With Rachael

We do what we can to mitigate the pain of heartbreak. Some people cry in bed. Some people eat everything they have in their fridge. Some people dust themselves off, put on a camel costume and go to a party. Our main character and his partner are minutes away from signing the marriage license when they break up. Since both of them are a part of the upper echelon, they have to understand that they’ll see each other frequently, but not like this.F. Scott Fitzgerald has a lot of haters. Whether they hated Gatsby, or are disgusted with how he treated his wife, Zelda. Using her diary as content, publishing her work under his name, or putting her in the psych ward, to name a few of the most annoying actions. My only gripe with him and this story, though the theme seems to run throughout some of the other stories we’ve read so far - the description of black people in stories in the mid 1950s and earlier. I get it. Things were different back then, blah blah blah. It’s so disheartening and annoying to read about black people in stories from this time period where as soon as it’s mentioned that they’re “negro”, which is right away, the dialogue for that character consists of some corny exaggerated accent, and the overall demeanor of that person is meant to feel poor, or stupid, or less. The character is a part of that group but not in status of education level. It’s also becoming clearer to me how hypocritical it is for people this day and age to say, “Black People make everything about race!” when race in these short stories is always established when a character is black, but not to describe the main characters, whom we can only perceive as white. I hope you enjoy this episode.Be sure to Like, Comment, or Share this episode with your friends!Goodnight,RachaelThe music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

If I ever meet Nathaniel Hawthorne in the afterlife, he’ll never know peace. This story is about a successful scientist named Aylmer who falls and love and marries the most beautiful woman, Georgiana. The men want to be with her. The women are jealous of her. The only flaw she has is a tiny birthmark in the shape of an infant hand on her cheek. The birthmark is a little red, so when she blushes, the mark fades. When she’s pale, the mark is more pronounced. As soon as Aylmer, (who even names their kid Aylmer?) marries her, he becomes disgusted with the fact that she has this birthmark and begins to make her physically uncomfortable in her skin. I’m not a man hater by any means. I have my personal opinions about the roles that men and women play in society, but I also have doubts that a woman would ever do something like this. This guy Aylmer has some nerve.I hope you enjoy this episode.Be sure to Like, Comment, or Share this episode with your friends!Goodnight,RachaelThe music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

I want to get something off my chest. I feel as though it’s been a long time since our last TRUE invention. A tangible thing that flips the entire world on its’ axis hasn’t been released in a long time. Don’t fight me. This story is all about an inventor investing all of his time and money into this flying machine. The papers, his community, and passersby mock him and laugh at this seemingly unattainable goal. They see him as a joke, which starts to get into his head. Inventors have to be very brave and strong to do what they do. The constant noise and criticism can be overwhelming, and may derail the process. It’s not for the weak and takes a lot of dedication to filter out the negative voices. Can you think of an invention you’d like to see? Or are you like me, in thinking we’ve done so much, there’s not really more tangible inventions to be created? Let’s chat in the comments.I hope you enjoy this episode.Be sure to Like, Comment, or Share this episode with your friends!Goodnight,RachaelThe music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

Wow. What a story. The first story on this podcast that made me think, “I should call him… Actually, I most definitely should not. ”This story is written as a letter from one woman to an old lover. She’s actively running away from meeting him one last time because she realizes that nothing can come from another reunion. As the woman recounts the beautiful moments between them, oh so long ago, she comes to think about how their love had reached an end. She ruminates on how it felt to be in the same room again, as two different people, recounting their memories as adults mock their actions as young children. This story is poignant and tells a tale as old as time. Two people deeply in love, growing apart, and coming together once again and unearthing those old feelings. The line that sticks out most to me? When the protagonist is thinking about what would happen if they continued to spend time together, she says “We would have robbed those dead people by substituting for our love of the past a fake and ludicrous make-believe. And the dead people would have cruelly avenged themselves by creating between us quarrels, distrust, coldness, and - what is more terrible than all the rest - a ceaseless jealous comparison of the present with the past.”These two people were together for a long time in an undetermined time in the past. They have both grown, become more attractive, and experienced life away from each other. If they started seeing each other again, they would be constantly comparing each other to past versions of themselves, unable to see a future with each other through the nebulus of time between their past relationship and the current one. That love that was dead would be revived only to destroy them. Is this woman making excuses or is she just incredibly self aware? In our everyday lives we often see our friends wanting to give their exes another chance. Send this to that friend in hopes that they see the same thing as I do. Sometimes the memories of that love are better than how the love itself in those moments felt, and it’s easier to come to terms with that, than reignite and get burned. Maybe your friend should get on the train and leave, just like this main character.Like, Comment, or Share if you liked this episode. Goodnight!The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify.Goodnight!x Rachael This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

