Audiobook Review: Judi Dench's Brilliant Shakespearean Career

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, by Judi Dench and Brendan O'Hea; narrated by Barbara Flynn and Brendan O'Hea, with additional commentary by Judi Dench (Macmillan Audio)

This is a series of conversations between Judi Dench and her colleague, Brendan O'Hea, narrated by O'Hea and Barbara Flynn. Flynn does a marvelous job capturing the vocal qualities, cadence, and humor of Dench. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.

Dench's long acting career began in 1957 with the Old Vic Company and later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Although most Americans know her work through film roles, she returned to the stage again and again. Over the decades, she acted almost every major female role in Shakespeare's plays. The book is structured around each of these plays, some well-known, others more obscure. Listening to her observations about each character, I was struck again and again by the depth of her emotional intelligence and keen insight. For example, the way she describes Lady Macbeth illuminated the personality and decisions of Macbeth himself in ways I'd never considered. Her observations about the structure of the plays and acting craft, such as the critical importance of what character's don't say, apply to prose narrative as well. It's wonderful to me how different forms of storytelling share the same principles.

Highly recommended.

Book Reviews: A tale of two memoirs

I love to listen to audiobooks while I work in the garden, take a walk, or cook a meal. Recently, I borrowed two memoirs from my public library and was struck by the contrast. Both were written by famous people and narrated by themselves. I was curious enough about each of them to listen to their stories.

The first was Spare, by Prince Harry (Random House), mostly because it popped up on my screen. Okay, I thought, his perspective on growing up in the shadow of Princess Diana’s death should be be interesting. His life has been very different from (or, in Brit: to) mine.

Being in the public spotlight does not qualify a person to write a compelling memoir, nor does belonging to a royal family confer the ability to narrate with clarity and emotion. Spare fails on both counts. The charm of Harry’s accent lasted about five minutes, long enough for the emotional shallowness—a combination of the dry text and the manner in which it was read aloud—and lack of awareness of his elite white privilege to wear thin. Since I know from my own experience what it’s like to lose a parent unexpectedly, I hoped I’d be able to connect with Harry’s loss. I found his denial of Diana’s death understandable as a child. The problem was that Harry, the adult looking back, seemed to not have gained any insight or grown beyond denial as a childish survival strategy. I heard no understanding of how much he’d matured through adversity, the pain he’d walked through. No connection between that loss and the subsequent estrangements from other members of his family or the mental health issues with which he struggled later in life. But there was lots about the privileged life where everything was provided without him having to work for it and which he accepted without question.

I finally gave up, so I never got to hear about his military service or his courtship with Meghan Markle and how they made a life for themselves apart from his royal relatives. I wish them well, but I found little in this audiobook memoir to attract and hold my interest in who Harry is as a person.

 In contrast, Lovely One, A Memoir, by Ketanji Brown Jackson (Random House) was a joy from start to finish. Jackson is the newest member of the US Supreme Court and the first Black woman to be
confirmed to that post. As a student, she excelled in public speaking and debate, tackling challenging topics with determination and extraordinary eloquence. Her facility with communicating complex ideas shines through her narrative, as does her love for her family, her capacity for enduring friendship, her passion for justice, and her unwavering courage. Whether she is talking about the African origin of her name, the environment of racism and misogyny prevalent in here field even today, her and her husband’s struggles to maintain separate careers while raising two daughters, one of whom is autistic, she speaks with unusual clarity and persuasiveness. I loved every minute of her story. In another life, I want to be her best friend.

Highly recommended.

 

 

Music to Words: Two Audiobook Reviews:

Making It So: A Memoir, written and narrated by Patrick Stewart (Audiobooks.com)

Be still, my heart. Sir Patrick Stewart’s life in his own words, in his own voice.

