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January 2024 – The Month Ahead and the 12 Before– The Business of The Three Fifty-seven

A regular accounting of The Three Fifty-seven published on the first Monday of each month.

The Month Ahead – Monday 1 January 2024

Hello, All,

Welcome to The Month Ahead for January 2024. It is my hope the upcoming year exceeds your expectations.

This issue is also a moment to look back on 2023 and publicly savor a few accomplishments.

Challenge Met

At the most elemental, The Three Fifty-seven challenged itself to blog, podcast, or both at least once a week for the year and that was accomplished. For further context, please note this production is a single narrator, fiction production. Refill my coffee cup for a toast!

As a byproduct, I am a better writer, narrator, and audio producer on 1 January 2024 than on 1 January 2023. Practice and repetition have value.

Select Highlights

Programming highlights included the following: 1) 22 episodes of IT SUITS HER; 2) Five episodes about poetry – yes, poetry – from the last 300 years; and 3) THE TABLE, an homage in honor of National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

The result is a year of work I’ll proudly claim.

But there were completely unexpected delights: a cross-promotion with the Madison On the Air podcast was ridiculous fun. And the inclusion of my narration of John Donne’s THE APPARITION (1633) in Micro podcast’s Late Great: Halloween Edition was a thrill.

Experiments

2024 is committed to a scheduled slate of programming plus experimenting with shows that organically combine social media and audio to develop characters and tell their stories. These shows, DON’T TOUCH THE TRAINS and SPIRITED, premiered in December and will progress for different lengths of time and at different paces.

Financial Support

The program is also taking steps toward seeking funding for its operational expenses such as its domain name and web presence.

Coffee – preferably black – is a constant companion. With that stated, a coffee cup seemed the best first symbol to request support.

The cup serves as a link to the home page of our Buy Me A Coffee campaign. Cheers and thanks for your consideration.

2024 Is Here

However, all of these begin with a season break in January. Nothing is scheduled but there are posts and episodes, including DON’T TOUCH THE TRAINS and SPIRITED, that will be released.

Enjoy the coming year and please know The Three Fifty-seven remains committed to its core belief that “Stories are Everywhere”.

Sincerely,

William E. Spear, Jr.

A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS

Narrated by
William E. Spear

A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS, December 2023

Full Transcript –

A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS

ORIGINAL DATE: 9 December 2023

(Cold Intro)

This is . . . The Three Fifty-seven.

(Theme for A December Force of Poets comes up and goes under)

Hello. My name is William E. Spear and you are listening to The Three Fifty-seven.

This episode features three poets born 200 hundred years ago and whose work still inspires.

Sit back and enjoy A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS.

(Theme for A December Force of Poets comes up and goes under)

The first poem is Emily Jane Brontë’s TO A WREATH OF SNOW.

Brontë was born in Yorkshire, England in 1818 and wrote nearly 200 poems and the novel WUTHERING HEIGHTS.

Written in 1837 and published after her death, this is Brontë’s TO A WREATH OF SNOW.

(Theme for To a Wreath of Snow comes up an goes under)

TO A WREATH OF SNOW

O transient voyager of heaven!
O silent sign of winter skies!
What adverse wind thy sail has driven
To dungeons where a prisoner lies?

Methinks the hands that shut the sun
So sternly from this morning’s brow
Might still their rebel task have done
And checked a thing so frail as thou.

They would have done it had they known
The talisman that dwelt in thee,
For all the suns that ever shone
Have never been so kind to me!

For many a week, and many a day
My heart was weighed with sinking gloom
When morning rose in mourning grey
And faintly lit my prison room

But angel like, when I awoke,
Thy silvery form so soft and fair
Shining through darkness, sweetly spoke
Of cloudy skies and mountains bare;

The dearest to a mountaineer
Who, all life long has loved the snow
That crowned her native summits drear,
Better, than greenest plains below.

And voiceless, soulless, messenger
Thy presence waked a thrilling tone
That comforts me while thou art here
And will sustain when thou art gone

(Theme for To a Wreath of Snow comes up an goes under)

The second poem is Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s OUT IN THE COLD.

Harper was born in Baltimore, Maryland USA in September of 1825. Her work included poetry, short stories, and novels.

Reflecting upon women who have been “Wrecked and ruined, wronged and betrayed”, this is Harper’s OUT IN THE COLD.

(Theme for Out In the Cold comes up an goes under)

OUT IN THE COLD

Out in the cold mid the dreary night,
Under the eaves of homes so bright:
Snowflakes falling o’er mother’s grave
Will no one rescue, no one save?

A child left out in the dark and cold,
A lamb not sheltered in any fold,
Hearing the wolves of hunger bark,
Out in the cold! and out in the dark

Missing to-night the charming bliss,
That lies in the mother’s good-night kiss;
And hearing no loving father’s prayer,
For blessings his children all may share.

Creeping away to some wretched den,
To sleep mid the curses of drunken men
And women, not as God has made,
Wrecked and ruined, wronged and betrayed.

