Delightful and wrenching (how is that possible in 3 minutes !!??) Like good writing where you find yourself pulling for the bad guy - but Goldstein doesn't let you get sloppy - suddenly you're laughing out loud, brought back to your senses (or completely out of them). I went away: the delivery, the writing,the music...
Perfect for Valentine's Day
...or Halloween
vm
Most listeners, I think, would not soon forget this little piece. An honest, compelling account of a moment in 1st grade, 1955, that can inform us more about racism, in two minutes, than you would have ever thought possible. The Huck Finn references were masterful. I listened to the piece before I read the description, so I was as surprised as a listener who had heard no intro whatsoever. In fact, I think the minimal intro made it much stronger for me.
This is a wonderful exercise in the meeting up of storybook characters within a historical time. The result is droll and entertaining. It is just long enough to set up the chemistry among the characters and ends before the whimsy gets tiresome. It suggests much, much more under the surface. Goldstein has a good deadpan voice for this piece, which keeps the tone ironic and intimate.
This review engaged my attention and helped me decide to see the movie. The choice of excerpts and quotes was excellent. The fact that Andrew is Vietnamese gives the interview a personal edge as well as lending authority to his opinions. An excellent choice for broadcast.
Interesting concept. A radio interview with a historical figure. An interesting contrast to a documentary.
I did learn more about Socrates than I knew before, but I knew very little before. Where would this fit? Perhaps during a contrast of philosophy or psychology or religion.
"You may not know me..." the story begins, but THAT little problem is taken care of in short order. Listeners to this piece will feel as if they have made a new friend. This is a personal, seamless, compelling biography of a jazz musician. It's a story that does not, I think, require any previous interest in jazz by the listener.
What a subject ! I'm listening to this late and it's a perfect bedtime story. While neither widow has much to say about the civil war, it doesn't matter an iota. Their stories are SO captivating and eloquently revealed. Richman is an unobtrusive narrator: he lets both stories waltz to their own music til the end, when he reappears with the insider's quirky coda.
This is great for Black history month, valentine's day, and for no good reason other than a good story, like bedtime.
vm
Review of Aucosisco Radio: Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse (deleted)
A companionable discovery of a formidable and godforsaken place. A worthy subject and one of the speakers, the lighthouse keeper, an interesting fellow, full of the contradictions of today. I wanted to hear a lot more from him. Even thought it's about a place, I assume also time restrictions forced the choice: the place or the man. I think more focus on the lighthouse keeper as an obsolete job, or just a portrait might make a lot more use of the tape. There's a funny use of two narrators that I haven't quite figured out. It's surprising, given the piece is so short.
The content is lively, full of good sound, active description - engaging little piece that could be part of a series on place, as they present it, or in cahoots with another similar local series on Other Places. I like a vibrant description of a place, especially if it's unlikely I'll get there myself. vm
I loved this wild-ride sound collage. Makes you feel dropped in the midst of the campaign-trail madness. Small production note: There’s a whisk-sound at the end that needs fixing. This is a great drop-in for election heavy-coverage days. sl
This is a standard, public radio news piece that offers one scintilla-more of information about the young people who back Howard Dean, over-and-above what you probably already know. I have to say that what struck me most was: For a piece about people who are devoted to passionate, energetic music, there could have been more passion and energy. There's one nice piece of tape with a woman giving a pep talk to the Punx For Dean and she sounds as if she’s near tears because she is so excited that that people drove all that way to help out (she may be the same passionate woman who appears at the top of the piece, but neither woman is ever identified). But all the other people interviewed have a sort of flat, matter-of-fact delivery. To me they sound bored. Maybe they're just exhausted from campaigning, but they just came across as flat. Also, the clips of live music sound like they were recorded from a spot very far away from the speakers. That also diminishes the energy. This is a good start, but could use the hand of a firm editor.
A cleanly edited, well-produced piece that manages to combine punks, politics, Howard Dean, body piercings, freedom, campaigning and "heart", all in one pleasant package. No hard issues debated, no commentary on media spins or primary circuses, just a clear picture of a slice of sub-culture, one presented in a rather unassuming, open and honest way. It's punx for Dean, man.
Disclaimer on the '3' for rating: This is an excellent piece. The rating asks for how much I want to hear this on the radio. ...
This piece wasn't as political as I anticipated, but that brings to the forefront the idea that democracy isn't all political. It wasn't until I was in the middle of the gospel section that I realized this. I would have expected to hear a lot more from the sixties, but I'm glad I didn't. It is commendable that they focused on hip hop at the beginning, but to really round it out, I was waiting for some pro-war songs, which are forms of free speech as well, even -- especially -- if we disagree.
