Merry Christmas
from Open Books!
Open Books Presents
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
read by 5 Open Books authors
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Stave I: "Marley's Ghost"
Read by David Rat (author of Happy Ending)
Stave II: "The First of the Three Spirits"
Read by Melissa Palmer (author of Twin Oaks)
The Readers
David Rat
Author of Happy Ending
Melissa Palmer
Author of Twin Oaks
Tim Cole
Author of One To A Million
Chuck Crabbe
Author of As a Thief in the Night
David Rat came to New York City in the late 1970s with big city rock n’ roll dreams. He became the drummer for the seminal art noise band Rat At Rat R. David also worked the door at the infamous Pyramid Club, juggled clingy girlfriends and looked forward to finally gaining his father’s approval as a mainstream success in the music industry.
The story-telling quality of David’s poetry calls to mind the lyrical elegies of Lou Reed.
Melissa Palmer was nominated for the Pushcart Prize for short fiction “Mrs. MacMillan’s Garden” which was the inspiration for Twin Oaks. She was nominated for the Eric Hoffer Prize for short fiction for her story “Blood”. Her work has been featured by Best New Writing, The Quotable and The Writing Disorder among others. In her spare time she wrangles Newfoundlands, two precocious girls, and one very handsome cat with the help of the strong, silent drink of water with whom she shares her life.
Melissa is also the author of
A Life Less Normal, a memoir examining the life of a woman- child growing up in the shadow of mental illness.
Tim Cole was born in Enfield, Middlesex, UK in 1977, and took an interest in literature and writing from a very young age. Raised in Solihull, West Midlands, UK, he went on to study English at university and, after a brief stint as a journalist, taught creative writing for over a decade.
A talented musician, magician and poker player, Cole’s debut novel, One To A Million, is an inspirational tale for modern times. The character-driven story combines friendship, relationships, love and dreams all blended within a fresh and free-flowing narrative.
Cole has also written many short stories which champion the plight of the poor, the underdog and the average man on the street.
Chuck Crabbe grew up in Guelph, Puslinch, and Belle River Ontario, Canada. His mother Ann, a midwife, and his father Patrick, a truck terminal manager, encouraged his sense of adventure, independence, and curiosity.
Following five years as a student and varsity athlete at the University of Windsor he signed a contract with the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes, but a serious illness and personal upheaval changed the course of his life.
Chuck now lives in Brampton, Ontario with his wife Lesley and their children.
Roy Sexton is a small town boy who never quite fit in but learned how to survive playground games with a sense of humor, a bit of style, and a love of movies.He writes, “I tend to go see whatever film has been most obnoxiously hyped, marketed, and oversold in any given week. And every once in a while, I may review a TV show, theatrical production, record album, concert, or book.” Sexton aims to make his friends and family suffer through at least one theater production with him in it annually; but mostly he just wants to live and let live. Sexton is a graduate of Wabash College who also holds an MA in theatre from Ohio State and an MBA from the University of Michigan, Roy resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Stave III: "The Second of the Three Spirits"
Read by Tim Cole (author of One To A Million)
Stave IV: "The Third of the Three Spirits"
Read by Chuck Crabbe (author of As a Thief in the Night)
Stave V: "The End of It"
Read by Roy Sexton (author of Reel Roy Reviews)
And don't forget to browse Open Books' catalog for your next great read!
Our friend and colleague David Rat passed away in March 2018. His portrayal here of Marley's ghost in chains is perhaps apropos as he bore many burdens in his own life with courage and optimism. He is sadly missed by his many friends and admirers.
