Aesthetics of Process
tags:
Aesthetics of Process, Reviews
I’ve been perplexed by the problem of how to write a review, the kind of review I want to write, the kind of review I would like to read. I have something in mind, but I don’t know what it is. I launch an effort…
» read
1 commentBURNING WORDS Podcast Reviews March 2008
tags:
podcasting, podcasts, reviews
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…
» read
leave a comment BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews, February 2008
tags:
podcasting, podcasts, reviews
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…
» read
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews for December 2007
tags:
podcasting, podcasts, reviews
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…
» read
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews, November 2007
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews November 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…
» read
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews October 2007 by {encode="tamara@writersrainbow.com" title="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…
» read
Burning Words: Podcast Reviews || SPECIAL EDITION: HURRICANE KATRINA STORIES
tags:
hurricane katrina, podcast, reviews
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews August 2007 Special Edition by Tamara Kaye Sellman Introduction 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…
» read
Bookworms Carnival is Up!
I hate, hate, hate summer, and the last few days here in NYC have been August at its worst: super humidity, subway-killing flooding from the thunderstorms, and general heat-induced crankiness from my fellow citizens. Now is always when I want to hibernate, and it’s in…
» read
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews, August 2007
Introduction 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…
» read
Trespass, by Valerie Martin - A Review
tags:
literary fiction, reviews
Valerie Martin’s new novel, Trespass, achieves a rare balance between a powerful anti-war message and contemporary literature. Martin’s first novel since her Orange Prize-winning Property, Trespass portrays a privileged, intellectual family, Chloe and Brendan Dale and their cherished son, Toby, a junior at NYU. Chloe…
» read
On books as sweaters (part 3 of 3)
tags:
Adorno, books, Gordimer, reading, reviews, Sontag
In the weeks since the book section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was closed down, many good articles have been written to analyze the state of literary criticism in the US (notably here), and after a brief survey of the litblogs, the furor seems to have…
» read
The Arc and the Sediment, by Christine Allen-Yazzie
tags:
literary fiction, reviews
Ms. Allen-Yazzie’s debut novel, The Arc and the Sediment, gives us a woman’s answer to the classic men on the road going nowhere novel. Her protagonist and narrator, Gretta, struggles mightily with the same turbulent hallmarks of American literature’s bad boys: taking to the road,…
» read
Arlington Park
tags:
Orange prize, reviews
There seems to be something about the shortlists for juried awards that invites explanation. When it comes to the Clarke Award, for instance, spectators will quite often—and often quite confidently—pick out “the core sf book”, “the mainstream book”, and so on, as though the shortlist…
» read
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews
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.
********
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.
********
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
» read
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews
BURNING WORDS: Podcast Reviews
March 2007
by Tamara Kaye Sellman
Introduction
Welcome to Burning Words: Podcast Reviews, a monthly column reviewing short prose podcasts featuring fiction or creative nonfiction. My hope in penning this column is to build mainstream awareness of podcasting’s tremendous potential as an accessible, diverse, high-quality, intellectual, and practical form of entertainment.
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.
History
I have owned an mp3 player (Creative Zen V) since September 2006, but I don’t use it to listen to music or watch videos. Instead, I listen to a variety of audio fiction, nonfiction, and poetry programs which all fall under the aegis of the podcast.
What a treat! Only a year ago (2006), I was telling someone how I missed listening to the nostalgic radio shows that reran in Chicago back in the 1980s when I lived there. “I wish,” I said, “that someone would borrow from the success of those old radio shows to figure out a way to bring contemporary poetry and fiction alive through mp3 technology.”
Little did I know, then, how podcasting had already emerged from its infancy and was developing into the wonderful utility for mass communication that it’s becoming today.
What’s more, you can find every type of programming under the sun, thanks to the emergence of technology that provides an easy and inexpensive interface between the performer/producer and his or her audience. The advent of podcasting directories to link podcasts to listeners easily unifies the process.
Now, while I still enjoy downloading Nostalgia Radio from the 1940s (yes, you can still listen!), I have also discovered the pleasures of listening to NPR on my own schedule. I can also catch my daily dose of Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor or any of the other assorted talk-radio programs I like, which focus on topics that fascinate me (i.e. psychology, science, conspiracy theory—Art Bell, anybody?).
