The Best of the Gilded Age is a countdown episode series of the most beloved stories to celebrate 10 years of storytelling with Jon Hagadorn.

We begin with The Village Singer by Mary Wilkins-Freeman, #30 in our top episodes list. This episode first aired on September 29th, 2024 and has had over 1,120 listens in the past year!

"A Village Singer" tells the story of Candace Whitcomb, a forty-year veteran soprano in her New England village church who is replaced by the younger Alma Way. Upset by her dismissal and realizing she was tricked into attending her own "retirement" party where she received a photograph album with the note of her replacement, Candace retaliates by singing loudly on her home organ to disrupt Sunday service.

Every episode contains a little trivia about Jon Hagadorn as well!

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Credits:

Production by Gizelle Erickson

Narration by Jon Hagadorn

Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn

Music and Effects used:

• Thank you: Background Music For Videos Music by Maksym Malko from Pixabay
• Thank you: Freesound Community Liftoff sound effect Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay
• Thank you: Sonix FX Sounds Rocket Launch effect, Sound Effect by SonixFXSounds from Pixabay

Did you know that Jon recently produced his 1001st episode? To celebrate his 10 years, we are going into the vaults and bringing back the best of the best episodes, complete with a fresh feel and commentary provided by your host, Gizelle Erickson.

To the fans of Anne - have no fear! We will be continuing to produce episodes for you, and will resume her story after our countdown is complete! You will want to subscribe to this podcast so you will know the moment a new episode releases.

In the meantime, we invite you to join us on our social media platforms where we are building a community you will want to be a part of!

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Credits

Narration and Production by Gizelle Erickson

Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn

Music:

• Thanks to Luis_Humanoide “Victorian Violin Waltz” Music by Luis Humanoide from Pixabay
• Thanks to Music_For_Videos "Romance" Music by Anastasia Chubarova from Pixabay

Join us for Chapter XIV, “The Summons,” from L.M. Montgomery’s beloved novel, Anne of the Island. As the summer’s splendor wanes and the world is full of hazes, Anne dedicates her evenings to her friend Ruby Gillis, who is growing paler and struggling with what Anne perceives as an invisible foe. Anne senses that Ruby needs help—craves it—and she wants to give it to her and can’t. In a pivotal, moonlit vigil, the conversation shifts from light chatter to a harrowing confession as Ruby admits she is afraid to die, not because she fears heaven itself, but because it won’t be what she has been used to.

This profound discussion forces Anne to wrestle with her own ideas about the great mysteries of life and eternity, realizing that her life must take on a deeper purpose. Tune in to discover how this event, which Anne realizes will change her forever, culminates in a final summons that might not be disregarded or evaded in Avonlea.

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Credits

Narration and Production by Gizelle Erickson

Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn

Music:

• Thanks to Luis_Humanoide “Victorian Violin Waltz” Music by Luis Humanoide from Pixabay
• Thanks to Music_For_Videos "Romance" Music by Anastasia Chubarova from Pixabay

In Chapter 13, “The Way of Transgressors,” from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of the Island, we dive into a vividly rendered account of childhood mischief and the dawning pangs of conscience. Young Davy Keith, left under Mrs. Lynde’s vigilant eye, embarks on a meticulously planned rebellion. This day of transgression, however, soon leads him down a path where a "mis'rubul" conscience becomes his harshest, most inescapable judge. L.M. Montgomery, celebrated for her profound ability to capture the authentic voice and intricate internal world of children, brilliantly portrays Davy’s tumultuous journey from reckless abandon to the heavy burden of guilt, illuminating how even the smallest acts of defiance can cast a long shadow over a young heart and highlighting her genius for depicting complex emotional landscapes through her characters.

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LinkedIn: 1001 Stories from the Gilded Age

Credits

Narration and Production by Gizelle Erickson

Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn

Music:

• Thanks to Luis_Humanoide “Victorian Violin Waltz” Music by Luis Humanoide from Pixabay
• Thanks to Music_For_Videos "Romance" Music by Anastasia Chubarova from Pixabay

In Chapter XII, “Averil’s Atonement,” from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of the Island, we delve into Anne Shirley’s creative world as she embarks on her first serious attempt at fiction writing. Listeners will join Anne as she grapples with finding the perfect plot for her heroine, Averil, and dedicates hours to choosing names for all her characters, including her hero, Perceval Dalrymple. Anne even enlists Diana's help in naming a minor character, eventually settling on "Robert Ray" after rejecting a more aristocratic suggestion that wasn't quite suitable for a chore boy. Anne's literary ambitions are fueled by a pursuit of fame over profit, as she contemplates whether to craft a romantic, unhappy ending or cater to perceived editorial preferences for happier resolutions. We'll explore Anne's challenges as her characters sometimes take on a life of their own, doing and saying things she never intended, highlighting the humorous and often frustrating journey of an aspiring author.

