I disagree with the reviewer above who dislikes the embroidery around the two main stories. The whole package rocks. Well...gently. I listened to this on a Friday evening after a long and arduous week of Much Noise. This show is da balm.
Repurposed Art Bell. A Haunted motel. Contacting aliens. Fun with walkie talkies. All a bit whack, as so little of radio - anywhere - is, genuinely, these days.
I'm glad to see these folks are podcasting and dividing the shows into 'minividual' segments which I assume are available for pds.
This is the sort of thing meant for restless nights or long drives. Nice use of white space. Excellent tone.
Special kudos to J. Coulton: personally I can't stand singer/guitarist/humorists (it a long story, same with mimes and sockpuppeteers) but he won me over with his song about the E-poppin', Red Bull quaffin', rave attendin', news anchor.
The theme of The Romance of Over the Air Radio works well coming through the wires too.
In his description of this piece at transom.org, Mr, Hodgman decribes a joke he once heard Michael Feldman (Whad'ya Know) tell. Not surprisingly, Mr. Hodgman bears something of a resemblance to Mr Feldman in his personality, witty comments, and clever deviations. Not as polished as the veterans at Whad'ya Know, Mr. Hodgman & Co. at Little Gray Books Lectures don't really try to be: they're more personal, more real, and more downright interesting. It's less like listening to a radio show hundreds of miles away and more like listening to a bunch of friends. Highly recommended.
The phrase that immediately leaps to mind about this Little Gray Book Lecture: it's the anti-slick. Paul Tough has a lovely essay about the quest for extraterrestrial communication and his dad, John Hodgman does a wonderful twist on the call-in show, and Starlee Kine is charming. Smart people, good with words -- and as far as I can tell, not a jot of steroidal sound-sweetening or audio tummytucks. This show is a terrific reminder that what the listener gets doesn't have to be polished to be engaging or communicative.
This show presents a couple of really fantastic stories within the context of a live show with a great host. The live audience really creates an atmosphere out of the kind of wool sweater, glass of wine sophisticated quirk in the stories--very inviting. Great music too! Felt like the kind of dinner party you always wish you'd have. I love a good story, honest, funny and subtle, so it made me crack a smile.
Two good stories in hre--the dad searching for aliens, and the ghost haunting the Ramada. I'm not quite as convinced by all the apparatus around them--the endless tee-heeing of the audience is a bit distracting--but these are excelolent storytellers. If you like Spaulding Gray...
Comments for Little Gray Book Lecture: How to Communicate Without the Use of Wires
This piece belongs to the series "The Little Gray Book Lectures"
Produced by John Hodgman, Christine Connor, Jonathan Coulton, Liz Connor and Brendan Greeley
Other pieces by The Little Gray Book Lectures
Rating Summary
5 comments
brian moffatt
Posted on July 08, 2005 at 05:51 PM | Permalink
Review of Little Gray Book Lecture: How to Communicate Without the Use
I disagree with the reviewer above who dislikes the embroidery around the two main stories. The whole package rocks. Well...gently. I listened to this on a Friday evening after a long and arduous week of Much Noise. This show is da balm.
Repurposed Art Bell. A Haunted motel. Contacting aliens. Fun with walkie talkies. All a bit whack, as so little of radio - anywhere - is, genuinely, these days.
I'm glad to see these folks are podcasting and dividing the shows into 'minividual' segments which I assume are available for pds.
This is the sort of thing meant for restless nights or long drives. Nice use of white space. Excellent tone.
Special kudos to J. Coulton: personally I can't stand singer/guitarist/humorists (it a long story, same with mimes and sockpuppeteers) but he won me over with his song about the E-poppin', Red Bull quaffin', rave attendin', news anchor.
The theme of The Romance of Over the Air Radio works well coming through the wires too.
R. Tyler Mack
Posted on March 29, 2005 at 01:58 PM | Permalink
Review of Little Gray Book Lecture: How to Communicate Without the Use
In his description of this piece at transom.org, Mr, Hodgman decribes a joke he once heard Michael Feldman (Whad'ya Know) tell. Not surprisingly, Mr. Hodgman bears something of a resemblance to Mr Feldman in his personality, witty comments, and clever deviations. Not as polished as the veterans at Whad'ya Know, Mr. Hodgman & Co. at Little Gray Books Lectures don't really try to be: they're more personal, more real, and more downright interesting. It's less like listening to a radio show hundreds of miles away and more like listening to a bunch of friends. Highly recommended.
Jackson Braider
Posted on March 25, 2005 at 08:26 AM | Permalink
Review of Little Gray Book Lecture: How to Communicate Without the Use
The phrase that immediately leaps to mind about this Little Gray Book Lecture: it's the anti-slick. Paul Tough has a lovely essay about the quest for extraterrestrial communication and his dad, John Hodgman does a wonderful twist on the call-in show, and Starlee Kine is charming. Smart people, good with words -- and as far as I can tell, not a jot of steroidal sound-sweetening or audio tummytucks. This show is a terrific reminder that what the listener gets doesn't have to be polished to be engaging or communicative.
Terin Mayer
Posted on March 16, 2005 at 03:53 PM | Permalink
Review of Little Gray Book Lecture: How to Communicate Without the Use of Wires
This show presents a couple of really fantastic stories within the context of a live show with a great host. The live audience really creates an atmosphere out of the kind of wool sweater, glass of wine sophisticated quirk in the stories--very inviting. Great music too! Felt like the kind of dinner party you always wish you'd have. I love a good story, honest, funny and subtle, so it made me crack a smile.
Bill McKibben
Posted on March 01, 2005 at 10:27 AM | Permalink
Review of Little Gray Book Lecture: How to Communicate Without the Use
Two good stories in hre--the dad searching for aliens, and the ghost haunting the Ramada. I'm not quite as convinced by all the apparatus around them--the endless tee-heeing of the audience is a bit distracting--but these are excelolent storytellers. If you like Spaulding Gray...