Toby Litt and Clare Wigfall – The Hare and Along Birdcage Walk
Previous Self publishing Next Trash Humpers
| Artist | Toby Litt and Clare Wigfall |
| Title | The Hare and Along Birdcage Walk |
| Label | Underwood |
| Year | 2010 |
| Designer | Emily Chicken (typography) and Jordan Crane (artwork) |
| Music | Fiction |
| Desktop | Download image |
| Notes | New label Underwood publishes short stories in twice-yearly editions on 12″ vinyl. Add to that big, bold illustrations rendered on gatefold vinyl and you have something delightfully original, particularly in this age of podcasts and downloadable MP3s.
“The Hare by Toby Litt features an adventure in the Welsh countryside and a chase in the British library. It is an extraordinary meditation on how memories haunt us. Along Birdcage Walk by Clare Wigfall is a love story set in St James Park of the seventeenth century, where an exhibition of exotic birds provoke a mysterious change in the characters.” Buy a copy at www.underwoodstories.com Interview with Nathan Dunne: 1: When did you have the idea to start Underwood? Several years ago I was stranded in Bangkok airport on a flight-delay and I saw a man carrying a portable gramophone. He had a bag full of old records and would dust each one off meticulously before playing it. On seeing this I was reminded of what we’ve lost in the digital age – a love for the object. Rather than something that you hold in your hands, packaging has been reduced to just another image. There’s nothing physical left. I’ve always loved short stories and avidly listen to writers reading their work on podcasts. But somehow podcasts always leave me cold. So I had the idea of writers reading short stories onto records as a way of preserving them, as a way of creating a different way to experience stories and remember them. Records are all about the experience: you’ve got to lay them down on the turntable, drop the needle and then change the side when it’s done. This attention to detail is what I’d love to see happen to the short story. Sitting around in a group and listening to the perfect crisp-crackle of a record simply doesn’t compare to a CD or mp3. 2: What do you think are the advantages of doing it on vinyl? The advantage of vinyl is that a unique object is created that functions to preserve the short story. It creates a sense of occasion when listening rather than a story simply popping up amid the shuffle on your iPod. A vinyl record is a combination of unique sound and beautiful packaging – quite the opposite of digital. Also, there are now more records being produced than ever before. The point is that a record makes you slow down, sit back and pay attention to the words. Writers deserve that and the short story as a form deserves that. 3: How do you select the contributors? The writers we select for each record are particularly accomplished in the short story form. Rather than a novelist read an excerpt from a chapter or a poet read several poems, short story writers are perfect for the medium of vinyl. Two sides of a record allow for two short stories, one on each side, where each one is under 30 minutes. This means that there is a satisfying wholeness to the experience, like being read a bedtime story. We start out by choosing short stories by contemporary writers that really move us, and then discuss how we might pair up two different stories to work together on the same record. (Hopefully when Nathan has released many volumes of contemporary stories, he’ll one day release Jorge Luis Borges reading Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius – then I’d disappear in a puff of gratitude…) |
The next time I learn a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as a lot as this one. I imply, I do know it was my choice to read, however I really thought youd have one thing fascinating to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you may fix if you werent too busy in search of attention.
Aw, this was a really nice post. In concept I would like to put in writing like this additionally ?taking time and precise effort to make an excellent article?however what can I say?I procrastinate alot and under no circumstances appear to get one thing done.
I found your blog site on google and verify just a few of your early posts. Proceed to maintain up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. Looking for ahead to studying extra from you in a while!?
The subsequent time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as a lot as this one. I imply, I do know it was my option to read, but I truly thought youd have one thing fascinating to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you might repair when you werent too busy looking for attention.
Thank you a lot for providing individuals with an exceptionally nice chance to read from this website. It is usually so beneficial plus jam-packed with amusement for me personally and my office acquaintances to search your web site a minimum of three times in 7 days to read the fresh things you have. And of course, we’re certainly fulfilled concerning the attractive advice served by you. Some 3 areas in this posting are unequivocally the simplest I’ve ever had.
I together with my buddies were checking the excellent pointers found on the blog while all of the sudden I got a horrible feeling I had not expressed respect to the site owner for those secrets. These young men appeared to be certainly passionate to read all of them and have now surely been loving those things. Appreciate your simply being well kind and for pick out this form of good subject matter millions of individuals are really wanting to be informed on. Our own honest apologies for not expressing gratitude to sooner.
I must express my appreciation to you for rescuing me from this particular scenario. Right after checking through the online world and seeing solutions which are not beneficial, I believed my entire life was gone. Living minus the strategies to the difficulties you have sorted out by means of the website is a serious case, and the ones which might have in a negative way damaged my career if I hadn’t encountered your blog. Your understanding and kindness in taking care of every part was tremendous. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t encountered such a stuff like this. I can also at this point look forward to my future. Thanks for your time so much for this specialized and result oriented guide. I won’t think twice to propose the sites to anybody who should receive care on this topic.
I wish to point out my respect for your generosity in support of folks who have the need for assistance with this one concept. Your very own dedication to passing the solution all-around appears to be especially informative and has really made women like me to get to their dreams. Your personal warm and helpful guideline can mean so much a person like me and further more to my office colleagues. Best wishes; from each one of us.
I have to convey my respect for your generosity giving support to people that really need help with the niche. Your real dedication to passing the solution along has been especially informative and has in most cases encouraged regular people just like me to arrive at their dreams. The informative recommendations signifies a lot to me and a whole lot more to my colleagues. Thanks a ton; from each one of us.
I am just writing to let you be aware of of the remarkable experience our daughter found going through your web site. She even learned plenty of things, which include how it is like to possess an excellent teaching style to get many others clearly grasp a number of extremely tough subject matter. You undoubtedly exceeded my expected results. I appreciate you for rendering such practical, trusted, educational and also fun guidance on your topic to Julie.
I am just writing to let you be aware of of the helpful encounter my daughter undergone studying your web page. She mastered several details, which include what it’s like to have a wonderful coaching mood to let many people quite simply know just exactly specified tortuous things. You actually surpassed our desires. Many thanks for delivering these invaluable, safe, revealing and also fun tips on this topic to Lizeth.