A Thing That Glistened: From their pens to your ears, genius in every story

Frank Richard Stockton was born in Philadelphia on 5th April 1834.

His father, a Methodist minister, discouraged Stockton's literary career from an early age. Feeling unable to go against those wishes it was for many years that Stockton's income was maintained as a wood engraver.

His first work was published in 1867 and his first collection only appeared in 1870. Despite this late arrival Stockton's innovative and often far-fetched stories, with a gentle `poking fun' humour were very popula...