New Stories Broadcast
New York, 1938. Steeplejack Frank perched on Liberty’s head, 305 feet up. His son Tommy beside him, first job. Wind howled. Tommy froze: “Dad, I can’t.” Frank touched the copper: …
Some Jobs Are About What It Means Read MoreChicago, 1948. Engineer Bill felt brakes fail. Terminal ahead. Passengers screaming. His daughter Mary on board – her first train ride. Bill stayed at controls, fighting physics. Train burst through …
Couldn’t Let Your First Trip Be Your Last Read MoreThe 13-Year-Old Who Chose Them Over Childhood His mother died birthing twins. Father gone months before. Thomas Whitaker was thirteen when two newborn lives fell into his hands. He rocked …
HE ROCKED THEM THROUGH GRIEF Read MoreYuma, 1871. Jack Connelly rode in with lungs rattling, skin weathered hard. Buried a wife, two sons – each grave carved him smaller. Doctor offered morphine. Jack spat red into …
Standing Tall Until the Sunrise Read MoreMontana, 1941. Eight-year-old Tommy’s job: raise the flag at his one-room school. December 7th, Pearl Harbor. His teacher wept. “Keep raising it,” she said. His brothers enlisted. Only one returned. …
Eight Years Old, Raising Hope Through War Read MoreHarlem, 1940s. Fifteen-year-old Ruth sold Beechnut gum after school. Winter coat held together with pins. Same spot, same smile, every day. “Why you always happy?” asked a regular. “Each pack …
From Selling Gum to Saving Lives Read MoreMeet Tommy, 14, who loved golf but couldn’t afford lessons. Rich club members saw him practicing with broken clubs behind the fence. Instead of shooing him away, they hired him …
The Cage That Protected a Dream Read MoreNorth Carolina, 1934. Depression ravaged everything. Young Tommy stood barefoot by his apple stand, toes black with dirt. A car stopped. Woman pitied him: “Poor child, here’s a dime, keep …
THE BOY WHO SOLD PRIDE Read MoreSan Augustine, Texas, 1939. Kids lined up outside the theater in patched coats and overalls. Depression era. Movies were rare magic. A boy clutched his nickel tight – saved for …
Wonder for a Nickel: A Depression-Era Escape Read MoreNew York, 1952. Helen stood in the bathroom, staring at the perfume machine. Ten cents. She had fifteen in her pocket – bus fare home. Her interview went badly. The …
Spritz of Chanel and a Second Chance Confidence for Ten Cents Read More