A few notes before we get started. I have the distinct impression that I went about this in a much more difficult way than I maybe needed to out of utter ignorance over podcasting. I downloaded the Audacity software, signed up for an Archive.org account and an Ourmedia.org account. I recorded the piece and then fumbled with type of files, sites and all kinds of nonsense. The end result is the podcast which you can listen to here or download on the Archive.org link. The sound quality turned out far below my expectations and I think you really need headphones to hear it very well. Also, unfortunately, I may have been a bit too close to the microphone. I apologize for how crisply my "Ps" pop in your ears. Also, in retrospect, I'm not sure I wound up using the best cut.
So, it's a very rough, sort of Ed Wood first version of my podcast. Please do bear that in mind going into this. But, on the good side, long time, long distance readers can finally hear what I sound like.
And, needless to say, if someone out there actually knows what they're doing in podcasting and wants to give suggestions, I'm all ears.
The piece I chose to start with is Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti. It's a remarkable poem, very different from anything else by Rossetti. She was a devoutly Anglican girl (who actually turned down two suitors for not being suitably Anglican enough for her.) Her last name may ring a bell with our art fans in connection to Dante Gabriel Rossetti and you would be correct in that association. That was her brother who, in fact, used Christina Rossetti as his model for the Virgin Mary in his painting of The Annunciation.
Here is my reading of the piece:
And here is the link where you can download it.
I hope this works. I'm sure this experiment will improve as I continue. Until then, thank you for listening.
