[Leonardo da Vinci, Analysis of a bird's wing- looks a little like a digital soundfile, doesn't it?]
There's a new set of soundfiles up on the Titus Books website.
They include:
- David Lyndon Brown reading from his novel Marked Men (Titus, 2007)
- Bill Direen reading from his poetry collection New Sea Land (Titus, 2005)
- Scott Hamilton reading from his poetry collection To the Moon in Seven Easy Steps (Titus, 2007)
- Mike Johnson reading from The Vertical Harp, poems of Li He (Titus, 2007)
- Alistair Paterson launching Olivia Macassey's Love in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (Titus, 2005)
- Olivia Macassey reading from her book during the Rakino launch (2005)
- Olwyn Stewart reading from her novella Curriculum Vitae (Titus, 2005)
- & me reading from my novel EMO (upcoming: Titus, 2008), with backing music by Padmanabha Fischlinger.
I don't know about you, but I really like the idea of checking out upcoming purchases online through sound as well as text extracts.
It makes me realise, yet again, how desirable it would be to complete my online listing of the Aotearoa New Zealand Poetry Sound Archive (2002-4) with just such a set of soundfiles -- at least one extract from every author willing to participate in the project.
Alas, I lack the technical expertise (and, at least at present, the time) to attempt such a task, but how about it? Are there any people or institutions out there anxious to help out? Watch this space for further developments. ...
9 comments:
Jack - I asked that my contributions be deleted for what you will know are obvious reasons.
I was in a far worse state than I realised, as my body weight is well down now and so on...
So consumption of the sacred ichor has to be watched by myself!
I'm sending a CD I did some time ago of and by myself reading to
B.D. in Paris (where he fiddles with Titus) (I was going to do more and make it into book/CD but didn't finish it but the readings on there I did completely sober!) I was alone when I recorded the CD.
They are of very good quality.
While all the readings I did from 1989 I was very drunk but they were still good readings (up to about 2000 or so but I was best from 1989 to say 1995) - but at 60 I cant handle that kind of thing anymore....
But I get very very ill now... (I mean from imbibing the sacred ichor!)
Otherwise I am very well.
Anyway hopefully in a week or so something by me will be up there on Titus.
Hope you and Brownyn are good.
Kind regards
Richard
I think that's a great idea. I'll help if I can. I know some computer geeks who might know how to go about it.
Among others, it would mean I would be able to post the various archive tracks by JD, the "best writer alive" (as you call him on your blog -- & why not? I bow to none in my own admiration (mixed with terror) for Pleasant Hell).
Seriously, though. I think people should have a chance to hear more of these voices we have sitting here in digital form.
I regret, of course, that your own work wasn't recorded in 2002, but I'm sure there'll be plenty of chances in the future to make up for that.
Hope the two of you are surviving.
love, jack
RE the sounds archive - good idea - it should be relatively easy to do - but I remember the trouble you had doing the two books you did do Jack. They were good but troublesome to do I believe.
I think that whatever happens the reader should hear his / her recording before it gets "published" - and do more takes if necessary.
I also have The Globe Tapes: and listening to them (I wasn't around "poetically" in those days) I regret that more poets weren't included.
There poets of clearly considerable ability and of great interest who were recorded but clearly many others not. Some quite unknown to me were /are very good.
Some writers realise they are hopeless at reading and rightly aver.
There are many I have heard who are well known in NZ who are in that category - except they (unfortunately didn't "aver"...)
I really like the Earchive idea and am thinking about how to set it up.
Also potentially interesting: a user-generated website like YouTube, where poets can submit their own soundfiles/videos/texts/ jpegs.
Yes, I agree that JD's voice should be recorded for prosperity. I should really trail him with a dictaphone. Here is an example of his unpremeditated genius:
The History of the Macadamia Nut
There was a man named McAdams
Who found a fatty nut.
One night the island natives
Came to burn his hut
Though their approach was stealthy
McAdams shouted ‘Halt!’
They said, ‘Don’t worry — it’s healthy
Roasted with no salt.’
PS Does B. sew those beautiful Pania Press book jackets?
PPS I told J you said his memoir was terrifying and he said, "Why? I thought it was a very good-natured sort of a book!"
Ha! As wonderful a book as 'Pleasant Hell' is, Dolan makes Elroy's 'My Dark Places seem like a fairytale.
Thank you! That's a nice thing to say :)
Bronwyn does sew the Pania Jackets -- except for the screenprinted Orange Roughy one, which she printed with my clumsy aid in the middle of our living room ... It's a family business, all right.
Jack
I listened to your reading of 'Cat' (on Titus - "Sound Files") it is great - just the right emphasis for the subject - just the right amount of emotion and lack of it (when needed) as you are "being a robot" I presume - hence it it seems as if it is part of your ongoing "project" including 'Nights...' etc)) - very good. I haven't listened to them all but Scott's thing is drowned out by music - Patterson is good. Olwyn also and David. Bill is also good.
Your reading of Cat gave me sudden insight into what I think you are on about - but you still checkmated me with your "eternal Moibus book" - but then I had the everlasting book - prose poem with no subject !... Touche! (But the author has refused to die so far!!
In any case your reading held my attention completely...
Titus, and other secret sources I cant reveal, tell me you are
launching an evil and strange new book soon that will completely check mate me!! (And all others....
Re the Sound Files
I have some stuff Bill is putting up - they should sound good.
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