River Reads
Canadian Radio Awards 2023 Winner Best Podcast-Small Market. River Reads is a program for all ages to escape into creative commons fairy tales and stories, as narrated by host River Wilde. Enjoy tales, both new and old, but mostly old and at times macabre, or silly, or even perhaps a little confusing as written in old english and the host fumbles words; or those classic stories that have aged poorly. Featuring ‘River Rambles’, ‘Gender Blender’, and ‘River Reads’ Rating System’. The River Reads show is "not a kids show but not not a kids show." Listener discretion advised. Originally airs on CICK 93.9 FM Smithers Community Radio @ smithersradio.com.
River Reads Rating System:
- MON: Maybe Offensive but the Narrator can not quite put their finger on why, it just feels weird.
- QM: Questionable Message; for those easily offended, or who do not want to engage in a possible involved discussion with your child.
- AHD: Animal May be Harmed or Die.
- PGD: Possible Gore and/or Death (“gore” is subjective)
- GGD: Gross Gore and/or Death (Wilde's favorite kind of stories)
River Reads
A Special - Drag StoryTime
A Special: River Reads Does Drag StoryTime
Arrrgh Matey, this is your host narrator River Wilde, coming to live from under my stairs and out of the closet. Happy Smithers Pride everyone! In celebration of Smithers Prides’ 6th Annual pride celebrations-United in Pride, this week's a special River Reads show, River Reads Does Drag StoryTime (originally aired, May 27th, 2023, on Smithers Community Radio @ smitherradio.com). The first half, along with original musical composition's, Wilde empassionantly discusses their experience being queer in a small town, and performing professionally as a Drag King, and talks about the 'Herstory' of the art of Drag, both Kings and Queens. The second half of the show enjoy Wilde's Drag StoryTime. The River Reads show is “not a kids show but not not a kids show”. Listener discretion is advised.
Reading, in no particular order:
- The Three Princesses of White Land. Nordic Tales. Illustrations by Ulla Thynell. Chronicle Books LLC. San Francisco, California, 2019.; and
- The Pink. Grimms’ Fairy Tales By Brother Grimm, Translated By: Mra. E.V. Lucas, Lucy Crane and Marian Edwards. Grosset & Dunlap. Publishers. New York. 1976.
Remember to stick around to find out last Ep 12 - Numbers 2 Gender Blender tale, and yes there actually was one. For those new or who might have missed it, 'Gender Blender' is a newer segment, where each week one of the fairy tale’s genders will be secretly flipped, and which tale is the Gender Blender tale, is not be revealed until the following episode. So stick around to find out.
Oh also know I’m wearing a moustache and in drag today.
Drag 'HerStory' Sources:
- LGBTQIA+ History: Drag Kings. By Freddie Parker. Student Hut. October 12 th, 2022.
- History's most incredible drag queens and kings. By Matt Cain. Culture. BBC. January 31 st, 2023.
- History of Drag. By Rowan Cecil. Sutori. (date unknown).
- The Evolution of Drag: A History of Self-Expressionism. By Gaelle Abou Nasr. ByArcadia. December 12 th, 2021.
- Drag Kings: A Brief History of Male Impersonators. By Ella Braidwood. History Extra. BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. February 23 rd, 2022.
River Reads: Fairytales and Stories
Host, Producer, Composer, Narrator: River Wilde
Cover Art: River Wilde
The River Reads Show - "Not a kids show but not not a kids show"
Catch River Reads on air, Saturdays at 10am -11am PST and Sundays at 9am - 11am PST on smithersradio.com
Access additional River Reads episodes directly at smithersradio.com/program/river-reads
Contact the host - TheRiverReadsShow@gmail.com