Show credits
Narration and Production: Gizelle Erickson

Executive Producer: Jon Hagadorn

Music & Effects:

Thanks to Luis_Humanoide “Victorian Violin Waltz” Music by Luis Humanoide from Pixabay

Thanks to Music_For_Videos "Romance" Music by Anastasia Chubarova from Pixabay

Country Morning Late September by rasunter255 (Freesound) from Pixabay

Enjoy all our shows at www.bestof1001stories.com'

In this episode, we delve into Lucy Maude Montgomery's beloved Anne of the Island, specifically Chapter XI, “The Round of Life”. Anne Shirley returns to Avonlea, her academic achievements at Redmond College marked by the Thorburn Scholarship, only to face the sobering realities of life's constant changes. She confronts the fragility of existence through the heartbreaking news of a dear friend's battle with "galloping consumption," a term for a particularly aggressive form of tuberculosis that progressed rapidly and often led to death within months. This somber turning point in Anne’s story is made all the more poignant by a fact about the author: Lucy Maud Montgomery herself tragically lost her own mother to tuberculosis when she was just 21 months old, mirroring the disease that now threatens one of Anne’s cherished school-chums.

Credits:
Narrated and Produced by Gizelle Erickson

Executive Producer: Jon Hagadorn

Music and Sound Effects:

Thanks to Luis_Humanoide “Victorian Violin Waltz” Music by Luis Humanoide from Pixabay

Thanks to Music_For_Videos "Romance" Music by Anastasia Chubarova from Pixabay

Sound effect “country-morning-late-september-23870” by Artistrasunter255 (Freesound) from Pixabay

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Welcome fellow story companions! In this episode of Anne of the Island, we delve into "Chapter X - Patty’s Place". This chapter sees Anne and Priscilla embark on their exciting quest for a shared home for the next year with Stella Maynard, leading them to the charming, yet eccentric, Patty’s Place. You'll meet the formidable "grim and ancient" Miss Patty Spofford and her niece Miss Maria, who are preparing for an unexpected European adventure. Discover the fascinating trivia of the twin guardian deities of Patty's Place: two large, white china dogs with round green spots, named Gog and Magog, which are over a hundred years old and were brought from London by Miss Patty's brother Aaron fifty years prior. We find that Miss Patty has some unique leasing conditions, prioritizing a tenant's genuine "love" for her home over mere financial gain. This plays in Anne’s favor, ultimately securing the house for Anne and her friends, once they promise to adhere to the non-negotiable rule that the house must retain its beloved name, "Patty’s Place.”

Credits and Links

Narration and Production: Gizelle Erickson

Executive Producer: Jon Hagadorn

Anne of Green Gables Museum: https://www.worldofanneshirley.com/2007/07/the-anne-of-green-gables-museum.html

Music & Effects:

Thanks to Luis_Humanoide “Victorian Violin Waltz” Music by Luis Humanoide from Pixabay

Thanks to Music_For_Videos "Romance" Music by Anastasia Chubarova from Pixabay

Thanks to freesound_community, Sound Effects by freesound_community from Pixabay

"028122_Clock-grandfather-ticks & striking once"

"Fireplace-Jim"

Show Description
In this episode, we bring you two chapters as we continue Anne Shirley's journey of growth and self-discovery at Redmond College, exploring Chapters 8, "Anne’s First Proposal," and 9, "An Unwelcome Lover and a Welcome Friend". Anne receives a surprising and bewildering proxy proposal from a good-natured, albeit uninspiring, schoolhood chum who has loved her from afar, followed by another equally disheartening offer from someone closer at hand. These moments profoundly clash with Anne’s secret, romantic dreams of an eloquent Prince Charming.

As her college term progresses, Anne finds renewed purpose and companionship in the exciting prospect of sharing a house with her friends, a plan brought to life by Stella Maynard. Join us as Anne & Priscilla embark on a house-hunting adventure, with a mysterious twist that makes Anne’s thumbs tingle!

Credits
Narration and Production: Gizelle Erickson

Executive Producer: Jon Hagadorn

Music and Sound Effects:

Thanks to Luis_Humanoide “Victorian Violin Waltz” Music by Luis Humanoide from Pixabay

Thanks to Music_For_Videos "Romance" Music by Anastasia Chubarova from Pixabay

Thanks to freesound_community, "FEBRUARY STORM" Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay