Listen Up Awards 2000

Features

Listen Up Awards 2000 Mark Rotella, Trudi M. Rosenblum and Shannon Maughan -- 1/1/01 *Words that are music to your ears. Last year's best of the best.* This year's crop of audio releases was a feast for the listener, with a fine variety of excellent titles in all genres. Here, we focus on those that are truly outstanding and deserving of a closer look. FICTION The Night Listener by Armistead Maupin, read by the author (HarperCollins). Surpassing even his Tales of the City series, Maupin's deceptively simple page-turner is a natural for the audio format. Not only will listeners discuss this crafty puzzler with friends, but most will listen to it again with a fresh ear once all is revealed at the end. Maupin's expressive reading reinforces his smooth prose. Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje, read by Alan Cumming (Random House AudioBooks). The beauty of Ondaatje's latest lies in its attention to the rhythms, sounds and images of the three-way civil war that racked the author's native Sri Lanka in the 1980s. Cumming's clear diction and dreamlike tone add depth to Ondaatje's p tic descriptions of love amidst the torture and terror of war. NONFICTION In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick, read by Edward Herrmann (Penguin). With a suitably somber cadence, Tony Award-winning actor Herrmann reads this chilling tale of the Essex, a whaling ship that, in 1820, was sunk by an whale in the middle of the Pacific. Philbrick's spare, well-paced narrative reveals how Nantucket's culture was affected by the whaling industry, but the horrific heart of the book details the fate of the 20 sailors who survived the sinking. In an ordeal of thirst, starvation and despair, they attempted to sail several thousand miles back to Chile, using only three fragile boats. HUMOR Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, read by the author (Time Warner AudioBooks). The popular author's singularly hilarious tone and timing make his sardonic reminiscences even funnier on audio than they are in print, particularly when he demonstrates what he considers to be his one musical talent: singing commercial jingles in the voice of Billie Holiday. My Queer Life by Michael Thomas Ford, read by the author (Fluid Works). This debut release offers 16 selections from the two-time Lambda Literary Award-winning humorist's two previous books (Alec Baldwin D sn't Love Me; That's Mr. Faggot to You) and his newest (It's Not Mean If It's True). It's a buoyantly funny sampler that makes listeners hungry for more. Ford's wry reading is a deadpan delight. BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR Edith's Story by Edith Velmans, read by Miriam Margolyes (Audio Partners). This gripping memoir of a Dutch Jewish girl living under a false identity with a Christian family during the Holocaust is as compelling and inspirational as The Diary of Anne Frank. Margolyes gives a tour-de-force performance. Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck, read by the author (Simon & Schuster Audio). Lauck's poignant, heartbreaking memoir of a childhood marked by tragedy and loss is made even more affecting by the author's narration. Her youthful, innocent voice complements the child's perspective of the text. American Rhapsody by J Eszterhas, read by a full cast (New Millennium). Eszterhas's rollicking, novelized memoir translates superbly to audio, particularly in the hilarious, first-person "confessionals" of political figures. NARRATION (MALE) As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg, read by George Guidall (Jewish Contemporary Classics). Guidall gives a spirited, almost theatrical reading of this historical novel about ancient sage-turned-apostate Elisha ben Abuyah. A veteran actor and recorder of audiobooks, Guidall convincingly creates voices for a score of characters. Omerta by Mario Puzo, read by J Mantegna (Random House AudioBooks). Mantegna is an excellent reader for Puzo's last novel, a tale about the sunset of the Mafia. His voice is suitably gravelly yet graceful, and he infuses each character with personality without ever sounding a false note. NARRATION (FEMALE) Wild Decembers by Edna O'Brien, read by Suzanne Bertish (Houghton Mifflin). The p tic telling of this tragic tale, set in the countryside of western Ireland, is rendered with such lush detail that you can practically smell the peat moss. Able to glean subtleties of accent and nuance of cadence, Bertish's talent renders all the characters utterly convincing. The Banyan Tree by Christopher Nolan, read by Fiona Shaw (Time Warner AudioBooks). Nolan's sensitive prose and Shaw's rum-raisin voice capture the hardscrabble lives and tender diversions of a group of Irish farmers. Though there's plenty of drama, it's really in the simpler things, like a hypnotic description of churning butter, that this novel's magic lies. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding, read by Tracey Bennet (Random House AudioBooks). Bennet's vocal impersonations (especially of Bridget's loud-mouthed, sexist boss and overbearing mother) make Fielding's condensed prose and bitter sarcasm easily adaptable to audio. AUTHOR READING The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography by Sidney Poitier (HarperAudio). Given the personal nature of this narrative, it's impossible to imagine hearing anyone other than Poitier, with his distinctive, resonant voice and perfect enunciation, tell the story. His rendition of key events in his life is so moving that listeners will wish this audio adaptation were twice as long. SELF-HELP Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern, read by the author (S&S Audio). Morgenstern packs a wealth of genuinely helpful advice into two short hours. With warmth, humor, and surprisingly insightful psychology, she guides the incorrigibly disorganized through a simple, step-by-step process to bringing order and control to the most seemingly hopeless mess. P TRY Beowulf : The Original BBC Recording, translated and read by Seamus Heaney (HighBridge). Nobel Laureate Heaney has resurrected this Anglo-Saxon epic and spun it into a modern masterpiece. This tale was meant to be heard, not read, and Heaney's Irish brogue is the perfect match for the hard clip of his award-winning translation. DRAMATIZATION Too Dead to Swing by Hal Glatzer, performed by a full cast (Audio-Playwrights). Set in the 1940s, this marvelously entertaining, original audio mystery is marked by outstanding production values, an excellent cast, an admirable attention to detail and some t -tapping original swing music. RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY Still the Mind by Alan Watts (New World Library). Consisting of excerpts from lectures by the late Watts, this is an entertaining, no-nonsense guide to the first steps of self-enlightenment. Watts guides the listener in becoming completely present and centered in the here and now. His lighthearted delivery is as engaging as his message. POLITICS The O'Reilly Factor: The Good, the Bad, and the Completely Ridiculous in American Life by Bill O'Reilly, read by the author (BDD Audio). Named after his nightly Fox TV show, this audio showcases the highly opinionated, unapologetic style that has earned O'Reilly so many fans. HORROR Carmilla: A Vampyre Tale by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, read by Megan Follows (Audio Partners). Originally published in 1872, this first-ever vampire thriller is surprisingly fresh. Follows's ability to capture innocent victim Laura's naÃ¯vetÃ© is so convincing that listeners will feel almost as shocked as Laura d s when the unwholesome truth about her friend Carmilla unravels. ARCHIVAL REISSUE Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, read by Ruby Dee (Caedmon). Undoubtedly one of the important American novels, Hurston's tale of a black woman's struggle for independence and self-understanding is gorgeously enlivened by actress Ruby Dee. The Edgar Allan P Audio Collection by Edgar Allan P , read by Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone (Caedmon). These vintage recordings prove once again that Price and Rathbone are unequalled in using their voices to create suspense. CHILDREN'S SPOKEN WORD Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, performed by Jim Dale (Listening Library). A one-man orchestra, Dale creates 125 character voices for this stunning performance of Rowling's fourth book about boy wizard Harry. The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley, read by Marian Tomas Griffin (Listening Library). Listeners will be enchanted by Griffin's lilting rhythms and slight brogue on this adaptation of Billingsley's evocative fantasy about one girl's struggle to control the evil-spirited, underground "folk." The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, read by Michael York (Harper Children's Audio). York conveys an unflagging sense of wonder and excitement on this new recording of a classic work about children in a land of fauns and witches. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Armstrong, read by Taylor Mali (Audio Bookshelf). The experiences of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew inspired this true tale of survival that makes for a gripping audiobook, read with gusto by Mali. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-ExupÃ©ry, performed by Richard Gere, Haley J l Osment, et al. (PocketAudio, dist. by Ingram and Penton Overseas). Two experienced actors bring nuance to the classic tale. CHILDREN'S MUSIC Goldirocks: A New Spin on Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Judy and David Crisp (The Children's Group). Humorous characterizations and a smorgasbord of musical styles give this fairy tale extra pizzazz. Seal Maiden: A Celtic Musical byKaran Casey and Friends (Music for Little People). Fine storytelling and first-rate musicianship distinguish this rendition of the ancient Irish legend of the silkie/selkie (a seal that takes on human form). More American Her s by Jonathan Sprout (Sprout Recordings). This fun and inspiring collection of songs celebrates prominent Americans and features Sprout's sunny vocals and strong guitar playing. King Island Christmas by Deborah B. Brevoort, music by David Friedman, full-cast performance (King Island Company). An all-Broadway cast brings to life an original holiday oratorio that is sure to become a family listening tradition. Jazz for Kids: Everybody's Boppin' by Lisa Yves and the Kids (DCC Compact Discs). Jazz singer and music teacher Yves scats and be-bops on an accomplished and catchy debut recording.