David did an excellent job hosting this piece and it's great to hear the opinions from so many perspectives. I don't favor gospel music, but it's great to hear someone talking about God on the radio. I don't favor hip hop, but it's great to hear serious discussion about it. Music is powerful, emotional, and perfect for speaking out.
"The Miseducation of Josh Frank ," is a great insight into the artistic process--the hard work involved and the sacrifices made.
The writing is clean and conversational and and the organic use of music is great. This story also peripherally addresses the universal teenage experience.
This could work in many contexts: sibling relationships, being a musician, teenage living. Also consider using this if you happen to have a ten minute gap somewhere because it's a good, strong story.
What can I say? There is a reason why so many people love this piece, it's amazing. It's not the sound quality which isn't that great (but come on, 35 year-old magnetic tapes gathered in the wet jungles of Vietnam... it's amazing for that). But, there is no sound so personal as this piece. I am the foxhole with him. He's whispering in my ear.
Amazing. I've never accidentally used a hang grenade as a microphone.
The statistics are oft-reported, but people tend to shy away or plain old flee from hearing about it. It’s breasts, it’s private, it’s happening to someone you know and you’d rather it wasn’t, hadn’t, won’t. This work gently takes you by the hand in a calm, reflective manner, and offers you a chance to listen to people who speak from experience. Myriad concerns are shared, addressed, imagined by a broad ethnic mix of women. How it feels to have a breast exam, to be diagnosed, to find a healing path, to have misplaced a prosthetic breast are only some of the subjects addressed through interviews and readings. The pacing and musical interludes work well. Good general information is offered for women facing or afraid of facing breast cancer, and for caregivers, family members, and even medical folk. This sensitively produced documentary is variously intimate, informative, even ironic, and given the statistics, it should be heard by us all.
Can be aired during women’s history month, at a time of legislative, medical, or environmental news related to breast cancer, as part of public health programming. It is an act of public service in and of itself. sl
You probabaly won't want to consider airing this until next Christmas --as it considers the ethics of perpetuating the myth of Santa--but it's a good spot. Ethically Speaking is brief, informative but not dry. It’s ideal for interstitial programming. There are a number of public radio shows that have a resident ethicist so Ethically Speaking is a perfect way for PD's to fill the ethicist void.
This is an excerpt from "The Stuff of Stars," which is a Young Adult Novel. The adaptation to radio is effective. The acting is also quite good. This seems a good fit for family programmng, and/or for children. CM
This is a great piece. Steve Henn, in interviewing a variety of experts, does a splendid job of exploring the business of burnishing the presidential image. The editing is clean and keeps things moving along; the writing is perfectly clever: not too clever. Although there is no mention of mattress sales this is an ideal piece for the upcoming holiday: Presidents' Day. This is also a great piece to consider broadcasting during the presidental campaign. CM
Somewhere on PRX we need to allow for docs with windows for the news. I mention this here because 60 secs. into this story, where we are just getting to meet our host, we are then thrown not exactly into a tangent but somewhat off direction by essentially a news magazine-like story on Alzheimer's.
The host, new to my ears, is pleasant enough to hear. The writing is good. What is lacking here for me is the sheer hard edge of fact. We tend to use words like "epidemic" unquestioningly; "lots of money" cited early on is obtuse (how much, for example, is the government devoting to Alzheimer's research?).
It's hard not to be sympathetic to any Alzheimer's story, but when the purpose is to call to arms, it is more important still to equip us with knowledge, not pleasant sensibility.
All Comments
Comment on piece: The Penguin Goes A Courtin'
Transom Editors
Posted on February 05, 2004 at 10:25 AM | Permalink
Review of The Penguin Goes A Courtin'
Delightful and wrenching (how is that possible in 3 minutes !!??) Like good writing where you find yourself pulling for the bad guy - but Goldstein doesn't let you get sloppy - suddenly you're laughing out loud, brought back to your senses (or completely out of them). I went away: the delivery, the writing,the music...
Perfect for Valentine's Day
...or Halloween
vm
Comment on piece: The Valentine 1955
Phil Easley
Posted on February 05, 2004 at 07:21 AM | Permalink
Review of The Valentine 1955
Most listeners, I think, would not soon forget this little piece. An honest, compelling account of a moment in 1st grade, 1955, that can inform us more about racism, in two minutes, than you would have ever thought possible. The Huck Finn references were masterful. I listened to the piece before I read the description, so I was as surprised as a listener who had heard no intro whatsoever. In fact, I think the minimal intro made it much stronger for me.
Comment on piece: Lang Lang: In his own words
John Diliberto
Posted on February 05, 2004 at 06:20 AM | Permalink
Review of Lang Lang: In his own words
Nice mix. Interesting comments rendered more charming by the broken English. It has a nice story arc.