I put a hold on this audiobook months before it became available. My library purchased extra copies to accommodate all the requests. To say the wait was worth it is an understatement. The memoir details a fascinating life and an exciting, varied, and long career, much of which I was already familiar with. Sure, I knew Stewart from Star Trek: TNG and its movies, X-Men, I, Claudius, and other films. But I also had a passing familiarity with his charismatic presence on the stage. My daughter and I attended his one-man performance of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, in which Stewart filled the auditorium with his vitality, story-telling genius, and ability to make the text come alive as we’d never before known it. That’s one of the things that stood out for me in his memoir: how he takes a text and makes it emotionally and intellectually accessible, to take the sense of the words and bring them alive. (Highlight: Stewart reciting several of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. This is, of course, to be expected from a highly experienced veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Theater.

And his voice! We all know that rich, supple voice, although since Stewart is now in his 80s, it has acquired “age gravel.” But what the decades have diminished, skill, life experience, and understanding have enhanced even more. He recounts events with intimacy and meaning, as if he had been there, which he had.

I also knew that he came from a working-class family, that his strong stance against domestic violence arose from watching his father’s brutality, that he had been a stage actor long before he ventured into film and television, and that he is so secure in his sexuality that he is comfortable being demonstrably affectionate with a close gay friend (Ian McKellen). Which, needless to say, other straight men ought to emulate. There was much I didn’t know, and discovering it in the course of listening became a delight, one I will not spoil for you. Just download a copy or put yourself on the wait list at your library, and enjoy.

 

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, by John Wiswell, narrated by Carmen Rose (Tantor Audio); print and ebook published by DAW.

I’d heard of John Wiswell, one of the new generation of splendid young authors, so I grabbed a review copy of the audiobook version of his debut novel, Someone You Can Build a Nest In. Narrator Carmen Rose did a splendid job bringing this unusual monster/horror/romance to life. On a panel at the recent Nebula Awards weekend, a speaker referenced this book as a fresh take on the theme of monster as protagonist, in this case monster as heroic, romantic protagonist. Such characters hold a mirror to our deepest fears, offering shared humanity as a path to laying our nightmares to rest. While Wiswell’s book is not an entirely new approach to the point of view of a monster/villain, he brings a wonderful combination of grit, darkness, and lyricism to the story.

Monster Shesheshen, a formless, pluripotent jelly, is rudely awoken from her sleep in the bowels of a ruined manor by human hunters. Quickly assembling hard materials to construct human-like body parts (a metal chain for a backbone, old bones for limbs, and so forth), she disguises herself as a refugee. The ruse works for only a short tome. The hunters are relentless, driven by the obsessive local nobility who, as it turns out, have their own share of horrendous secrets. Badly injured during a chase, Shesheshen experiences her first taste of kindness when a rejected daughter of the noble house rescues her. Bit by bit, step by step, they each heal one another. The monster’s quest eventually becomes how to build a life with, rather than inside of, the love of her life. And to survive her murderous in-laws.

It's a gorgeous, inventive, intoxicating love story, filled with heart-rending truths, self-sacrifice, and gradual unfolding of character. We should all have such a monster in our lives.

Highly recommended.

Where’s Deborah?

You may have noticed that I’ve been posting less frequently, especially my book reviews. Fear not, I have not departed for illiterate climes. I value our community. And I do have things to say about the books I’ve been enjoying. I just have been reading and writing much less.

In mid-May, I experienced a sudden, severe decrease in the visual acuity of my dominant eye. I’ve been to three doctors so far, including a retinal specialist, and they can’t find the cause. The good news is that they’ve been able to rule out the Big Bads, which is reassuring but frustrating. I’ve tried wearing an eye patch, which gives me better vision through my non-dominant eye, but the loss of depth perception drives me crazy. (Who knew how much depth perception matters when reaching for a mouse?) Meanwhile, my time at the computer is limited (ditto piano, unless I’m playing from memory). Eyestrain headaches set in after only a short time. Hence…

Audiobooks to the rescue!