Don’t let that first line fool you, this story is interesting and made me laugh. Each story I read, I get more of an idea of the time period it was written, themes that may have been important back then, and how language changes over time. In this one, I found that in detective stories, I want more detail on how the protagonists solves the crime or problem. I want the step by step process on how the crime was committed and the trail left behind for the detective to find. His Last Bow didn’t give me that, but it did provide a unique perspective. Instead of following Sherlock Holmes and his way of solving a crime, it follows the man tasked with doing the deceiving and how his actions affect those he works with. Arthur Conan Doyle is known for his universally loved detective stories. This one is a little different. It follows the German spy, Von Bork, as he finishes up his final mission - receive information from an Irish American to send back to Germany. This doesn’t work out as simply as he expects, the tides turn, and once again, I’m rolling my eyes. I hope you enjoy this episode.Be sure to Like, Comment, or Share this episode with your friends!Goodnight,RachaelThe music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

Once again we start a story with someone who’s on “an adventure”. Unfortunately, it feels as though adventure is a code name for trespassing on private property and getting flipped upside down- literally and figuratively. Although this story is classified as a gothic, it seems more whimsy than dreadful and scary. The forest is alive and playing small tricks on Mr. Thomas, starting from the crossed out words on the letter, to the people that he swore he could see and hear, and of course, moving the gate over and over again. Is this the kind of punishment you wish on your neighbors who go onto your property? Let me know in the comments.I never heard of Algernon Blackwood before this episode, but I like his writing and I think I’d read more from him. Up next though, we have more Sherlock Holmes, so be sure to check back in next week to listen to a detective story! I hope you enjoy this episode.Be sure to Like, Comment, or Share this episode with your friends!Goodnight,RachaelThe music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

Warning! This is a children’s story, but here are a few choice words. A Prince is on bedrest which means he can’t do what he loves most about the job, making appearances in front of his adoring fans! As the young Prince tries to feel well enough to assume his responsibilities, he quickly comes to understand what it means to be Royalty, and just how clueless he’s been. This story is a direct representation of life today. It tackles the concept of someone going beyond to make sure they’re fulfilling the role of the job, just to realize that no one before has ever been as diligent. The disillusionment that follows. The annoyance and adjustments made. Maybe even the resignation that the effort isn’t being rewarded, so they might just be better off doing the bare minimum. Have you ever felt this way? Do you have a certain time that you think about when listening to this story? Let me know! I hope you enjoy!Like, Comment, or Share if you liked this episode.Goodnight,Rachael The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

Aldous Huxley wrote one of my favorite books known to man, Brave New World. Since I read it the first time in 9th Grade Honors English, I knew that it and Aldous Huxley would remain in my life forever. The amount of detail in his writing made it difficult to read back in that time, but as a nosy gal who needs to know everything about everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed it. He, along with my English teacher taught me that just because a book may seem long or complex, doesn’t mean we can give up on it. The stories that come are often worth the stumbling over words or rereading to capture the full scope of the setting. This story may be short, but it is intriguing and fun. It’s about a man who wants to buy pictures for his new Manor House, and the Art Dealer who knows just what he might like. I know he wrote this in the 1920’s but did he have to include a slur? Don’t worry, I took it out. That made me so uncomfortable I basically short circuited like a robot with water in its’ motherboard. I hope you enjoy this episode.Like, Comment, or Share!Goodnight,RachaelThe music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

This week’s story is an Estonian fairy tale, translated to English, about a young boy trying to save his town from being eaten by a roving dragon. The only way he can do that is to make sure that he has the Ring of Solomon, that has written instructions - but where is it? And how does he decipher what to do? Listen to this episode of With Rachael to find out! I hope you enjoy.Like, Comment, or Share if you liked this episode. Goodnight,RachaelThe music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

Edgar Allan Poe is practically the godfather of macabre. This story is just an example of his writing in a way that allows the readers to be fully immersed, but deeply trouble them. Although I didn’t enjoy the themes and plot of this one, I can recognize that his writing is impressive, intriguing, and bursting at the seams with details. There’s also something so honest about loving something so much, and being terrified that it loves you back. Terrified that you aren’t deserving of that love, so you self sabotage. That shouldn’t lead to double homicide, but it should be a clue to get some sense of self esteem or therapy.Let me know what you think of this one! Do you like the darker themes like this one or do you prefer sci-fi or more literary fiction? Like, Comment, or Share if you liked this episode. Goodnight!The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