Comment on piece: The Penguin Goes A Courtin'
Susan Barrett Price
Posted on February 05, 2004 at 05:33 AM | Permalink
Review of The Penguin Goes A Courtin'
This is a wonderful exercise in the meeting up of storybook characters within a historical time. The result is droll and entertaining. It is just long enough to set up the chemistry among the characters and ends before the whimsy gets tiresome. It suggests much, much more under the surface. Goldstein has a good deadpan voice for this piece, which keeps the tone ironic and intimate.
Comment on piece: Fog of War review
Susan Barrett Price
Posted on February 05, 2004 at 05:14 AM | Permalink
Review of Fog of War review
This review engaged my attention and helped me decide to see the movie. The choice of excerpts and quotes was excellent. The fact that Andrew is Vietnamese gives the interview a personal edge as well as lending authority to his opinions. An excellent choice for broadcast.
Comment on piece: Socrates of Athens
Hans Anderson
Posted on February 05, 2004 at 05:05 AM | Permalink
Review of Socrates of Athens
I did learn more about Socrates than I knew before, but I knew very little before. Where would this fit? Perhaps during a contrast of philosophy or psychology or religion.
Comment on piece: Keter Betts: In his own words
Phil Easley
Posted on February 04, 2004 at 06:11 AM | Permalink
Review of Keter Betts: In his own words
"You may not know me..." the story begins, but THAT little problem is taken care of in short order. Listeners to this piece will feel as if they have made a new friend. This is a personal, seamless, compelling biography of a jazz musician. It's a story that does not, I think, require any previous interest in jazz by the listener.
Comment on piece: Civil War Widows
Transom Editors
Posted on February 03, 2004 at 07:48 PM | Permalink
Review of Civil War Widows
What a subject ! I'm listening to this late and it's a perfect bedtime story. While neither widow has much to say about the civil war, it doesn't matter an iota. Their stories are SO captivating and eloquently revealed. Richman is an unobtrusive narrator: he lets both stories waltz to their own music til the end, when he reappears with the insider's quirky coda.
This is great for Black history month, valentine's day, and for no good reason other than a good story, like bedtime.
vm
Transom Editors
Posted on February 03, 2004 at 07:15 PM
Review of Aucosisco Radio: Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse (deleted)
A companionable discovery of a formidable and godforsaken place. A worthy subject and one of the speakers, the lighthouse keeper, an interesting fellow, full of the contradictions of today. I wanted to hear a lot more from him. Even thought it's about a place, I assume also time restrictions forced the choice: the place or the man. I think more focus on the lighthouse keeper as an obsolete job, or just a portrait might make a lot more use of the tape. There's a funny use of two narrators that I haven't quite figured out. It's surprising, given the piece is so short.
The content is lively, full of good sound, active description - engaging little piece that could be part of a series on place, as they present it, or in cahoots with another similar local series on Other Places. I like a vibrant description of a place, especially if it's unlikely I'll get there myself. vm
Comment on piece: Media Swarm
Transom Editors
Posted on February 03, 2004 at 01:58 PM | Permalink
Review of Media Swarm
I loved this wild-ride sound collage. Makes you feel dropped in the midst of the campaign-trail madness. Small production note: There’s a whisk-sound at the end that needs fixing. This is a great drop-in for election heavy-coverage days. sl
Comment on piece: From Anarchy to the Ballot Box: Punx for Dean
Richard Paul
Posted on February 03, 2004 at 01:31 PM | Permalink
Review of From Anarchy to the Ballot Box: Punx for Dean
This is a standard, public radio news piece that offers one scintilla-more of information about the young people who back Howard Dean, over-and-above what you probably already know. I have to say that what struck me most was: For a piece about people who are devoted to passionate, energetic music, there could have been more passion and energy. There's one nice piece of tape with a woman giving a pep talk to the Punx For Dean and she sounds as if she’s near tears because she is so excited that that people drove all that way to help out (she may be the same passionate woman who appears at the top of the piece, but neither woman is ever identified). But all the other people interviewed have a sort of flat, matter-of-fact delivery. To me they sound bored. Maybe they're just exhausted from campaigning, but they just came across as flat. Also, the clips of live music sound like they were recorded from a spot very far away from the speakers. That also diminishes the energy. This is a good start, but could use the hand of a firm editor.
Comment on piece: From Anarchy to the Ballot Box: Punx for Dean
Phil Easley
Posted on February 03, 2004 at 12:25 PM | Permalink
Review of From Anarchy to the Ballot Box: Punx for Dean
A cleanly edited, well-produced piece that manages to combine punks, politics, Howard Dean, body piercings, freedom, campaigning and "heart", all in one pleasant package. No hard issues debated, no commentary on media spins or primary circuses, just a clear picture of a slice of sub-culture, one presented in a rather unassuming, open and honest way. It's punx for Dean, man.