But what I really dig are short prose podcasts. These days, it’s hard to catch live storytelling without going to a festival to do it. Most live readings in literary circles focus on poetry readings or slam competitions. Short prose doesn’t get much attention outside the print and online magazines which house stories and essays. Even then, finding and reading these magazines can be difficult for casual, mainstream readers.
This is where podcasting can make a difference. Short fiction and creative nonfiction podcasts have proliferated since 2004 and show no signs of abating Whether one prefers fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, literary, personal monolog, comedy, bedtime stories or other forms, there’s bound to be something out there for every listener.
About me
I’ve worked in some form of editing, writing, and/or publishing since 1983. Currently, I direct a small editorial services firm, Writer’s Rainbow, while managing MRCentral.net, an interactive community which is the world’s only magical realism network. I’m a published author (of poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction) with credits in magazines across the US as well as in Canada, the UK, Mexico, and Malaysia. I collected a second Pushcart Prize nomination this year and have won various other small prizes for my own creative writing over the last decade. I also volunteer for the small press and creative writing and literary venues in the Pacific Northwest, especially in the Seattle area. You can read more about me at my home page.
I hope you’ll let Burning Words: Podcast Reviews serve as your home base for podcast listening. Want a podcast reviewed? E-mail me and I’ll check it out. Also, I hope to develop Burning Words not only as a column, but also as a podcast in its own right, so stay tuned for those developments.
TKS, 3.28.2007
Note: All podcasts are downloaded to either an IBM ThinkPad or a Creative Zen V mp3 player for listening and review.
********
MARCH 2007 PODCAST REVIEW
King Bonk’s Campfire Cast:
A Periodic Setting of Sound and Story
Overall Rating: 8/10
URL: http://www.kingbonk.libsyn.com/
RSS: http://kingbonk.libsyn.com/rss
Language: English
Genres: short fiction, essays, poetry, music, soundscape
Email: kingbonk@gmail.com
Background
From the website: “A surreal world of soundscape, scary and/or scintillating stories, and poetry—with a little philosophy thrown in the mix to keep you pleasantly confused! Just as your mind wanders when warming your hands by the bonfire, let King Bonk take your mind to strange and distant places—some of them vaguely familiar, some of them kinda stupid. Come to the fire, sit down, gather round, and listen to King Bonk’s proving ground for sound.” Podcast Pickle also describes King Bonk’s Campfire as “a surreal trip into soundscape, stories & music, hailing from Philadelphia, PA.”
This podcast launched in Jan 2006. In the year that followed, King Bonk’s Campfire has produced 28 episodes which are available free for download. King Bonk is currently on hiatus until Jun 2007.
General Review
King Bonk’s Campfire focuses on personal essays which can be intense, confessional, darkly comic, evocative, and even erotic. They generally circle around favorite topics: real-world ghosts, fear, church, beliefs, and social commentary. It’s unclear whether these pieces are written first, and then delivered, or done improvisationally. While the episodes seem to be produced “on the fly,” small passages of crystalline prose poetry do crop up in some of the more insightful narratives. The quality of the narrator’s voice for King Bonk’s Campfire is edgy, hypnotic, and captivating. Listeners may feel like voyeurs, but this only adds to the dramatic and intimate quality of this podcast. His work is, if nothing else, unforgettable. Production values are better than average, thanks to some carefully selected background sound and music. The crackling campfire sound in the background is kinda fun. After listening to several episodes, I do not get the sense that this podcaster has fully realized his focus here, but his undeniable passion for storytelling plus the powerful subject matter of his content and the podcast’s above-average production make King Bonk’s Campfire one to listen for. I hope he keeps going. KB reports he will return to the podcasting world with new material (equivalent to the power of “Latter-day Ghosts,” I hope) in June 2007.
Episodes reviewed
NOTE: Check ratings for individual episodes; some are not work-safe or family friendly.
