Download audio file (whatkatydidnext_05_coolidge.mp3)
(24:26)

There’s also a new podcast out … I was sent an interesting contribution for the 2009-retrospective by Nicholas, which inspired me to do an entire show on the subject of actively developing resources for language-learning at LibriVox. It’s already a great place to find lots of recordings in many different languages, often by native speakers with varied accents, to help ‘train the ear’. However, we’ve also been working on Primers, Grammars and other intructional material, in several languages, to help people learn. The podcast includes an introduction to the subject, a perspective from Leni who’s recording a Portuguese primer, some samples from different books — and most splendidly, the slight downside of recording books over 100 years old … you’ll be learning how to ask your coachman how long the horses will need to rest, and how to request sealing wax and a light (for sending your postal cards!) Availle quotes from a German/English text, what a hoot!

Lest that put people off, Leni also mentioned this, and notes that most of the book she’s working on is as good today as it was when it was written — even in places you wouldn’t expect!

Download audio file (librivox_community_podcast_110.mp3)
(20:21)

Download audio file (beverlyofgraustark_04_mccutcheon.mp3)
(17m 24s)
Chapter 04 – The Ragged Retinue

http://librivox.org/beverly-of-graustark-by-george-barr-mccutcheon/

I’ve been recording a few other collaborative chapters, but nothing else has popped out into the catalogue yet. Mainly, though, I’ve working on a podcast duo — one looking back at 2009 (completed & released) and one looking forward to 2010 (due this Thursday). Hoping to receive a few more contributions for the 2010 one, since it’s a little short as it stands. The request-post is in the forum here, if you’re interested.

Finally, apologies to people subscribed to the RSS feed here, if old posts popped up all day yesterday marked as new! I had a big clearout of catagories, added some logical new ones, and did some behind-the-scenes tidying and planning. In 2010, I’m intending to write here more often, about the process of making audiobooks at home, LibriVoxing generally, and about the public domain. (And hopefully not use that as a way of procrastinating over producing actual audio, too!)

LibriVox Community Podcast #92 (13:30min)
Download audio file (librivox_community_podcast_92_64kb.mp3)

I’ve also contributed a couple of readings to a lovely collection of kids’ stories: Childhood’s Favorites and Fairy Stories by Various. Some of them are rather old-fashioned in their moralising grimness but the one I recorded was plain randomtastic. (Note: story may contain badgers.) I also recorded the Introduction, not terribly exciting.

The Accomplished and Lucky Teakettle (4:16min)
Download audio file (childhoodsfavorites_168_various.mp3)
http://librivox.org/childhoods-favorites-and-fairy-stories-by-various/

This week’s show is about people’s favourite children’s books, and whether they’d record them for LV. Plus an advert for some current projects and a really nice rendition of a nursery rhyme to round the thing out (not me singing, obviously. I only include that when comedy is required.)

Download audio file (librivox_community_podcast_91_64kb.mp3)
(16:37min, 7.1MB)

Books expand one’s vocabulary — visual has the advantage of teaching the brain spelling, while audio conveys a version of the pronunciation. (Please do not try to pronounce “isthmus” as I do, though, it just ain’t right.)

Paper books are traditionally more sensual than audiobooks, they allow for cosying under blankets, torchlit exploration, the physical response of scent and touch bibliophiles get walking into an old library or second-hand book shop and running their hand over book spines. However, audiobooks have had a recent boost in this area, thanks to the ol’ iPod, which gets owners in a sleek, elegant design froth in no time flat. Steampunking an iPod would seem to be the ultimate win.

Audiobooks suffer much more from “out of sight, out of mind” — I don’t rifle my hard drive of a Sunday afternoon trying to decide what to listen to, in the same way that I peruse my bookshelves. And there’s the unspoken horror of obsolescence (you have a generation 1 iPod, darlink, how retro!) in the hardware and format (MP3s have been going strong since at least 1991, but … how much longer will they last? And how good will they sound shifted into whatever replaces them?) Plus, literacy isn’t grokking the story of Don Quixote … it’s being able to understand how to complete an accident report form or fill in a bank account application.