Comment on piece: Songs of Freedom - A World Cafe special
Hans Anderson
Posted on February 03, 2004 at 09:40 AM | Permalink
Review of Songs of Freedom - A World Cafe special
This piece wasn't as political as I anticipated, but that brings to the forefront the idea that democracy isn't all political. It wasn't until I was in the middle of the gospel section that I realized this. I would have expected to hear a lot more from the sixties, but I'm glad I didn't. It is commendable that they focused on hip hop at the beginning, but to really round it out, I was waiting for some pro-war songs, which are forms of free speech as well, even -- especially -- if we disagree.
David did an excellent job hosting this piece and it's great to hear the opinions from so many perspectives. I don't favor gospel music, but it's great to hear someone talking about God on the radio. I don't favor hip hop, but it's great to hear serious discussion about it. Music is powerful, emotional, and perfect for speaking out.
Comment on piece: The Miseducation of Josh Frank
Transom Editors
Posted on February 03, 2004 at 09:20 AM | Permalink
Review of The Miseducation of Josh Frank
"The Miseducation of Josh Frank ," is a great insight into the artistic process--the hard work involved and the sacrifices made.
The writing is clean and conversational and and the organic use of music is great. This story also peripherally addresses the universal teenage experience.
This could work in many contexts: sibling relationships, being a musician, teenage living. Also consider using this if you happen to have a ten minute gap somewhere because it's a good, strong story.
Comment on piece: The Vietnam Tapes of Michael A. Baronowski
Hans Anderson
Posted on February 02, 2004 at 03:28 PM | Permalink
Review of The Vietnam Tapes of Michael A. Baronowski
Amazing. I've never accidentally used a hang grenade as a microphone.
Comment on piece: The Breast Cancer Monologues
Transom Editors
Posted on February 02, 2004 at 02:02 PM | Permalink
Review of The Breast Cancer Monologues
The statistics are oft-reported, but people tend to shy away or plain old flee from hearing about it. It’s breasts, it’s private, it’s happening to someone you know and you’d rather it wasn’t, hadn’t, won’t. This work gently takes you by the hand in a calm, reflective manner, and offers you a chance to listen to people who speak from experience. Myriad concerns are shared, addressed, imagined by a broad ethnic mix of women. How it feels to have a breast exam, to be diagnosed, to find a healing path, to have misplaced a prosthetic breast are only some of the subjects addressed through interviews and readings. The pacing and musical interludes work well. Good general information is offered for women facing or afraid of facing breast cancer, and for caregivers, family members, and even medical folk. This sensitively produced documentary is variously intimate, informative, even ironic, and given the statistics, it should be heard by us all.
Can be aired during women’s history month, at a time of legislative, medical, or environmental news related to breast cancer, as part of public health programming. It is an act of public service in and of itself. sl
Transom Editors
Posted on February 02, 2004 at 10:11 AM
Review of Myth of Santa (es43) (deleted)
You probabaly won't want to consider airing this until next Christmas --as it considers the ethics of perpetuating the myth of Santa--but it's a good spot. Ethically Speaking is brief, informative but not dry. It’s ideal for interstitial programming. There are a number of public radio shows that have a resident ethicist so Ethically Speaking is a perfect way for PD's to fill the ethicist void.
Comment on piece: The Same Stuff as Stars, by Katherine Paterson
Transom Editors
Posted on February 02, 2004 at 08:30 AM | Permalink
Review of The Same Stuff as Stars, by Katherine Paterson
This is an excerpt from "The Stuff of Stars," which is a Young Adult Novel. The adaptation to radio is effective. The acting is also quite good. This seems a good fit for family programmng, and/or for children. CM
Comment on piece: Image Makers
Transom Editors
Posted on February 02, 2004 at 07:31 AM | Permalink
Review of Image Makers
This is a great piece. Steve Henn, in interviewing a variety of experts, does a splendid job of exploring the business of burnishing the presidential image. The editing is clean and keeps things moving along; the writing is perfectly clever: not too clever. Although there is no mention of mattress sales this is an ideal piece for the upcoming holiday: Presidents' Day. This is also a great piece to consider broadcasting during the presidental campaign. CM
Comment on piece: Alzheimer's: Losing a Mind
Jackson Braider
Posted on February 01, 2004 at 10:19 AM | Permalink
Review of Alzheimer's: Losing a Mind
The host, new to my ears, is pleasant enough to hear. The writing is good. What is lacking here for me is the sheer hard edge of fact. We tend to use words like "epidemic" unquestioningly; "lots of money" cited early on is obtuse (how much, for example, is the government devoting to Alzheimer's research?).
It's hard not to be sympathetic to any Alzheimer's story, but when the purpose is to call to arms, it is more important still to equip us with knowledge, not pleasant sensibility.