LifeCraft Read-Alouds
LifeCraft presents you stories and essays that inform and challenge the mind, feed the soul, and warm the heart. We uncover little known treasures and bring back neglected classics to offer you a variety of joyful and life-changing perspectives. Presented with clarity and passion, these recordings are perfect for your morning commute or a fireside family gathering. Keep checking back for new offerings.
Episodes
31 episodes
[Story Excerpt] The Little Prince and the Fox from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
This is one of the most memorable and poignant encounters in this beloved book—the most translated book ever, outside of the Bible. It offers insights into human nature, friendship, and life in the modern world.
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10:16
[Short Story Excerpt] The Wedding Call from The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy
This is a striking and moving account of an age-old Magyar wedding tradition. The Singing Tree is the sequel to The Good Master, both classic books about tradition-rich rural life in early twentieth century Hungary.
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18:49
[Short Stories] Home by Hilaire Belloc
This beautiful short story from the French countryside is sure to provoke much reflection and conversation. One of the most powerful of Belloc’s stories.
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21:50
[History] The Three Hundred Spartans at Thermopylae; excerpt from The Histories by Herodotus
This is the classic account of one of the greatest feats of military bravery in the annals of history. It never fails to amaze.
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24:38
[Short Stories: Comedy] The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry
Written by one of the great American short story authors, this is a classic comedy about a kidnapping that goes awry. Perfect for an all-ages listen.
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25:01
[Philosophy] Plato's Cave
The Cave is the most memorable and influential image in the history of philosophy. This excerpt from Plato’s Republic is worth returning to again and again to savor the layers of meaning in this image that takes us to the heart of the ...
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17:23
[Spiritual] The Excellence of Eternal Wisdom, an excerpt from The Love of Eternal Wisdom by St. Louis de Montfort
This inspiring chapter from a spiritual classic uses the Old Testament book of Wisdom to highlight the beauty of Eternal Wisdom and point to how He comes to those who fittingly seek Him.
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10:37
[History] Husband, Father, Lover of Children - excerpt from All Things for Good: The Steadfast Fidelity of Stonewall Jackson by J. Steven Wilkins
Among the greatest military geniuses in history, Stonewall Jackson was a man whose private life rewards a closer look. This excerpt provides a heartwarming and uplifting window into his firm convictions and steady practices about things that ma...
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15:56
[Essays] Work, Spare Time, and Leisure by Josef Pieper
In this little gem Thomistic philosopher Josef Pieper sorts out with characteristic clarity the three concepts that express the main contours of truly human life. And in doing so, he offers us a foundation for real self-examination and improvem...
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23:14
[Essays] Learning How to See Again by Joseph Pieper
In this classic essay, Josef Pieper offers a powerful warning (already some 70 years ago!) that common practices are subtly but surely threatening our very humanity, by blinding us to the world around us.
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9:38
[Excerpts from Classics] Pericles Funeral Oration as reported by Thucydides
One of the most famous speeches in the history of western civilization, this classic is a masterpiece of rhetoric that paints an unforgettable portrait of the ancient city of Athens, and the men who died in her defense.
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24:15
[Essays] Easter and Sunday: The First of All Festivals by Josef Pieper, excerpt from In Tune with the World: A Theory of Festivity
In this remarkable excerpt, Josef Pieper explains that what Sunday and Easter celebrate not only underlies all other feasts but should permeate every moment of every day.
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10:29
[Meditation] The Good Thief by Alban Goodier, SJ
In this heart-stopping sketch, a spiritual master retells one of the most dramatic moments of the Passion of the Lord: the interchange with the good thief. It offers a unique angle into the Divine Mercy and will emblazon on your heart the words...
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12:13
[Essays] Thoughts About Music by Josef Pieper
Music, whether we realize it or not, “plays a role in man’s formation and perfection, as contribution or hindrance.” So argues the great philosopher Josef Pieper in articulating the wisdom of the ages about the power of music for good or ill. T...
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22:03
[Essays] The Honor of Work by Charles Péguy
This essay has no soft edges. Peguy is controversial and minces no words. “Today, an artisan is no longer an artisan.” “Those bygone workers… had an absolute honor.” Writing at the dawn of the twentieth century, Peguy is a Frenchman recalling p...
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18:51
[Short Stories] Gaeglers and the Wild Geese by Walter Macken
A master story-teller offers another delightful sketch of rural western Ireland when life was more simple but human interaction as rich and entertaining as ever.
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19:43
[Excerpts from Classics] The Death of General Ashby from I Rode with Stonewall by Henry Kyd Douglas
One of the most revered Confederate cavalrymen, Turner Ashby was Stonewall Jackson’s right hand in the world famous Valley Campaign. This excerpt offers an unforgettable sketch of the Shenandoah Valley and of Ashby’s knight-like service and dea...
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19:12
[Excerpts from Classics] Long John Silver and Capt Smollett: A Manly Encounter from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The most remarkable fictional pirate of all time finds his match in the indomitable Capt Smollett. This short chapter called ‘The Embassy’ is itself a treasure in this legendary yet subtle tale of manly character and coming of age.
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14:21
[Excerpts from Classics] Bishop Laval and Jacques, from Willa Cather's Shadows on the Rock
This is a powerful sketch of an early Bishop in French Canada (he was declared a saint in 2014) and his interaction with an illegitimate boy he encounters on the streets of Quebec. (Cather's portrayal is historical fiction about a real man.)
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21:34
[Essays] On Sacramental Things by Hilaire Belloc
A short, striking essay reflecting on the power of everyday things to move the soul and to connect us to the highest realities.
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14:42
[Short Stories] The Missioner by Hilaire Belloc
This lovely short story by Belloc is perfect for a winter evening: you can feel the cold of the north countries and the warmth of the fire. Great for all ages, this story artfully raises a cluster of issues, including the amazing power of music...
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15:43
[Short Stories] At the Sign of the Lion by Hilaire Belloc
Belloc sketches a visit to a remarkable inn and a remarkable conversation about our desire that simple, beautiful things of this world endure into the next.
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20:21