The medium of radio opens up new dimensions for expressing the historic form of the textual essay. Essay writers often adopt a persona or character, observed in their syntax and diction. Textual tricks can be employed to mimic what is otherwise heard verbally, such as colloquialisms, accent, pacing, and dynamic emotional range. This contrasts with disinterested journalistic or sterilized academic writing. The essay is suited for communicating subjective information, something that voice contributes to, alongside organic ad hoc forms, literary technique, and pronominal audience engagement. One could also argue that the axis of tone runs closely parallel to that of voice. More voice means a greater dramatic range. Furthermore, additional emotional complexities can be divined by the audience after they get a sense of the speaker’s personality.
One frequent element of the audio essay is the spoken word, exemplified in Ira Glass’ radio show, This American Life (TAL). Jeff Porter writes about the presence of voice in the program, “These were not detached broadcast voices, orotund and transcendent, but fully embodied voices, incarnated in a talking-self that turned its own physicality into an expressive force inseparable from the writing” (190). Act 1 of the TAL episode, “Guns,” featuring Sarah Vowell, is an excellent case study for voice as heard in the audio essay, and how this element contributes to classically essayistic goals.
A rift widened between Sarah Vowell and her gunsmith father, when she rejected guns from an early age. Her segment is about this contrast of opinion, the fallout on the relationship between father and daughter, and how the two reconciled. Jeff Porter writes “[Sarah Vowell] sounds like a disaffected teenager scheming revenge from the basement of a library.” The nasal quality, slight lisp, sassiness, and quiver in her voice are heard immediately in the opening seconds of her segment (4:34).
This inherent personality of her voice gives authenticity to the subject matter, partially about teenage years, and also a tumultuous relationship with a parent, which itself is often associated with teenage years, given popular fictional tropes. Additionally, she has a hint of midwestern twang, heard for example when she says “Satan, I rebuke thee” (7:39). At the same time, these regional inflections might have been washed out by American mono-accent. In this sense, her accent further authenticates her story, that of a small town girl that left behind her family and Montana country for the city and art, also a popular fiction trope. This authenticity makes for an easier target to hit in terms of identification, and so the communication of the subjective material is facilitated. If Hillary Clinton told the exact same story, the subjective content wouldn’t have the same effect.
Worth thinking about, is how some people’s voices might be better suited for certain essays. Alternatively, we can wonder how our voices might unintentionally communicate something about our history or personality. As an audio essayist, we can consciously modulate our accents or rhythms when portraying characters.
November 28, 2024 at 7:59 pm
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