9 - LAMBDA RISING BOOK REPORT
A n Electronic Gutenberg Phenom enon?
by Robert Dirmeyer
We’re all a bit squeamish when it
comes to considering certain parts of the
human anatomy. Yes, these parts are only
discussed in whispers between two who are
sounding the attributes or shortcomings of a
third; or, perhaps in shrill, schoolboy tones
meant to deride or injure. And talk of clinical,
probing instruments violating these areas
sends chills down our spines. Only good
friends, or best, lovers, do we allow to fondle
these areas. These are also regions about
which we feel naked unless they are covered,
or at least fringed, by hair. So sacred, so
private, are these parts, they can’t help but
fall, as does the sanctity and purity of moth
erhood, to the uncouth or wrathful phrase.
Consider the words: "In your ear!"
Yes, the ear. That aural cavity which is
sometimes a silver chalice brimming with
symphonies, at other times a slop pot coagu
lated by early morning garbage truck sounds,
but more usually a styrofoam cup half empty
with the tepid din of day to day life.
According to a friend, who happens to
be a cultural curmudgeon of sorts, there is
another alarming encroachment on the sanc
tity of the Oar. Akin, he says, to the com
promising of sexual morals by the airing of
condom ads on “ the television machine."
Now I call them “ books on cassette" or
“ audio books.” He disparagingly refers to
them as “ those electric books;" but what do
you expect from a guy who wishes power lines
were were around during Ben Franklin’s time
only so one of his experimental kites would
get hung up and "pu t the whole silliness to an
end then and there.”
Anachronistic curmudgeons aside,
books on cassette are probably here to stay.
According to Jane Friedman, Publisher of
Random House AUDIOBOOKS, the market
hasn’t yet “ exploded" but sales have been
steady, so much so that Random has seen its
way to expand its offerings beyond titles
available from Random House, Inc., or its
various imprints.
Why books on cassette? What’s the
use? And, hearkening to my curmudgeon
friend, doesn’t the phenomenon somehow vio
late the sanctity of printed works? Don’t they
just add more noise to an already caco
phonous civilization. Consider all the mind
less household chores one does while listening
to music or nothing at all. Consider commu
ting, especially car or bicycle commuting.
Consider the white slash across the stomach
after a day of reading on the beach. Consider
that there are probably very few writers
who’d be alarmed at the prospect of having
their work read aloud.
Recorded books have a place, though
it’s doubtful they will ever supplant printed
books. I’ve tried just plugging in a cassette,
sitting down and listening. Unlike actually
reading, you get fidgety. It’s also harder to go
back a couple of lines to relish a sublime
phrase or clear up a misunderstanding. Ano
words are never really changed, just certain
amounts of text are excised and verbal brid
ges are written to cover the gap and that
these are always read in another narrator's
voice.
Then, if required, the author is called
in to give final script approval. Once
approved, the audio producer goes to talent
agents and hires an actor or other similar
person to audition for reader. Sometimes the
authors themselves opt to read. I listened to
N ERILKA’S STORY, by Anne McCaffrey
(Random House, 3 Hrs. $14.95) read by the
author herself. The inflection was great, she
knew, of course, the story inside and out; but
I just didn’t like her voice. While you may be
thinking you can turn your bedtime, baby
sitting skills into cold cash, Friedman warned
that reading is a very demanding, very hard
job-proper inflection, no clearing of the
throat, no noticeable catching breath, etc.,
being some of the rules.
Remember that this is the Random
ther thing-purists will cringe--is that some
books are abridged and some works that lend
themselves to the treatment are dramatized.
On top of this, Jane Friedman said that some
titles just won’t come across well as recorded
books. Hence, books are here to stay, at least
for some time. In answer to the cacophony
question, I did household chores while lis
tening to Peter Egan read Oscar Wilde’s THE
PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (Listen for
Pleasure, LTD., 2 Hrs., $13.95) in a smooth,
delicious English accent. I had a delightful
listening experience and I also felt like I ’d
done more with my time than just toss out
dust cats.
As I talked to Friedman I Learned the
rudiments of the production of recorded
books. First, of course, titles are selected for
their adaptability to the medium. That’s con
sidered along with rate of sales while in print.
