I was surprised here to find an essay read by Bob Schneider, rather than a piece about Bob Schneider. Whether or not it was written by Schneider was unclear. Once I got over my initial disappointment, I was intrigued by the intimacy of his story. The piece captures the loneliness of being surrounded by people but without connection.
There’s a level of pathos here that you don’t get all that often, on the radio or any other medium for that matter. Carvings is poetic, honest and full of a yearning that’s almost palpable. It doesn’t adhere to any kind of formula. The difficult sense of hope it contains does not feel tacked on or clichéd, but feels earned. You’re never alone when someone speaks to you like Mathew Cowley does.
What a treat. Some guy in a hotel talking about his heart, lonely longing, carving soap. It’s like a scene from a film, intriguing, surprising, sending you off on your own thoughts. It would be a good drop-in on NPR, news from the middle letter, the one we don’t always hear from….the public. sl
Comments for Carvings
This piece belongs to the series "The Sixty Second Radio Hour"
Produced by Matthew Cowley
Other pieces by Matthew Cowley
Rating Summary
4 comments
Charles McGuigan
Posted on September 01, 2008 at 04:22 AM | Permalink
Review of Carvings
Gripping, original with universal applications. Longing is underscored by the voice here. And none of it's maudlin. Great piece and tightly written.
Susan Thompson
Posted on May 04, 2005 at 07:15 PM | Permalink
Review of Carvings
I was surprised here to find an essay read by Bob Schneider, rather than a piece about Bob Schneider. Whether or not it was written by Schneider was unclear. Once I got over my initial disappointment, I was intrigued by the intimacy of his story. The piece captures the loneliness of being surrounded by people but without connection.
Jonathan Goldstein
Posted on April 22, 2004 at 06:38 AM | Permalink
Review of Carvings
There’s a level of pathos here that you don’t get all that often, on the radio or any other medium for that matter. Carvings is poetic, honest and full of a yearning that’s almost palpable. It doesn’t adhere to any kind of formula. The difficult sense of hope it contains does not feel tacked on or clichéd, but feels earned. You’re never alone when someone speaks to you like Mathew Cowley does.
Transom Editors
Posted on January 27, 2004 at 10:46 AM | Permalink
Review of Carvings
What a treat. Some guy in a hotel talking about his heart, lonely longing, carving soap. It’s like a scene from a film, intriguing, surprising, sending you off on your own thoughts. It would be a good drop-in on NPR, news from the middle letter, the one we don’t always hear from….the public. sl