We as a human race are always searching for more. If we’re looking for a higher power or hunt for a better way to do something - that’s not anything new. What do we do once we learn the truth about a situation or if we build a new technology? Do we hold it for ourselves or do we innately get so excited to share about it, not thinking about potential risks? Personally, I stop and share everything I know, and then some. To have these chats with other thinkers like me, brings up new perspectives and allows me to imagine other use cases. We all have our limited perspectives started in childhood and shaped by experiences. That’s why it’s important we talk to each other and grow with each other.In this story, the priest’s son goes on a journey to the Place of the Gods. A forbidden area near the tribe. While on his way, he runs into issues, and finally makes it there. Not knowing what to expect, he explores the space and begins to see what had happened there and how destructive it was. When he gets home, he talks to the Priest and they determine how to share (or hide) the truth. And how powerful that truth is. I loved this one, it stands the test of time, and shows us that although we are tired of living in the age of historic events that kids might read about in school, back in 1937, they were also feeling as though the world would end. And for some, it did. I hope you enjoy.Like, Comment, or Share if you liked this episode. Goodnight!The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

Today’s episode is about a woman who’s not well. Her husband/physician, since that’s a great combination, has prescribed her rest in the countryside. It’s a beautiful house with incredible gardens and greenery - grape vines, and pathways around the property. What isn’t gorgeous however, is the musty, dirty, yellow wallpaper in the room in which she is ordered to rest. The man she has trusted to be her husband, has isolated her in the countryside with only his sister as company. Don’t worry though, she is able to write her thoughts, feelings, and emotions onto a piece of paper (as long as no one sees her do it). This story is an intriguing take on what could happen to someone, once the isolation sets in. Once the mind starts to run. Once there is no one to turn to except a little piece of paper. I hope you enjoy.Like, Comment, or Share if you liked this episode. Goodnight!The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

This is a whimsical confession to a woman who will never read it. While trying to make the trek cross country on top of a train, the protagonist comes across many people. Some may be willing to feed him, some want him to kick rocks, and some might just stare and wait for him to move past.In choosing this short story, I thought it would be a delightful way to shake off some of the funk from the last two. It’s lighthearted and fun instead of being dark and somewhat ominous. Unfortunately, like with all of the other stories read so far. I started thinking deeper into the story instead of letting it make me laugh and moving on.This time I ruminated on the language used and how that language has changed over time. From Hobo, to Homeless, and later Unhoused. The usage of the word tramp back in 1907 vs its near eliminated use in 2026. The words that we no longer use in common language because they’re slurs to negatively depict certain racial groups. It’s interesting how language changes time over time, new words come into the lexicon while others fade away or get revived. It seems that as some slurs and words that evoke a negative emotion get phased out, a brand new word with the same meaning gets created. Don’t let that deter you from being kind or reaching out to someone who might need a community.Like, Comment, or Share if you liked this episode. Goodnight!The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

This episode may be short and sweet, but long after recording, I began to think. I tend to ponder ideas and concepts to the point where I’ve thought it to death and I annoy myself. This rumination has deeper implications.The biggest take away here is that there’s a man that’s tired of being poor, so he sets off to be rich, but stops to say that he’ll never make an honest penny again. Fine. I can understand someone being so tired with the idea that they have to work all day in the sun to live a good life, that they walk away and charter a new path. I can even understand building a name for yourself in a new town while being somewhat unqualified. We’ve all applied for a job where we’ve only held half of the requirements in the job description. The main issue I take with this short story isn’t even about the story at all. It’s about the lengths people will go to in order to make money. The main character doesn’t want to be poor so he sets himself up with a fake degree to become the town physician. He builds a business and soon sets up another, a cemetery. He builds a life around a lie and starts to reap the reward of wrongdoing. He’s able to invest in the towns future, bring his parents to town, and provide for them. Everything is great until, “The Alderman declared my cemetery a public evil and decided to take it from me.” That’s when the trouble for him starts.There are plenty of people in positions of power who aren’t as knowledgable as they tend to let on. You can count on your hands the amount of times someone who gets paid more than you is unable to open an HTML file. It’s infuriating in that case, but in the case of this story, it’s life or death. Our main character took one of the most important jobs in the town without a background in medicine and was tasked with helping everyone who needed it. If they didn’t survive, instead of giving them a place of rest, in the cemetery he owned, he sent them to a medical school to be used in lessons. He was making money off of the ailments of these people as well as making money off of the medical school, who I’m sure didn’t know where the bodies were coming from exactly. When people in positions of power have the money to provide “credentials”, someone’s going to get hurt, and typically that someone doesn’t have the money and status to shield themselves from the fallout. This is only half of what has been living in my head after recording this episode. Unfortunately it’s the most prominent, making me draw parallels in other stories, movies, and miscellaneous content. After you listen, let me know what you think! If you like “With Rachael” and want to hear more, subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts.The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

