I’m so pleased to have been invited to narrate stories from Joyce Carol Oates‘ collection, Black Dahlia & White Rose, for Harper Audio (to be released on 9/11/12). Oates is a prolific and powerful writer, and I can’t wait to read her stories closely. One of the wonderful things about being both a writer and a voice actor is that, whether the work is beautifully written or not, I get to constantly learn the craft of writing while preparing and narrating books. When I do get an opportunity to work with stories that are thoughtfully crafted, resonant, and evocative, my understanding of writing deepens, and I am utterly inspired. There is reverence in the act of voicing beautiful language and the universal truths that are found in great work.
I’ve only glanced at the book so far while I finish other projects, but I saw in the first story (from which the collection is named) that Oates has made strong, bold choices about structure. This is exactly what I’ve been thinking about in my own work, so it’s exciting that this book has found its way to me now (or I’ve found my way to it?).
Except for Black Dahlia & White Rose, which will be multicast with all three of our voices, the stories in the collection are being divided between Coleen Marlo, Paul Michael Garcia, and myself. I wouldn’t want to miss any part of Oates’ writing, so I’ll be reading the collection, as well as some background about the Black Dahlia murder, to prepare for the recording.
Ha!