I discovered the delights of recorded books when they came on reel-to-reel and then cassettes. And then CDs. I still have a collection of my favorite novels and classes. Fast forward a number of years to oh joy! I can not only check out physical audiobooks from my local library, I can borrow digital editions, too! I got into borrowing through the discovery of many podcasts featuring stories read aloud (my favorite was “Phoebe Reads A Mystery”). Alas, these were usually one chapter per episode, liberally laced with ads. Not so the library editions (which also pay royalties to the author and narrator through the price the library pays for its copies).

I’ve worked my way through most of Alexander McCall Smith’s books (especially the “Lady Detective Agency” series), Tony Hillerman’s mysteries, and Anne Perry’s Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mysteries.

What have I been listening to recently? Read my most recent audiobook reviews this Friday for the scoop!

July's Newsletter and what lies ahead

 Here's my newsletter for July, which my subscribers got to read last month. If this content appeals to you, please subscribe here. Or here: https://tinyurl.com/yydem5yw

Alas, the harmonicas have gone to a good home. Don't you wish you'd subscribed <g>?

Ah, summer... This spring has been exceptionally hectic for me personally, but that seems to be drawing to a close. I'm settling into a summer of Clearing Things Up and digging into revisions of the next Darkover novel, Arilinn. I'm feeling bemused by my process. I receive editorial notes (this book and the last, The Laran Gambit, were edited by the amazing Judith Tarr), I look them over...and have the literary equivalent of a panic attack. Ack, I can't possibly fix all this! What was I thinking? Aliens must have eaten my brains! It's hopeless... And then, armed with my trusty notebook, I get to work. And, as if by magic, ideas pop into my brain. They not only pop, they explode...they procreate with abandon. I look back and think, I've written how many novels now and this still happens...and I still love the way things come together in revision every single time. You'd think I'd remember that, right?

