Just ahead of this evening's Wodehousian nightcap, a quick programming note: On Thanksgiving Eve, I'll be here with our nightly Tale for Our Time, and then an hour or so later I'll be live across America guest-hosting for Tucker - a more controversial occupation than it was a week ago.
In the meantime, here we go with Part Four of P G Wodehouse's venture into the worlds of hoodlums and hacks in pre-Great War New York: Psmith, Journalist. Thank you for your kind comments about this post-election diversion. John Wilson, a Colorado member of The Mark Steyn Club, is finding our protagonist's pronunciation contagious:
Thank you pso much Mark! Been waiting for psome Wodehouse psince you pstarted this Tales for Our Time pshtick.
Pshure thing, John. In tonight's episode, Psmith finds that getting rid of every single contributor to your magazine is not as easy as it sounds. The sacked columnists beard him in his office and demand to know where the editor is:
"I don't know. You don't know. They," said Psmith, indicating the rest with a wave of the hand, "don't know. Nobody knows. His locality is as hard to ascertain as that of a black cat in a coal-cellar on a moonless night. Shortly before I joined this journal, Mr. Wilberfloss, by his doctor's orders, started out on a holiday, leaving no address. No letters were to be forwarded. He was to enjoy complete rest. Where is he now? Who shall say? Possibly legging it down some rugged slope in the Rockies, with two bears and a wild cat in earnest pursuit. Possibly in the midst of some Florida everglade, making a noise like a piece of meat in order to snare crocodiles. Possibly in Canada, baiting moose-traps. We have no data."
Members of The Mark Steyn Club can hear me read Part Four of our tale simply by clicking here and logging-in. Earlier episodes can be found here.
Tales for Our Time is now well over three years old. So, if you've a friend who might be partial to our classic fiction outings, we have a special Gift Membership that, aside from audio yarns, also includes video poetry, live music and more. And I'll be doing a live-performance Tale for Our Time at sea on the next Mark Steyn Cruise - assuming that we're ever again permitted to sail.
Please join me tomorrow evening for Part Five of Psmith, Journalist.