“With Rachael” has quickly become a way for me to get to know classic authors, read their short stories, and expand my horizons when it comes to reading. What started as just a podcast to help me, and you (duh), go to sleep at night has me checking out more books from the library. You hear the name Ray Bradbury so often when it comes to literary greats. He’s been on every high school english curriculum since the beginning of time, and now I’m understanding why. If “Asleep in Armageddon” is any indication of his work, I’m going to be really excited to read some of his novels. It’s the repetition in his writing, from the “eeeeeeee, ahhhhhhhh, oooohhhhs” to the short decisive lists Leonard writes, and the internal thoughts of a man stranded that make the whole short story intriguing. It’s almost feels as though we need just a few more pages. Just a few more pages would make the story even better.After you listen, let me know what you think! Would you read more by Ray Bradbury? Did you like the Sherlock Holmes story better? What genre would you like to hear? If you like this podcast and want to hear more, subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts.The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

You all know H.G. Wells from his exciting works like, The Invisible Man or War of the Worlds, but have you ever ventured into his other works? This short story is about a shy kid and his dad going to a Magic Shop meeting unique characters and the presence of magic in an ordinary space. This is my first time reading anything by H.G. Wells and if any of his other work is like this, I’d be happy to explore more of the worlds he’s created for readers not only in his time but for the years to come.Take a listen, and let me know what author or genre you’d like me to read next! Music: Japanese Watch by Miles Agean This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

I’m not the most creative human being on the planet, but I do like to make up scenes in my head. I spent a lot of time reading books on the couch about far away places, things that could never happen in real life, and imaginary worlds filled with any type of living being that you could think of. As a chronic over thinker, Sherlock Holmes brought out a world where I could overthink and it still wouldn’t be enough to understand these stories. “How did Sherlock know that? What does deduce mean? Are there people really out in the world that have the brain power to understand underlining tones, patterns, and hidden meanings? Could I?” Sherlock Holmes was always one step ahead, smarter, with more brain capacity than anyone else. In “The Adventures of the Veiled Lodger” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle we discover Sherlock Holmes talking to a woman, Mrs. Merrilow, who has a story to tell. That story involves her tenant named, Mrs. Ronder, who’s face is extremely disfigured and hidden behind a Veil, hence the “Veiled Lodger”. Mrs. Merrilow notes that the tenant wants to talk to Holmes. While visiting Mrs. Ronder, we learn how she came to become disfigured, the tragedy within, and why she wants people to know. It’s cliche but as I grow older, it feels as though the capacity in the brain for imagination and the willingness to read about the intangible dims. Instead of creating worlds in our heads or reading about strange places, we’re consumed with bills to pay, work drama or our overloaded schedules we keep. We’re less likely to read between the lines and dig deeper into stories, asking questions and figuring things out for ourselves. You can see a little bit of that in this episode when I speak about the motives behind Mrs. Ronder sharing her stories. At first I was wholeheartedly in the camp of thinking she distorted the truth about what happened. The more I think about it, I’m beginning to wonder if it wasn’t a lie, if it was just a guilty woman clearing her conscious and trying to make sure someone knew her truth. In all reality, we may never know, but it’s fun to try to figure it out. Is she giving Holmes and Watson the full story or is she twisting it a little bit to justify her actions? No one is alive to contest her word, but if they were, would they?What do you think? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

I’ve always wanted to start a podcast, but I’ve never had the content ideas. One of my friends is a creative and he gave me some advice that he probably heard from someone else. “Create the kind of art that you’d want to listen to. What kind of podcasts do you like?” That’s how this podcast was born. For over 10 years I’ve been listening to podcasts to fall asleep. I’ve been listening to other people talk about the social and political state of Mexico (El Club de Los 21), listened to modern takes on myths and legends (Myths & Legends), and most importantly, I listened to LeVar Burton read short stories from popular authors (LeVar Burton Reads). When LeVar ended his podcast, it left a hole in my night routine and I needed something else to fill it. “With Rachael” is an attempt to fill it. Whether no one listens to it, or 10 people listen, I will do my best to create a space where mindless scrolling is not allowed, but inserting yourself into a story is encouraged. I hope you enjoy- because I most definitely will.x Rachael This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com