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Little Gray Book Lecture: How to Communicate Without the Use of Wires

From The Little Gray Book Lectures | Part of the The Little Gray Book Lectures series | 00:57:27
Producers: John Hodgman, Christine Connor, Jonathan Coulton, Liz Connor and Brendan Greeley

Credit:
Lectures by Paul Tough and Starlee Kine, walkie-talkie banter and a song about NY ME host Soterios Johnson

THE LITTLE GRAY BOOK LECTURES are a series of readings, songs, demonstrations, discussions, and occasional overhead projections that have been held near-monthly in Williamsburg, Brooklyn since 2001. They are now coming via the air to your wireless receiver.

Lecture #29, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITHOUT THE AID OF WIRES, was recorded in Philadelphia with Starlee Kine, frequent contributor to PRI's "This American Life," and Paul Tough of The New York Times Magazine.

"...Hodgman sets the pseudo-reflective tone with his wry, hangdog demeanor (he has the vaguely besieged aura of an Ivy League professor uncertain of his tenure), while his guests -- editors and writers, cartoonists and actors -- find amusing ways to jump beyond the limits of the lectern."

-- Los Angeles Times

“Mondo pithy live entertainments! So funny, addictively fun, this brainy but cozy series features a consistently delightful lineup of doers, talkers, thinkers and/or auctioneers.”

-- Animated Motion Picture Star Sarah Vowell Hide full description

THE LITTLE GRAY BOOK LECTURES are a series of readings, songs, demonstrations, discussions, and occasional overhead projections that have been held near-monthly in Williamsburg, Brooklyn since 2001. They are now coming via the air to your wireless receiver. Lecture #29, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITHOUT THE AID OF WIRES, was recorded in Philadelphia with Starlee Kine, frequent contributor to PRI's "This American Life," and Paul Tough of The New York Times Magazine. "...Hodgman sets the pseudo-reflective tone with his wry, hangdog demeanor (he has the vaguely besieged aura of an Ivy League professor uncertain of his tenure), while hi...
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5 Comments Atom Feed

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brian moffatt

Posted on July 08, 2005 at 05:51 PM | Permalink

Review of Little Gray Book Lecture: How to Communicate Without the Use

I disagree with the reviewer above who dislikes the embroidery around the two main stories. The whole package rocks. Well...gently. I listened to this on a Friday evening after a long and arduous week of Much Noise. This show is da balm.

Repurposed Art Bell. A Haunted motel. Contacting aliens. Fun with walkie talkies. All a bit whack, as so little of radio - anywhere - is, genuinely, these days.

I'm glad to see these folks are podcasting and dividing the shows into 'minividual' segments which I assume are available for pds.

This is the sort of thing meant for restless nights or long drives. Nice use of white space. Excellent tone.

Special kudos to J. Coulton: personally I can't stand singer/guitarist/humorists (it a long story, same with mimes and sockpuppeteers) but he won me over with his song about the E-poppin', Red Bull quaffin', rave attendin', news anchor.

The theme of The Romance of Over the Air Radio works well coming through the wires too.

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R. Tyler Mack

Posted on March 29, 2005 at 01:58 PM | Permalink

Review of Little Gray Book Lecture: How to Communicate Without the Use

In his description of this piece at transom.org, Mr, Hodgman decribes a joke he once heard Michael Feldman (Whad'ya Know) tell. Not surprisingly, Mr. Hodgman bears something of a resemblance to Mr Feldman in his personality, witty comments, and clever deviations. Not as polished as the veterans at Whad'ya Know, Mr. Hodgman & Co. at Little Gray Books Lectures don't really try to be: they're more personal, more real, and more downright interesting. It's less like listening to a radio show hundreds of miles away and more like listening to a bunch of friends. Highly recommended.
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Jackson Braider

Posted on March 25, 2005 at 08:26 AM | Permalink

Review of Little Gray Book Lecture: How to Communicate Without the Use

The phrase that immediately leaps to mind about this Little Gray Book Lecture: it's the anti-slick. Paul Tough has a lovely essay about the quest for extraterrestrial communication and his dad, John Hodgman does a wonderful twist on the call-in show, and Starlee Kine is charming. Smart people, good with words -- and as far as I can tell, not a jot of steroidal sound-sweetening or audio tummytucks. This show is a terrific reminder that what the listener gets doesn't have to be polished to be engaging or communicative.

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Timing and Cues

OPTIONAL STATION ID BREAKS AT 23:48 AND 38:00

***IN***

00:00 "ATTENTION, CHRISTINE, CAN I TALK TO YOU FOR A MINUTE PLEASE?"

***OPTIONAL STATION ID BREAK, 00:25 FROM 24:00 TO 24:25***

23:48 "SO, JONATHAN COULTON PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK"

23:50 - 24:05 [GUITAR/APPLAUSE]

24:06 - 24:19 [INTERACTION WITH AUDIENCE]

24:20 - 24:31 [GUITAR/APPLAUSE]

24:31 "THANK YOU AND WELCOME BACK TO LITTLE GRAY BOOK LECTURE NUMBER TWENTY-NINE"



***OPTIONAL STATION ID BREAK, 00:50 FROM 38:05 TO 38:55***

38:00 "JONATHAN, WILL YOU LEAD US OUT WITH A LITTLE MUSIC AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK"

38:03 - 38:17 [GUITAR/APPLAUSE]

38:18 - 38:54 [INTERACTION WITH AUDIENCE; DURING INTERACTION, REPEATS "JONATHAN WILL YOU LEAD US OUT WITH A LITTLE MUSIC"]

38:55 - 39:01 [GUITAR/APPLAUSE]

39:02 "THANK YOU, THIS IS LITTLE GRAY BOOK LECTURE NUMBER TWENTY-NINE"

***OR***

***OPTIONAL STATION ID BREAK, 00:25 FROM 38:35 TO 39:00***

38:25 "WE'LL STAY ALL NIGHT IF WE HAVE TO, TO GET THIS SIMPLE ACT RIGHT. SO, JONATHAN, WILL YOU PLEASE GIVE US A LITTLE MUSIC TO TAKE US OUT AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK"

38:35 - 39:01 [GUITAR/APPLAUSE]

39:02 "THANK YOU, THIS IS LITTLE GRAY BOOK LECTURE NUMBER TWENTY-NINE"

***OUT***

56:51 "BECAUSE WE ARE IN PHILADELPHIA, AND THIS IS A VERY STRANGE CITY INDEED. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING, THAT IS ALL"

56:58 - 57:09 [FADE OUT ON GUITAR/APPLAUSE]

57:10 - 57:25 [CREDITS] END ON "SUPPORT FOR THE OPEN STUDIO PROJECT COMES FROM THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING" IMMEDIATE FADE

57:26 END

Musical Works

"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" by The Carpenters
"Dance, Soterios Johnson, Dance" by Jonathan Coulton

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