Author: Basil Mitchell

1New York Idea

By Langdon Mitchell

I find it very hard to classify "The New York Idea" under any of the established rubrics. It is rather too extravagant to rank as a comedy; it is much too serious in its purport, too searching in its character-delineation and too thoughtful in its wit, to be treated as a mere farce. Its title—not, perhaps, a very happy one—is explained in this saying of one of the characters: "Marry for whim and leave the rest to the divorce court—that's the New York idea of marriage." <br><br> Like all the plays, from Sardou's "Divorçons" onward, which deal with a too facile system of divorce, this one shows a discontented woman, who has broken up her home for a caprice, suffering agonies of jealousy when her ex-husband proposes to make use of the freedom she has given him, and returning to him at last with the admission that their divorce was at least "premature." In this central conception there is nothing particularly original. It is the wealth of humourous invention displayed in the details both of character and situation that renders the play remarkable. (Summary from Project Gutenberg)<br><br> <strong>Cast</strong><br> Philip Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/204">Mark F. Smith</a><br> Grace Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4009">Diana Majlinger</a><br> Mrs. Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4064">Margaret Espaillat</a><br> Miss Heneage: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4964">rashada</a><br> Matthew Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/2156">Roger Melin</a><br> William Sudley: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4572">om123</a><br> Mrs. Vida Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1259">Elizabeth Klett</a><br> Sir Wilfrid Cates-Darby: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5172">Equilibrium33</a><br> John Karslake: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1492">mb</a><br> Mrs. Cynthia Karslake: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3536">Arielle Lipshaw</a><br> Brooks: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5172">Equilibrium33</a><br> Tim Fiddler: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5172">Equilibrium33</a><br> Nogam: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4139">moonpiles</a><br> Thomas: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1823">David Muncaster</a><br> Benson: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3615">Lucy Perry</a><br> Narrator: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4064">Margaret Espaillat</a><br><br> <strong>Audio edited by:</strong> Arielle Lipshaw

2Eight Harvard Poets

By E. E. Cummings, S. Foster Damon, Robert Hillyer, R. S. Mitchell, William A. Norris, John Dos Passos, Dudley Poore and Cuthbert Wright

<I>"I will wade out<BR> till my thighs are steeped in burn-<BR> ing flowers<BR> I will take the sun in my mouth<BR> and leap into the ripe air<BR> Alive<BR> with closed eyes<BR> to dash against darkness<BR> in the sleeping curves of my<BR> body<BR> Shall enter fingers of smooth mastery<BR> with chasteness of sea-girls<BR> Will I complete the mystery<BR> of my flesh<BR> I will rise<BR> After a thousand years<BR> lipping<BR> flowers<BR> And set my teeth in the silver of the moon."<BR></I> -- E. Estlin Cummings in Crepuscule<BR><BR> Eight Harvard Poets is a anthology of poetry by E. Estlin Cummings, S. Foster Damon, J. R. Dos Passos, Robert Hillyer, R. S. Mitchell, William A. Norris, Dudley Poole, and Cuthbert Wright. These older poems remain inspiring and timeless. (Summary by Woolly Bee and Wikipedia)

3Bobby in Search of a Birthday

By Lebbeus Mitchell

The sweet story of a five year old boy named Bobby, who is an orphan. When Bobby learns that other children have birthdays, he goes hunting to find his. Go with him and meet the Man with the Pocketful of Quarters and the Lady who Likes Little Boys and learn how he finds his birthdays and a family besides! (Summary by Trotsa)

4Bobby in Search of a Birthday (version 2)

By Lebbeus Mitchell

Bobby is a little orphan boy of about 5 who discovers he has somehow lost his 'birfhday' and decides to go looking for it. This epic quest takes him into strange places and meetings with people who are sometimes scoffing, but mostly kind and helpful to the small tot. Does he find his birfday? Well I can't tell you that, you will just have to listen. If you like warm, sweet stories with a great ending, this is for you! A delightful tale full of whimsy and fun. - Summary by phil chenevert

5Two Old Faiths: Essays on the Religions of the Hindus and the Mohammedans

By John Murray Mitchell and William Muir

This book contains two essays, one by each of the listed authors. They describe the two religions of Hinduism and Islam, their history, and their contrast with Christianity. This book was part of the curriculum for the C.L.S.C. (the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle) in the early 1900s. (Summary by Scientila)

6Youth of Washington: Told in the Form of an Autobiography

By Silas Weir Mitchell

Departing from the usual third person narratives of biographies, this account is told in the first person as the reminiscences of a now retired George Washington. Reflecting on his days as a youth, he relates his family history, education, and military life up to the age of about 26 when he was a colonel. Naturally the author takes much liberty in filling in the details of Washington’s life, but largely remains true to history and the spirit of the man. The result is an engaging story that flows naturally, entertaining as it informs. - Summary by Larry Wilson

Physician and author S. Weir Mitchell brings us a short collection of stories of the human condition. Through diverse settings as the mystical Arabian desert to a lonely park bench, from a jocular sea port to a dusty library packed with archaic tomes written in foreign tongues, S. Weir Mitchell shows us what it means to live as others live. Through hauntings both literal and metaphorical, through desperate acts and moral dilemmas, we are shown through these slight sketches that life is as complicated or simple as we choose to make it. (Summary by Ben Tucker)

William (Billy) Mitchell was a U.S. Army officer who, during World War I, came to command all U.S. Army air operations in France. He became a strong believer in air power and predicted that in the next war, bombers would be the decisive weapon. After WWI ended he became a forceful advocate for allocating funds to develop a powerful U.S. Air Force as an independent military branch. At the same time he argued for reducing the Navy's heavy spending on battleships, which he was convinced would be easily sunk by enemy aircraft. His efforts to change military policy in these areas became so obnoxious to U.S. military leadership that he was court martialed and separated from the service in 1925. <br><br> The story of Mitchell's fight with the War Department was told in the 1955 motion picture "The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell", where Mitchell was played by Hollywood star Gary Cooper. In the present 1921 book, "Our Air Force: The Keystone of National Defense", Mitchell stated his case to the public. - Summary by Ted Lienhart