I have been lobbied to do a podcast for years. A lot of people digest information easier through their ears than their eyes. For some it is not just a preference, but a necessity. One of my best friends in St. Louis has a job where he is always driving a car. He has little time for reading, but he consumes an impressive amount of information through podcasts and audiobooks.
After my interview with Richard McColl of Colombia Calling Radio, I committed to launching a podcast. I am making slow progress, but an Expat Chronicles podcast is in the cards. An audiobook for Mad Outta Me Head is in the works. I have recorded The Mick’s voice for his sections.
I recorded my voice my first book (since unpublished) as a test run. I get compliments on my voice back in the States. People say I could work in radio. But I did not hear that in my first recording. I saw weakness.
The main weakness comes down to my trying to sound like NPR. I love NPR, and without it I never could have suffered 18 months in the States. But that does not mean my content should be read in that sober, measured NPR tone. In fact there are few genres less appropriate for NPR voice than mine.
I do not know anyone named Ira, and I have never laid anyone that looks like Terry Gross. So while my preferred information sounds like NPR, I am not NPR. As horrifying as it seems, maybe my content needs to sound more like an obnoxious FM-radio DJ.
Beside NPR podcasts, my favorite is Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. His Spanish-American War podcast, The American Peril, should be of great interest to gringos in Latin America dealing with the Spanish legacy every day. It also gives great context for the recent reconciliation between the United States and Cuba.
For what it’s worth, Dan Carlin got his start in radio and he almost sounds like an FM DJ.
Here is one of the better recordings of Christopher reading from Mad Outta Me Head:
Alejandrina la Salsera (right-click and “Save As” to download)
Expat Chronicles 