I’m a firm both-ist. Losing either format would cut down on the richness of my world. Have been thinking about this for a while, and there’s a bit of a waffle in this ‘ere podcast. It hardly even begins to get into the nuances … what about (dubious) learning preferences for visual, audio or kinetic (wonder if that last is the act of LibriVoxing a book — certainly reading the text aloud is a pretty amazing method of consuming it.) I tried not to produce an Audiobook Party Political Broadcast, or the preface of a book (simultaneous publication in paper and MP3, please). Dunno how successful I was. Rest assured, the other people contributing sound great!

Download audio file (librivox_community_podcast_78_64kb.mp3)

Download audio file (librivox_community_podcast_77_64kb.mp3)

<thinking out loud> It’s a shame, in a way, that my first podcast ever was so lavish and fun and planned weeks in advance … it means that subsequent, normal ones are feeling like a bit of a comedown. I think there’s only so much “goodness, we’re all amazing, let’s do more” that listeners can take, but still. I do have a couple of fun ideas that I need to muster time and energy to put into action, and I have lots of neat interviews lined up, which is prolly my favourite thing to listen to, out of all the things that can be in a podcast. But … none of that’s as glamorous as “Sucking at reading audiobooks – and how not to!”. Admittedly, most of the glam came from how funny it is to hear people doing it so terribly wrong. But still. It enticed several new people to start reading, and that’s a very neat thing indeed. And something I’d like to do again, if only I could work out how. <still thinking>

http://librivox.org/2008/02/21/librivox-community-podcast-72/

I can’t imagine anyone’ll listen to it, though, not with Stephen Fry entering the podcasting fray just yesterday. Well, his are podgrams, of course. I’m just listening to him now. LibriWhat … ?

http://www.stephenfry.com/podcasts/index.html

Link to podcast 71 (5.4MB)

From my posting here, it might seem like all I’ve been doing is podcasts recently (and I’m down for next week, too) but I have been working on my two sekrit solo books, and of course, thinking about other possibilities. This is helped by the fact that I think my reading’s improved in the last week or so. The last file I sent off to Mandarine for editing, came back with only a few rereads needed (compared to the usual hefty list) — and the unedited file was some minutes shorter than the previous chapter’s, even though they had about the same number of words.

I don’t think that’s down to me reading faster … but the opposite! I’m reading slower and making fewer mistakes as a result. The source of this wonder? Watching Scott Brick read. Apparently I am such a visual learner that I can pick up something of audio technique by watching someone else’s lips move. A more simply-written text, that I audio-edited myself, showed the same improvement … slower & more thoughtful where appropriate, and YAY fewer mistakes! I’m down from a 1:7 production ratio (7hrs of work to give 1hr of audio) to mebbe 1:6 and it might even get to 1:5 if I prepare the text properly first (aka. read it.) Whoooosh!

This week’s LV podcast is a wonder of brevity, being under 14 minutes long … somehow into that time I’ve fitted twelve different voices, two pieces of music and a sound effect, which go to make up adverts for five new projects, one new forum thread and a newly-released project. The brevity didn’t extend to the production process, of course, but it IS actually rather a lot of fun pillaging archive.org for suitable bits and bobs which are in the public domain and therefore fair game for my use.

Direct download link (6.6MB, 64kbps MP3)

Something which I’m thrilled about but no-one else will care a jot — I put this entire podcast online by myself. Okay, it’s true I followed great instructions. To the letter. But still, in jargon terms, I had ownership of the entire process from inception to aural completion. Pretty cool. And I still don’t own an iPod.

Though, GOODNESS, do these things take a long time to put together!  28 mins of audio = the larger part of several hours of tinkering about with it.

Notes on the show and credits

Direct download link (25.6MB)

And SFFaudio are among the first people to hear and comment on it — which is particularly nice, since I gave them a good plug for the lovely work they do in reviewing and promoting our recordings (in amongst many other people’s, of course.)