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MetaxuCafe UpdatesSearching Member Sites
I’ve recently added a search function so that you can limit your Google search to just the blogs that are members of MetaxuCafe. I think that will be a good resource for everyone looking for literary topics online and you’ll find it right on the front page as well as other places on the site. Now if you want to read about, say Orhan Pamuk, but only want to search the litblogs you trust, you can narrow your search right here.
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews
by Tamara on April 30, 2007
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews
April 2007
by Tamara Kaye Sellman
Welcome to Burning Words: Podcast Reviews, a monthly column reviewing short prose podcasts featuring fiction or creative nonfiction.
What is a podcast?
It might be thought of as the 21st Century equivalent to the old time radio show. Using the latest technology, listeners can download these radio shows as media files to their mp3 devices and computers and, with a single click, listen at their own convenience, either through headphones or through a speaker. Most podcasts are free and can be downloaded through various directories such as iTunes and Podcast Alley.
Note: All podcasts reviewed in this column were downloaded to either an IBM ThinkPad or a Creative Zen V mp3 player for listening and review.
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APRIL 2007 PODCAST REVIEW
Miette’s Bedtime Story Podcast
Overall Rating: 8/10 (not higher due to some poor early productions)
URL: http://www.enivrez.com/bedtime/
RSS: http://www.enivrez.com/bedtime/ Miettesfeed.xml
Language: English
Genres: short classic fiction and essays
Email: form at website
Background
This podcast launched in March 2005. Miette has since produced over 50 episodes which are available free for download.
General Review
One thing I noticed in Miette’s Bedtime Story Podcast was the quality shift from file to file. It meant that some of the earlier podcasts were virtually impossible to listen to because of feedback, background noise, and audio distortion. That was a little disappointing, but not at all unheard of. Much of the early works for any given podcast back in, say, 2005, are likely to have bumps, glitches, and whirrs. Podcasting was truly in its infancy then, and I would venture that it’s still in its infancy, in many ways.
Listeners asked the Brooklyn-based podcaster about quality issues and she replied: “When I got started, I was recording using an iTalk straight into my iPod (I know, right?), and living on a very busy street. These days, I’ve improved the recording technology (but only just a little) and live in a much quieter space. In general, I should hope that the quality continues to improve with time. But I make no promises here, and as a rule, would rather spend time reading than sound geeking. Still, I’m open to suggestion.”
One of the appeals of Miette’s earlier raw sound (when it can be listened to) was the sort of thing that sound geeks do seem to treasure: the ability by a podcaster to produce a single episode in a single sitting, background noise and all. To do this is harder than you think: saying all the words right and with the proper inflection and tone, etc., is far more difficult than podcasters like Miette make it sound. It’s this homespun element that sells the idea of podcasts as an ultimate form of free expression.
Think about it: with a little bit of generally affordable equipment and some planning and production, anyone can do this. These days, podcasting seems to be testing this theory with the growing emphasis on perfect sound quality and I find that a bit sad. Slick podcasts will set a production standard, for sure, but what about for content? Enter the time-worn “style v. substance” argument.
Substance is, hands down, what I love about Miette’s Bedtime Story Podcast (following, in a close second place, is her voice). No, none of the work is hers. It belongs to some wonderfully beloved authors of short work (fiction and nonfiction) like Anton Chekhov, Carson McCullers, Jack London, and P.G. Wodehouse. Dozens of authors of this caliber appear in her podcast. What a treasury we have at our fingertips, and it’s all free to access.
From the Podfeed.net directory: “Lay yourself down to sleep with the soothing soporific of Miette’s purring voice reading you classic works of short fiction. Sweet dreams.” I took Miette “to bed” with me on several occasions recently and found her audio performance of the bedtime story concept really adds up. Miette’s lovely British (or is it??*) accent and ability to capture the tonality of a particular story with her voice make these perfect doses of literature to digest comfortably before launching into sleep.
[*Miette, it seems, is not interested in confirming what sort of accent she has. From her website:
“Q: Where do you live? Where are you from? Is that a (Midlands / Yorkshire / Scottish / Kansas / Indonesian) accent?”
“A: That’s three questions, but I’ll take care of them all: None of your business. You should be more interested in the biographies of authors whose stories are being read here anyhow.”
She’s right. It’s the work that matters. We have Miette to thank for preserving it in audio format. Each podcast is simple, indicated by a light chime at the beginning, followed by some acoustic music and her own introduction. Give it a try, but be prepared to skip a few that aren’t quite up to par.
NOTE: I did not paste reviews for those episodes which I could not discern.
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Episodes reviewed
NOTE: Always check content ratings for individual episodes of all podcasts; some are not work-safe or family friendly.
George Orwell: Bookshop Memories
[air date: 3.11.2005; 12:35 min]—Background noise suits the content. Rating: 9/10
Juan Rulfo: Talpa
[air date: 10.25.2006; 24:26 min]—Includes a personal comment about the reasons behind choosing this and other books for podcasting. Rating: 9/10
Roberto Bolano: A Literary Adventure
[air date: 4.25.2007; 30.57 min]—Bolano pokes fun at other writers. Miette reproduces it well. Rating: 10/10
Anton Chekhov: A Work of Art
[air date: 3.09.2005; 9:23 min]—Some crackling in playback but a good reading. Rating: 8/10
Nathalie Sarraute: XXII
[air date: 7.28.2006; 6:24 min]—Representative of the quality of most podcasts. Rating: 8/10
Saki: Tobermory
[air date: 2.09.2007; 20:06 min]—Hear Miette discuss her conscious inclusion of background noise in her podcasts, plus her first podcast using brand-new audio equipment. Rating: 9/10
© 2007, TKS
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