Last year, Tracy O’Neill, the Social Media Curator for the New York Public Library, shared the story behind their reading from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. “Even huge Charles Dickens fans may not know that A Christmas Carol is organized in five stanza-like sections called “staves.” They might not know the author’s only surviving “prompt” copy of the book, that is, Dickens’s own annotated version used for live readings, is held at the New York Public Library. But it’s without a doubt that Neil Gaiman gives one of the greatest deliveries of the classic holiday tale. Made up to resemble a nineteenth century man by Jeni Ahlfeld, the author was transformed for a performance at the New York Public Library, and his engaging reading captured the liveliness of Dickens’ prose. And so, as is our NYPL holiday tradition, we’re sharing Gaiman’s delightful performance of A Christmas Carol. We hope you enjoy it as part of your family tradition too.”
It’s the time of year when many of us watch or listen to that story. Through the NYPL’s podcast, you can hear Neil Gaiman read it. https://on.nypl.org/2h82NXO
And, you can buy a copy of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, or Neil Gaiman’s books, through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com