Church of the Lord reach out thy arm,
And shield the hapless one from harm;
Where the waves of sin are dashing wild
Rescue and save the drifting child.

Wash from her life guilt’s turbid foam,
In the fair haven of a home;
Tenderly lead the motherless girl
Up to the gates of purest pearl.

The wandering feet which else had strayed,
From thorny paths may yet be stayed;
And a crimson track through the cold dark night
May exchange to a line of loving light.

(Theme for Out In the Cold comes up an goes under)

The third poem is Mary Bridges Caned Slade’s WHAT DECEMBER SAYS.

Slade was born in Fall River, Massachusetts USA in 1826 and was a teacher and musical composer.

Imploring readers to “open our hearts”, this is Slade’s WHAT DECEMBER SAYS.

(Theme for What December Says comes up an goes under)

WHAT DECEMBER SAYS

Open your hearts ere I am gone,
And hear my old, old story;
For I am the month that first looked down
On the beautiful Babe of glory.
You never must call me lone and drear
Because no birds are singing;
Open your hearts, and you shall hear
The song of the angels ringing.

Open your hearts, and hear the feet
Of the star-led Wise Men, olden;
Bring out your treasures of incense sweet;
Lay down your offerings golden.
You say you look, but you see no sight
Of the wonderful Babe I’m telling;
You say they have carried him off, by night,
From Bethlehem’s lowly dwelling.

Open your hearts and seek the door
Where the alway poor are staying;
For this is the story, for evermore
The Master’s voice is saying:
Inasmuch as ye do it unto them.
The poor, the weak, and the stranger,
Ye do it to Jesus of Bethlehem—
Dear Babe of the star-lit manger!

(Theme for What December Says comes up an goes under)

You’ve just listened to A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS.

Music was through the courtesy of DSTechnician, AmarantaMusic, Alexander Nakarada, and Birds Flying in the Dark.

The Three Fifty-seven is written and produced by William Spear.

Thank you for listening.

(Theme for A December Force of Poets comes up and goes out)

WESJr

December 2023 – The Month Ahead – The Business of The 3:57 by William E. Spear

A regular accounting of The 3:57 published on the first Monday of each month.

The Month Ahead – Monday 4 December

Hello, All,

Welcome to The Month Ahead for December 2023. It is my hope the year has been kind to you.

During the month, the final episodes of IT SUITS HER will be released. Maxie and Celia have traveled a long road and it has been a joy telling their story.

Last month we developed NOVEMBER POEMS, PARTS ONE AND TWO. Seven poems were compiled to honor the eleventh month. Writing from John Clare, Emily Dickinson, Rebecca Hey, and Elizabeth Drew Barstow Stoddard was included. Although not recorded, it is realistic to see a release in 2024.

However, the experience of researching poets and poetry was appealing. Expect an episode this month with a focus on December.

The lineup for the first six months of 2024 includes the following:
— January – Break. There are no episodes scheduled in January
— February – LOVE 20 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE where The Messenger becomes a digitzed personal assistant, with staff, to save a prestigous client of the firm from a potentially catastrophic delay in releasing a new product
— March – SEVENTEEN: A continuation of the story started in 2023; Severin Vincent Tennyson, a sixty-four year-old non-verbal janitor in central New Jersey, U.S.A. and Jennifer Hargrove, his job coach, struggle to understand the flashback he is having
— April – ROAD RAGE: An interpretation of Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow
— May to June – LATE IN THE GAME: The first eight episodes centered on three players on a struggling minor league baseball team in New Jersey

Also, there is a rumor an old friend will in the area between Christmas and New Year. Stay tuned for updates.

Thanks for stopping by in 2023 and we look forward to sharing more in 2024. As always, please remember there are stories are everywhere.

Respectfully,

William E. Spear

November 2023 – The Month Ahead – The Business of The 3:57 by William E. Spear

A regular accounting of The 3:57 published on the first Monday of each month.

Monday 6 November

Hello, All,

Welcome to The Month Ahead for November 2023. It is my hope this finds you well for the rest of the year and beyond. This edition recaps October, maps out November and December, and looks at 2024.

In October, five more episodes of IT SUITS HER were released. Maxie and Celia are in a different place than when their story started and by all accounts there are more changes to come.

Four more episodes will be released in November and the series will conclude with a big showdown in December.

Staying in November, The 3:57 and MADISON ON THE AIR will swap promos in our respective shows. The 3:57 is absolutely pleased to have Madison bring her energy to our program for the entire month.

The program also had two episodes released in Octobber: 1) THE RAVEN – Published in 1845, Edgar Allan Poe’s feathered fiend came tapping and so gently rapping into the podcast and 2) CASEY AT THE BAT – Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s ode to losing sports teams has consoled fans since 1888.

A third stand alone reading, John Donne’s THE APPARITION first published in 1633, was included in Micro’s LATE GREAT HALLOWEEN EDITION.