What's in this newsletter?   Harmonicas free to a good home! A musical gift Writing craft: Who needs dialog? Audiobook links for my books Cute cat pic In cleaning out a drawer (or five), I came across these cute little Hohner mini-harmonicas. They're about an inch long, with a silvery finish and a loop for a carrying cord. I have no recollection of where they came from, but they're too sweet to not enjoy. I've seen them on Etsy for up to $40 but would rather give them away. If you'd like one, email me at deborahjross at gmail dot com. I'll pay domestic postage.   A Musical Gift Speaking of music, my friend and neighbor, musician Karie Hillery, has a new album out, "Meanderings" contains instrumentals with keyboards and guitar. She describes it as "a musical conversation between hearts - songs that flow through every emotion, carrying the listener on a beautiful journey inward." Her musical partner and BFF Chris Pinnick is a world-class musician who has played with the band Chicago, on Herb Alpert’s ‘Rise,” and with The Spencer Davis Group, to name just a few.  Info and samples on her website. And you can listen to a free song here. I encourage you to take a listen. I find her music calming and uplifting, a welcome antidote to stressful days. Who Needs Dialog?     I love to “talk shop” with other writers. I learn so much about my own process and my weaknesses because it’s always easier to see the flaws – and the strengths! – in someone else’s work. Recently, I had the mirrored experience of serving as a beta reader for another writer’s novel and receiving similar feedback on one of my own. The thematic similarities and differences between the two very early versions of the stories are irrelevant. What fascinated me was that we used dialog in diametrically opposed ways in our story construction: my friend’s rough draft read like a screenplay, and mine had comparatively little conversation. We’ll both end up with balanced manuscripts, but we’ve started from opposite places.    Dialog, which is the transcription of what each character says, rather than a summary in narrative, is one of a writer’s most powerful tools. It’s also one that’s easy to abuse, either by using it too much or too little, or asking it to perform functions in the story that it’s not well-suited for. Certainly, it’s possible to tell a story entirely in dialog form, just as it’s possible to write a story entirely in narrative with zero dialog. Most stories fall in the comfortable middle zone, especially if they involve more than one character capable of speech.   When we write prose stories, we can choose to show action in a variety of ways, narrative being one, dialog another. Dialog isn’t very good for showing events at a distance; characters can be discussing those events or relaying them, but both are “off the scene” and hence have less immediacy. On the other hand, if the emphasis is on the reaction of the characters to those events, dialog can be of immense help. One of the strengths of dialog is that if skillfully handled, it can give us a window into a character’s inner state without being in that character’s head. Screenplay writers know this and use dialog to reveal character, to heighten and resolve tension, to create conflict, and to further the plot.   Which brings me to one of the things I saw in my friend’s manuscript. She came to her story with “screenwriter’s mind.” She used dialog not only to convey the content of conversations (relationship building, changing, exchange of information between characters, etc.) but to sketch out the action that she would later fill in with narrative. I’m a bit in awe of this since what little I know of screenplay writing has thoroughly impressed me with what a high-wire act it is to use only dialog and highly abbreviated descriptions of scene and action to tell a story.   I, on the other hand, used bits of narrative as shorthand for the conversations that will be developed in revision. If anything, my rough draft was too focused on the inside on my protagonist’s head, not what she was doing or saying. One of the consequences was that other characters are suggested rather than developed, whereas in my friend’s draft, her extensive use of dialog has done much of this important work.   There isn’t any one right way to weave dialog into a story, any more than there is one single right way to write. The more options we have, the more tools we have in that magic box of tricks, the better we will be at telling a range of stories. So here’s a challenge for your next story project. If you’re like my friend, a writer who uses dialog heavily to set the major blocks of her story, challenge yourself to write that first draft with as little dialog as you can. Can you do it with none? What are the circumstances under which you absolutely have to put it in?   If you’re like me, a writer who puts in just a bit here and there, challenge yourself to use dialog to create the backbone of the plot, to introduce and reveal character, to heighten and resolve tension, without using your normal narrative techniques.   My guess is that either way, the process will be both uncomfortable and revealing. Have you been relying on dialog as a preferred and therefore easy way of transcribing the movie between your ears? Or have you regarded it as a frill, lightweight chit-chat instead of an essential foundation of the story?   The good news is that no matter where we start, whatever our natural propensities and habit, it really doesn’t matter what order we weave in and shift around the elements of narrative and dialog. What matters is that final draft when everything has come into balance and the story shines!   Audiobook Links I love listening to stories read aloud! At bedtime, I fall asleep during all but the most dramatic scenes. In fact, it's a family tradition! But I also enjoy audiobooks while I am cooking or cleaning (or on the exercise bike, or walking alone). I also love sharing my own stories, whether read aloud for your pleasure by me or a professional narrator. All my Darkover collaborations are available through Recorded Books, so they're listed on many venues. Some of my original novels were put out through Audible and here are the links. I have a few coupons for free downloads of my original books. Let me know if you'd like one. They're also free to Audible members. Jaydium Northlight The Price of Silence Azkhantian Tales After a long, cold, wet winter, summer has arrived with a vengeance! Sonja impersonates a Melted Cat, draped fetchingly across two cat baskets.

Darkover Audiobook News

Last year, the Marion Zimmer Literary Trust made a deal with Recorded Books for all my Darkover books. I'm delighted to announce that they are now becoming available. Thunderlord is the first release, with The Fall of Neskaya, Zandru's Forge, and A Flame in Hali to follow at one-month intervals. You can find them at Audiobooks.com, Kobo, Amazon, and other stores. 

The Price of Silence audiobook!

My novelette, "The Price of Silence," (F & SF 2009, Honorable Mention, Year's Best SF) is now available as an audiobook. You can listen to the first 5 minutes or so, most of the opening scene, free.


If text is your thing, the story is available from Book View Cafe. Amazon,  and Barnes & Noble.

Audiobooks!

Jaydium is now available as an unabridged audiobook, narrated by Molly Elston.

Amazon.com

Audible.com




The audiobook version of Northlight will be released November 4, 2013.

Azkhantian Tales is in the works.