Just ahead of Episode Twelve of Psmith, Journalist, thank you again for your kind comments about this caper and all our other Tales for Our Time. Over three-and-a-half years ago now, we launched this series of audio adventures on a whim, threw it together somewhat hastily, and learned on the job. So I'm enormously grateful for your appreciation of it. Thank you also for your touching reaction to our Thanksgiving show. My fellow Granite Stater Michael Costello writes:
Mark,
I skipped football to listen to your show and I'm glad I did. Thank you.
P.S. I re-up my membership in a couple of days and your club is worth every cent.
From my corner of New Hampshire to yours, thank you, Michael. Thank you too to Susan, a Steyn Clubber from San Antonio:
Mark,
Happy Thanksgiving. I always enjoy the shows and probably should relay that in comments more often.
I'm glad you enjoy them, Susan - and there's no pressure to comment unless you yourself want to.
Our current tale is Psmith, Journalist, a bit of not-quite-pure escapism by P G Wodehouse mingled with an unWodehousian documentary realism about the crime, corruption and the political machine of New York City. In tonight's episode, the tenement rent-collector is beginning to weary of the attentions of the press, as he tells Psmith and Billy:
I guess it's this Cosy Moments business that's been and put your editor on to this joint, ain't it? Say, though, that's a queer thing, that paper. Why, only a few weeks ago it used to be a sort of take-home-and-read-to-the-kids affair. A friend of mine used to buy it regular. And then suddenly it comes out with a regular whoop, and started knocking these tenements and boosting Kid Brady, and all that. I can't understand it. All I know is that it's begun to get this place talked about. Why, you see for yourselves how it is. Here is your editor sending you down to get a story about it. But, say, those Cosy Moments guys are taking big risks. I tell you straight they are, and that goes. I happen to know a thing or two about what's going on on the other side, and I tell you there's going to be something doing if they don't cut it out quick. Mr.—" he stopped and chuckled, "Mr. Jones isn't the man to sit still and smile. He's going to get busy. Say, what paper do you boys come from?"
"Cosy Moments, Comrade Gooch," Psmith replied.
If you're a member of The Mark Steyn Club you can hear Part Twelve of our serialization of Psmith, Journalist simply by clicking here and logging-in. All previous episodes can be found here.
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Please join me tomorrow for Part Thirteen of Psmith, Journalist.