I was originally drawn to creating radio because of my inherent trust in voices. Sound is an incredibly intimate medium, and that intimacy sometimes allows me to entertain the illusion that radio stories are happening in real time. The storytelling becomes a conversation. I too wanted to make something that sounded trustworthy and intimate. But above all, it had to sound “natural.”

It appeared simple enough, but proved much more difficult than I expected. I rewrote my first real piece over a dozen times. In each draft, I delicately tweaked my narration to make it sound more like that idyllic and ever-elusive “conversation.” And yet, even after I felt I had perfected every word, when I went in to record, the best takes were the ones when I didn’t look at the page and ad-libbed slightly.

I just finished re-listening to my absolute favorite audiobook, A Wrinkle in Time, read by the author, Madeleine L'Engle.

I feel a little embarrassed for broadcasting my love of a children’s audiobook, but I challenge you to name a better one. Seriously. I have listened to lots of audiobooks, and I have yet to find anything that approaches it, especially in the realm of fiction.

This book sings to the depths of my heart, and I share it with anyone who is going on a roadtrip or having trouble getting out of bed or excited about space travel or struggling through teenage awkwardness... I recommend it to basically anyone, and this is why: L’Engle’s voice.