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The Spectral Summit

The Spectral Summit

Written by: Creative Actors Lab
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This podcast looks at historic literature and figures from the past. We'll start with a 16-year-old Ben Franklin pranking his brother James in 1722 by writing essays as a middle-aged New England widow who savagely critiques colonial Boston and Harvard. Future episodes include interviews with Warren G. Harding, FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt and Edgar Allen Poe. Stay tuned!

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Episodes
  • Teen Ben Franklin's Prank - Silence Dogood Essay 1

    Teen Ben Franklin's Prank - Silence Dogood Essay 1
    Feb 22 2026

    In this first episode, Kelley explains how sixteen-year-old Benjamin Franklin couldn’t get his writing published — so he invented a widow. In the first Silence Dogood essay, Franklin secretly introduces a witty fictional voice that captivated readers of The New-England Courant and launched his career in satire. It's a founding teen's look at colonial Boston, and his alter ego doesn't hold back. This is the origin story of Silence. It's a fun educational tool for middle and high school students.

    Learn more about The Spectral and Literary Summit at our website - www.spectral-summit.com. We offer historic and literary videos and podcasts that make the past and literature come alive. This is a production of Creative Actors Lab . Check out our Instagram page here.

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    12 mins
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