Looking forward, plans for the first half of 2024 are being finalized. January will be a Season Break with no scheduled episodes. However, after that, the new year starts as follows:
January – Season break with no scheduled podcasts
February – The Messenger in LOVE, 20 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE
March – Four more episodes of SEVENTEEN
April – ROAD RAGE an interpretation of Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow
May to June – The first eight episodes of LATE IN THE GAME

That’s it for now. I look forward to more conversation next month. And remember, stories are everywhere.

Respectfully,

William E. Spear, Jr.

New Jersey, USA

October 2023 – The Month Ahead – The Business of The 3:57 by William E. Spear

A regular accounting of The 3:57 published on the first Monday of each month.

Monday 2 October 2023

Hello, All,

Welcome to The Month Ahead for October 2023. It is my hope this finds you well.

As of this publication, IT SUITS HER continues the stories of Maxie and Celia. During nine previous episodes, and five more are scheduled for this month, they have thrown emotional punches and haymakers that would have solicited applause from Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

However, and of note, is the changing nature of their journeys. Both have revealed parts of their histories more painful than the other might cause. But, and to paraphrase Elton John, they are still standing. Stay tuned for more to come.

Our first single-episode show, THE TABLE, debuted on Friday 15 September in commemoration of National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

THE TABLE is a commitment to account for American Prisoners-of-War, Missing-in-Action, and other U.S. personnel still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War and wars and conflicts further past.

To the veterans and their families, we offer THE TABLE as support for U.S. POWs and MIA.

Another single-episode show debuted on Sunday 1 October: CASEY AT THE BAT. Written by Ernest Lawrence Thayer in 1888, the story tells of sports fans’ eternal optimism of their favorite team winning the big game.

The rest of October beckons with the promise of more IT SUITS HER and other surprises.

I look forward to more conversation next month. And remember, stories are everywhere.

Respectfully,

William E. Spear, Jr.

New Jersey, USA

September 2023 – The Month Ahead – The Business of The 3:57 by William E. Spear

A regular accounting of The 3:57 published on the first Monday of each month.

Monday 4 September 2023

Dear All,

Welcome to another edition of The Month Ahead. It is my hope this finds you well.

As of this publication, five episodes of IT SUITS HER have been released. The two combatants, Maxie Williams and Celia Court, entered the ring with a fierce determination to win.

In this case the ring is Smart Styles tailoring shop where he is trying to pick up his suit for an appointment. Unfortunately for Maxie, he arrived after the shop closed. Unfortunately for Celia, her job is on the line and will likely be fired if she doesn’t close on time.

Each round – or, rather, episode – will continue to bring new details and twists of their pasts and hopes and obstacles for their futures.

As was discussed in last month’s newsletter, single-episode shows were being researched and a list was prepared for consideration. The 3:57 announces the debut of THE TABLE on Friday 15 September to commemorate National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

THE TABLE is adapted from The Missing Man Table ceremony which originated with veterans of, and families and friends of veterans of, the Vietnam War. It has since grown to remember all American prisoners of war and missing in action.

As stated by the National League of POW/MIA Families, The Missing Man Table seeks “to reaffirm the Nation’s commitment to account as fully as possible for American Prisoners-of-War and Missing-in-Action, as well as other US personnel still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War and wars and conflicts further past, thus ending the uncertainty of their families.” To the veterans and families, we offer THE TABLE as support for U.S. POWs and MIA.

Enjoy September and I look forward to talking with all of you next month. And remember, stories are everywhere.

Respectfully,

William E. Spear, Jr.

New Jersey, USA

August 2023 – The Month Ahead – The Business of The 3:57 by William E. Spear

A regular accounting of The 3:57 published on the first Monday of each month.

Monday 7 August 2023

Dear All,

Welcome to Season Two of The 3:57 by William E. Spear. The first episode of the new season premiered Tuesday 1 August.

The series is titled IT SUITS HER and tells the stories of Maxie Williams and Celia Court. Maxie is an actor who left his brilliant career in numerous bottles of whiskey. Celia left a miserable home life and is working at an equally miserable job. Both are struggling and desperate to build better futures.

But when their lives collide, will either land in a place that suits them?

IT SUITS HER is the only series scheduled for Season Two. There will be one blog post and one podcast episode each Tuesday for the rest of the year. That’s five months of Maxie and Celia.

Elsewhere, a trailer for IT SUITS HER has been developed. Same for all of the 2023 shows. Plus, The 3:57 will participate in its first promo swap. Wicked exciting.

With all the episodes of IT SUITS HER having been written, attention has turned to, and development efforts made on, shows for 2024. Expect more shows that run for a single month and one show that spans several months. Further details will be released in the coming months.

There may also be single-episode releases. Although there are programming questions to be considered, there are many moments that warrant one episode. More to come on this, too.

Enjoy August and I look forward to talking with all of you next month,

William E. Spear, Jr.
New Jersey, USA