In this episode we speak with audiobook narrator extraordinaire, Sean Pratt. Sean is the narrator of the 56-hour-long audiobook of Infinite Jest. He has also narrated over 800 other books. Believe it or not, Infinite Jest is not even the longest book Sean has narrated! We discuss the mechanics of recording, the different voices in the book, the endnotes issue, what it takes to become an audiobook narrator, and many other things
You can find Sean on Twitter at @SPPresents and his website http://www.SeanPrattPresents.com
Show Notes
2:06 - Sean Pratt’s background & how he got the part
7:04 - So you want to be an audiobook narrator
10:01 - The economics of recording an audiobook
13:30 - A state of “flow”
16:24 - How many hours did this really take?
20:51 - When we first meet Ken Erdedy
24:30 - Acting vs. Reading: Tom Robbins
28:04 - A silk purse out of a sow’s ear
32:01 - Reading the paratext & The Four Voices of Nonfiction
35:10 - Just skip the endnotes: a debate
41:50 - No really, how to do the endnotes?
44:02 - Blood Sister: One Tough Nun & comedy
47:50 - Do you listen to yourself?
50:38 - Always Be Entertaining
52:52 - How to navigate all the voices
58:10 - Don’t do it like a puppet show
59:15 - Hal watching a video cartridge
1:01:15 - Some of Sean’s best audiobooks
1:06:25 - Speed vs. Tempo
1:12:20 - To honor the text
1:16:15 - Easter egg
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Episode 76 - 2023 Year in Review, featuring Ben "Felonies!" Diamond
Episode 75 - Diego Báez, Author of Yaguareté White
Episode 74 - David Lipsky, author of The Parrot and the Igloo
BONUS: DFW vs Martin Amis: Every Tennis Match is a Ghost Story
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Episode 72 - Sheila Liming, author of Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time
Episode 71 - Year in Review 2022 with Evan Stephens Hall of Pinegrove
Episode 70 - Peyton Thomas, author of Both Sides Now
Episode 69 - Michael O’Connell, editor of Conversations with George Saunders
Episode 68 - Adam Levin, author of Mount Chicago
Episode 67 - Christian TeBordo, author of The Apology (and DFW22 Conference Recap)
Episode 66 - Dario Diofebi, author of Paradise, Nevada
Episode 65 - Kyle Beachy, author of The Most Fun Thing
Episode 64 - 2021 Year in Review
Episode 63 -Deb Olin Unferth
Episode 62 - Phillip Freedenberg & Jeff Walton
Episode 61 - Steve Erickson (feat. Matt Luter & Mike Miley)
Episode 60 - Brandon Hobson
Episode 59 - Introducing....Concavity Show
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