She went on to say that publishing houses
concerned with books on cassette usually
have professional audio producers on staff
who oversee the production of the tapes.
After a title is selected, the producer calls in
a professional abridger to consider the work
and how it can best be shortened to fit tape
format. I can only imagine abridgers being
akin to surgeons, or better yet, weight salon
instructors; but, these professionals are deal
ing with disease or fat, not art. How would
one decide which section o f Andrew Wyeth’s
"Christina’s World” to crop for a mini art
book? A poor analogy perhaps, but you get
the jist. Friedman stated that the author’s
House process. There are other houses active
in the field of audio books. Some of these offer
entire texts of the classics on cassette (WAR
AND PEACE?) and undoubtedly go through
production processes which are somewhat
different.
One reason I ’m in favor of books on
cassette is our sight impaired, or otherwise
handicapped friends who can’t read for one
reason or another. ("Braille," says my misan
thropic, traditionalist friend, not considering
the full scope of handicaps.) Having worked
in a bookstore and wanting to share my love
of books with everyone, it’s daunting to have
to turn away eager appreciators of literature
simply because no one thought to consider
people with impairments.
It’s probably just a matter of time
before recorded books really catch on. What
I ’m wondering is who’s going to exploit the
gay and lesbian market. While there are
books on cassette of interest to that specific
market, there are no recorded books aimed
directly at it. I ’m hoping one o f our presses
(Alyson, Naiad, etc.) will see the potential and
have the money and energy to underwrite
such an enterprise. That would be so much
better than having a larger house producing
tapes for the money, not because of an inter
est in gay and lesbian literature, not because
of an interest in the community.
Meanwhile, dust off your Walkman, go
to your local bookstore, get one of the main
stream tapes and try it out. There is already
a wide variety of titles out there and they are
Birth Writes
continued from page 6
MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY
JUNE 3, 1938
Planet Savers
Bloody Sun
Sharra's Exile
Catch TVap
City of Sorcery
Darkover Landfall
Stormqueen
Free Amazons of Darkover
Greyhaven
Hawkmistress
Warrior Women
Winds of Darkover
- World Wreckers
Mists of Avalon
WALTER RINDER
JUNE 3, 1934
Aura of Love
Friends and Lovers
Love Is an Attitude
Spectrum of Love
This Time Called Life
EDWARD FIELD
JUNE 7, 1924
Full Heart
Geography of Poets
Stand Up Friend with Me
Stars In My Eyes
Sweet Gwendolyn & Co.
FRANK O’HARA
JUNE 27, 1926
Poems Retrieved
Lunch Poems
Selected Plays
Meditations in an Emergency
Standing Still and Walking
OTHERS BORN IN JUNE:
Violet TVefusis, June 6, 1894
Marquis de Sade, June 2, 1740
Cole Porter, June 9, 1892
Ivy Compton-Burnett, June 5, 1892
Ibrence Rattigan, June 10, 1911
Happy Birthday to all these fine
artists, to any we missed, and to all the
readers born under the signs of Taurus,
Gemini, and Cancer.
7bny Dean is a member of the BOOK
REPORT editorial staff.
not restricted to fiction alone. Remember that
today’s market probably evolved from begin
nings in an educational environment. There
are all sorts of instructional tapes, self-help
titles (sometimes called “ subliminals” in the
market), as well as an ever expanding fiction
realm which includes everything from
BRIDESHEAD
REVISITED to THE
POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE.
There is even a recording of Tennessee Wil
liams reading THE GLASS MENAGERIE.
Don’t be a curmudgeon, you might shock
yourself by finding that books on cassette
can fill a Literary gap in your life. Anyway,
you can’t thwart progress. Remember, it was
only a matter of a couple of hundred years
after Gutenberg invented movable type that
hundreds of monks who were illuminators
and scribes were out of a job. And things
move so much faster (fast forward?) now.
Robert Dirmeyer is a member of the BOOK
REPORT editorial staff.
PUBLISHERS!
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try. For more information, please
call-
R obert Dirm eyer
( 202 ) 462-7924