* A conversation with Scott Brick, audiobook narrator

January 31, 2009 · 3 comments

I’m a big fan of audiobooks. It fills in the empty spaces during the commute and increases the number of books I can get to.

The narrator of the individual pieces can make or break the experience. Some are lyrical and others sound almost computer-generated. You can almost hear when they know their subject, that they have a care and pride in what they’re presenting.

Scott Brick has recorded more than 400 titles and has been the recipient of more than 40 Earphones Awards for his work, as well as the 2003 Audie Award for Dune: The Butlerian Jihad. Audiofile Magazine named him “one of the fastest-rising stars in the audiobook galaxy,” and proclaimed him a Golden Voice. He was also the subject of a front-page story in The Wall Street Journal.

Brick, an avowed Dodgers follower and knowledgeable baseball fan, has recorded several audio books on the national pastime, include The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero, both by Leigh Montville; Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, & the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports, by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams; and Emperors and Idiots: The Hundred-Year Rivalry Between the Yankees and the Red Sox, by Mark Vaccaro.

Here are some samples of his work:

The Big Bam:

Ted Williams:

Game of Shadows:

Emperors and Idiots:

I had a conversation with Brick, 43, to discuss the arduous process of turning the written word into sound, his love of the game, and the artistic (and laborious) differences between abridged and unabridged versions. He was very generous with his time (i.e., it’s a long interview, logging in at just over 30 minutes).

A conversation with Scott Brick:

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{ 2 comments }

1 * Scott Brick February 9, 2009 at 3:34 am

Wow, I’m amazed how often I say “Um” and “Y’know.” You don’t hear those on finished audiobooks. Thank God for editors. 😉

Thanks for the post, Ron, it reminded me of what an enjoyable conversation we had.

Just curious… do you think the NY media will ask Alex Rodriguez any questions about his failed steroid tests…?

Best,

Scott Brick

2 * ronkaplan February 9, 2009 at 11:43 am

Thanks, Scott.

Have you heard of “Um… : Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean,” by Michael Frard? Haven’t read it myself, but it’s on my list.

As for A-Rod, I don’t know whether to be disillusioned or not. It’s like being told there’s no Santa Claus. So does this mean we can’t believe anything any athlete tells us from now on? The media will be all over him, but he’ll hide behind lawyers and agents for as long as possible. We haven’t finished with Bonds yet after how many years?

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