. Today's story also sheds some light on who Huntley modeled Mrs. Spoopend...
Wed, Dec 24 2008 Mister Ron's Basement #1244 We are wrapping up a short week (technical difficulties) of stories from George Fitch's 1916 collection, 'Vest Pocket Essays' with a fascinating, fun view of 'Cigarettes.' Time: approx four minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html
Thu, Dec 18 2008 Mister Ron's Basement #1243 We are continuing with a second week of stories from George Fitch's 1916 collection, 'Vest Pocket Essays.' Today we get the scoop on a friend of humanity -- 'The Dollar.' Time: approx five minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html
