In the October 3rd, 2019 episode of Selected Shorts: Fables and Fairytales, there were two pieces that stood out to me for different reasons. The Monster by Ben Loory, was an interesting story, but the reader did not have me gripping on the edge of my seat for more details. As I find myself doing with many audio books, I felt myself drifting in and out of conscious listening and conscious thought. I enjoyed the premise of the story, a boy taking an imaginary friend out and over-coming the fear of meanwhile.
The second piece that stood out was Kelly Link’s The Faery Handbag. The piece was read by Kirsten Vangsness, who used her phenomenal reading skills to create an interactive story that I felt myself invested in.
When Vangsness reads to the audience, she uses inflection in her voice to make the story engaging. The pitch of her voice rises up and down, and even speeds up at dramatic and embarrassing parts. I can tell when the narrator of the story, who is our main character, is having trouble telling the story based on Vangsness’s inflection of her voice. Vangsness gives our protagonist a strong voice, and I could feel as if the character herself was speaking to me. She was so invested in telling this story and using sad tones and pauses. She kept the story intriguing and easy to follow by using accents for Zofia and a monotone when Zofia is describing the Baldeziwurlekistan. I found myself riveted and desperate to know more about the handbag or the world inside every time the speaker paused.
Vangsness uses great pacing, tone, and inflection which I can attempt when reading my own piece. It’s important to use inflection to emphasize parts of the story. It’s also important to set a proper pace for myself, only reading quickly if the dramatic emphasis is necessary. I often speak or read aloud quickly, because I process words in my head with speed.
