“I say, gentlemen, I do not go to bed two nights out of seven without taking Washington Irving under my arm upstairs to bed with me.”

Charles Dickens toast to Washington Iring February 1842

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The book the young English author took to bed with him was  "The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent."  It offered more than a legend of a decapitated spirit chasing off a nerd of a Yankee schoolmaster.  Dickens found in Washington Irving's collection inspiration in the tales of "Old Christmas" at "Bracebridge Hall."  Irving, while living in Great Britain in the 1810s discovered the tradition of celebrating Christmas in a manor house near Birmingham, England.  Enchanted he waxed on about the revelry including vivid descriptions of the feast, the parlour games, the songs, and the telling of ghostly tales. 

Thus, Washington Irving helped Charles Dickens spirit "A Christmas Carol," into our hearts.  I am doubly charmed by both authors, offering here word of my "other" solo show;

"A Christmas Carol."  

December 20th, 4 pm filmed and broadcast live from the Boscobel Historic House, Garrison, NY 

Original music by Jim Keyes. 

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Please see this one-page article by Alan E. Hunter on Irving's inspiration of Dickens. 

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