In the Mood for a Good Story? Listen to “The Luck of Roaring Camp”
This post is a departure from what you normally read on my blog. In fact, you don’t need to read it at all.
You can listen to it instead.
This is an abbreviated audio recording of Bret Harte’s moving short story, “The Luck of Roaring Camp.” I am the narrator.
Here is a brief synopsis:
The story takes place in 1851 during the California gold rush. A mining town in the foothills of the Sierras. Roaring Camp is inhabited by an assortment of ruffians, prospectors, and criminals with dreams of striking it rich. But a string of bad luck leaves them struggling to survive. Despair sets in.
But one day, their luck changes. And it comes in the form of a newborn baby.
The newest arrival in Roaring Camp changes everything. The miners clean the camp and make repairs. They plant flowers. They even clean themselves up.
But then…the unthinkable takes place.
This is one of my favorite short stories. It’s poignant and full of colorful characters and humor.
As a Chicago Times reviewer wrote in 1870, “…(Harte) proved that the best of poetry can be made of rude slang, and that the purest human motives and affectations can be found in the most repulsive exteriors.”
I hope you like it.
So, grab a cup of coffee and have a listen. Let me know what you think.