King Bonk’s Campfire #001: All-Seeing Eye
[air date: 1.01.2006; 35 min]—The very first episode. Some sparks of quality in an uneven production. I especially liked the narrator’s discussion of his fear of the moon. Commentary is arch and reminds me of an edgy, neurotic, and personalized episode of This American Life. Rating: 6.5/10
#15 - A Prairie Home Apocalypse
[air date: 6.12.2006; 28 min]—This is a special and atypical episode that KB produced to offset what he considered a dark previous episode. Sort of a variety show, with poetry, live music and essays. The chatter about visiting the barber is funny and weird. A little too scattered for me, overall. Rating: 4/10, but remember, this isn’t a typical episode.
#18 - Feeling Gravity’s Pull
[air date: 8.16.2006; 18 min]—One of KB’s more lurid episodes. Recorded at 3 am, if that tells you anything. Segments about being off Zoloft, having insomnia, auditioning before a sexy high-school stage director, and adjusting to a $2,000 bed called the Flexiline Sleepdeluxe Dreamcatcher lend this late-night episode an erotic surrealism. Funny and strange, probably best listened to with earphones… Rating: 7/10
#23 - Latter-day Ghosts
[air date: 11.21.2006; 28 min]—Wow! Outstanding pastiche of ideas: tornadoes, architecture, living ghosts, the passage of a loved one. Some real gems being mined here. This episode was so intense that I almost couldn’t continue listening to it, but had to, anyway, to see how it resolved itself. A little long, in spots, but still, an evocative blend of anguish, terror, melancholy, and insight. This one will blow you away. Rating: 9/10
Bonus Show: Breaking into Radio
[air date: 6.13.2006; 5 min]—Podcast equivalent of flash fiction, despite the fact that it isn’t fiction. KB as narrator seems strange enough to make the events of this story somehow believable all the same. Fun, quirky stuff. Rating: 9.5/10
© 2007, TKS
» read
Hell on Frisco Bay and Girish: Two Great Film Blogs
tags:
Cinema, film blogs, journalism, reviews, writing
Two of my favorite film blogs are blurbed in this SF360 article. Congratulations Brian and Girish!
“There’s a scene well into Stephen Sondheim’s Gypsy where the young Gypsy Rose Lee is offered timely advice from three seasoned strippers who cue her that she’ll be much more than a mimic if she has a gimmick. With the plethora of blogs now available out on the blogosphere—each somehow exposing if not shamelessly foisting the personality of their authors—the parade of opinion can become nearly numbing; a real bump and grind. Good writing hopefully being a given, it still takes something extra to make a blog attract traffic.”
Brian and Girish’s blogs are two from the list that Michael Guillén says have that extra something-something he calls a gimmick. I don’t think it’s anything like a gimmick that makes these two special; Personally, I find their content clear, well-written, trustworthy, entertaining, and informative. They’re also pretty well-designed, easy on the eyes. They meet the same standards any good alternative newspaper, zine, or daily rag should nail. Critics and allies of the blogosphere tend to forget that the same principles apply to good print or web content. It should be factual, up-to-date, neatly-presented, fun, broadly informed, and with it’s own unique style and focus. The only differences relative to paper periodicals are those of speed and scale. Blogging is sometimes delivered with more speed, and can be at fault for rapidly firing off too much, too soon. In that way, it suffers a typically masculine flaw, premature ejaculation. Luckily, Brian and Girish’s blogs don’t suffer in this way. They hold back just enough to satisfy.
“2. Hell on Frisco Bay
Racheting down just a notch to provide a working handle in the Bay Area, Brian Darr’s blog juggles the Bay Area’s many movie calendars, pampering the cinemaniac’s dream of attending choice screenings at favored venues. More like a ringmaster than a traffic control cop, Brian highlights the latest acts in town; it’s a timesaving service for the rest of us.
3. Girish
Girish Shambu’s eponymous site is a testament to his skills as an educator and social facilitator. Writing an entry usually once a week, he’s a teacher who’s cognizant that ending a lesson with a question provokes discussion and promotes interaction. He’s fair in his moderation of comments that frequently dip into the hundreds within the course of a week. His blog is the water cooler that hydrates on-line discourse. Everyone gathers at Girish’s place to talk about film.”
» read
Review: “The Lies of Locke Lamora” by Scott Lynch
“The Lies of Locke Lamora” has received more than its fair share of attention this past year, first with a number of raving and positive reviews, along with favourable blurbs by the likes of George R. R. Martin. As a result of this it was…
» read
leave a comment 
