I took
another excursion last week into the world of radio writing.
Some of my favorite journalists, such as Peter King, write for commercial radio. Peter can write fast and short as well as any scribe on the planet and can absorb complicated scientific material and transform it into a 30-word news spot.
I also appreciate the work of NPR reporters, such as my pal
Howard Berkes, who knows how to dig for facts, weave them into a compelling story, and draw the listener into the experience with the skillful use of natural sound.
Earlier this year I wrote my first essay for NPR on my strange love for copy editors, and last week
wrote another about teaching grammar to children. The art of the radio essay transforms the illusion of speech, which we experience off the text, into actual speech. The voice of the piece is rendered in the speaking voice of the writer. That is why I decided to sing in the first essay, and why I performed the second piece as a one-act play.
I was inspired, in part, by the work of a writer named
Jerome Stern, who died of cancer after a career at Florida State University. He authored one of my favorite books about the craft: "
Making Shapely Fiction," and edited wonderful anthologies of short, short stories. He collected his own radio essays in a book titled "
Radios." Half the pieces concern his journey through cancer, while the others explore a playful variety of topics, such as refrigerator excavation.
If any of you have written pieces for radio,
I'd love to hear what you've learned from the experience.
