“Where Stories Are Told” by Khaki and Friends

I’d like to take a moment to reflect on this last year we’ve shared.One year ago the first story aired on The Voice of Dog. The reality of the pandemic had arrived in my country, and all over the world people were feeling isolated and uncertain and powerless. I started this podcast because I wanted to do something about it —anything, just to make something, anything, better for someone. Anyone. I decided I wanted to tell people stories. Stories that would give them courage, or hope, and if nothing else, something to look forward to. Even if they didn’t listen to the stories, I still wanted people to know that someone cared enough about them to have a new story for them to enjoy, every time they came back.The first was, appropriately, “Bad Dog!” by my friend Rob Baird. A story of unfairness, and powerlessness in the face of power — but also a story of defiance and of hope. Many other writers have contributed stories since then. There’s a name for writers who’ve had stories on this podcast, you know. They’re “Friends of the Fireplace” — in early stories I sometimes mentioned that, though I realized I never explained why, and fell out of the habit.163 stories have appeared on The Voice Of Dog in the last year. 163, by 82 writers — well, 83 now, including me. Today's story is “Where Stories Are Told”, a riff on the traditional Irish masterpiece “The Humours of Whiskey”, by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion, and friends — and I’d like to take a moment to thank them:Rob Baird, for Games at Götterdämmerung, Bad Dog!Televassi, for BlueBucks, Counter-CultureHuskyteer, for The Lion of the Low Countries, The Zeroth Protocol, Once We Were MeerkatsNightEyes DaySpring, for Glory of the Gods, Foxing for Pizza, The Tomb Guardian, Loving You is WrongAltivo Overo, for Rabbit Food, How Menander Got His Name, A Close Port of Call, Beyond Mundane Horizons, Catch Me If You Can, Coyote's Voice, The Blue Eye of the Desert God, Harvest Home, All That Glitters, Gibbous Moon WaningToledo the Horse, for Fuzzy Memory, Returning, SecretDomus Vocis, for Edge of the Universe, Somewhere in the White Void, Hades & Philos: Prelude, Bounty Hunter UncleFrances Pauli, for Rats, The Lion Sleeps, Always TomorrowRyan Campbell, for 6 Unbelievable Facts About Unicorns That Will Completely Blow Your Mind, Eagle's SplendourMary E. Lowd, for Katelynn and the Hummingbird, Marge the Barge, Shreddy and the Dancing Dragon, Summer Strawberries, Rapscallions, Shreddy and the Carnivorous Plant, Ecto Cafe, The Canoe Race, A Real Stand-Up GuyDaniel Lowd, for The Canoe Race, A Real Stand-Up GuyKandrel, for The Pack, The Adventurers, Adrenaline High, Salute the Flag, To Find YouCarrizo Kitfox, for The Rat's GiftFaolan, for Earning his StripesDark End, for The AviatrixBill Ricardi, for Unseelie Pie, The Fastest BladeKyell Gold, for Cleaning Up, To Catch a Thief, Agent FriendzoneB. P. Rugger, for Colour Me Terrified, Of His Flesh the Mystery SingSlip-Wolf, for The Charitable Pact of a Soft Hearted Fool, Kypris' KissField T. Mouse, for A Little DistractionPascal Farful, for The Hadfield Robbery, The Sacred Cross, Nobody's HomeMadison Scott-Clary, for Gigs, Disappearance, Milkshakes and Foxes, The FoolOcean Tigrox, for Food, Feuds and Fake FloraRenee Carter Hall, for The Wishing TreeC.F. Becker, for A Day With the SkaraksNenekiri Bookwyrm, for A Gentle Rustling of Leaves, UnpredictabilityMetassus, for The Library, At The Inn, Whitewash, Salted Beef, Crystal, Dear Sara, Snowed InBen Goodridge, for Hot DogSignificantOtter, for LoneKergiby, for Giving Thanks, Home Again, A Number's GameDwale, for The River in the Mist, BeheshtSpottystuff, for The Conqueror, Nonna, Let Them Have CakeFaora Meridian, for Empty, Not So Above It AllAlison Cybe, for Don't Forget your Comic Books!, Space Warrior Hitachi, I Never Wear UnderwearSkunkbomb, for A Rock Among Millions, Broadstripe, Virginia Smells Like SkunkDan Leinir Turthra Jensen, for You Are Our Lifeboat, Flying Rat, No Peas In My GardenW.R. Frixmargen, for Glorvan and the Cart, Little Light ShowCrimson Ruari, for Galician Sled, Tokyo Tension, Going Home, Somewhere In The Cypress, Gate-KeeperJaden Drackus, for The Fox and the Lion CosplayerJay "Shirou" Coughlan, for Dragon Roasted Coffee BeansJoel Kreissman, for A World LostTJ Minde, for Missed Feelings, Like Playing a VolkswagenKirisis "KC"  Alpinus, for No DogsGre7g Luterman, for DragonslayerJohn Bailey, for Twilight Sparkle Goes to BedAmy Clare Fontaine, for Of a Hawk and a LighthouseIan Madison Keller, for The Widehorn Herd, Bucking the Trend, Blind Date BluesRoyce Day, for Oiled Leather, To Catch the Lightning, At PrayerMikasiWolf, for Kenyak's Saga, A Part of the Machine, A Leap Forward, A Leap Forward, A Leap ForwardChapter I, by Kenneth Grahame, for The Wind in the Willows, The Wind in the WillowsTempo, for Robin Hood and Her ValkyrieUtunu, for WaterRob MacWolf, for Fourth Man Left Outside, "The Last Journey Of Theodore Vulcek, Leader, Beloved Husband, and Pack Brother", and for writing half of today’s song.H.J. Pang, for Remembering the ForgottenThurston Howl, for Ghosts of Cinnamon and LavenderIan Madison Keller, for Blind Date Blues, Blind Date BluesSakaraFox, for A Well-Deserved RestDirt Coyote, for I'm Just Your Stud, Leave It for the Morning, You Can Watch Me DanceBlouie the Blue Heeler, for Aurora BorealisK.C. Shaw, for Sound CheckMog Moogle, for Over the TopRoland Jovaik, for VariablesKillick, for Sky DefenderJ.B. Rockwell, for MonkeyshinesWeasel, for These Are The Days of Our LivesDire, for Mischief MakersJ.F.R. Coates, for Lights In The SkyAlice Clawford, for Feeling SheepishAnhedral, for AbstinenceKayode Lycaon, for A Lazy Monday, Date NightTanner Silverpaw, for Winter SnowAl Song, for Tempus ImperfectumAelius, for Urban Mystic, The ScoutHerr Wozzeck, for Shopping TripDarius Davis, for Familiar EncounterReid Minnich, for Hostage, Chinchilla AttackLauren Rivers, for Morning CoffeeJS Hawthorne, for Endless WinterKenneth Grahame, for The Wind in the WillowsVixyy Fox, for The First Snow WaltzNachtfangen, for Cease FireI’d also like to thank my friend Colson Grainger for the use of his song “Intensely Beautiful and Strange”, a favourite of mine, whose gentle guitar has bookended every story to date.And last but not least, I'd like to thank you, too. With all the love in my heart, and al the wisdom of the universe:Thank you for listening to The Voice of Dog.