May 18th, 2003.

Lord Jim and Tales of the Fish Patrol are now available on the download page 
of http://www.etc-edu.com (Number One Hit Parade)

Technical Improvements to Radio Gutenberg synth-voice readings this go-round
 :

1 - elimination of excessive inflection on proper names and places.
2 - beginning of chapter fade-in eliminated.
3 - compander and room ambiance parameters further refined.
4 - continuing improvements in spondees and no-stress word enunciation.
5 - smoother pacing.
6 - better meter.
7 - more refined voice characterization.

The return of music to the broadcasts.

Beginning in June, we will incorporate music in the broadcasts again,
primarily classical chamber music, jazz and possibly folk music with direct
or thematic ties to the broadcast literature, and free of any copyright
restriction.
I am negotiating for the musicians to allow me to make this material
 available for distribution as CD images, along with the audio books they are
 programmed with.

The incorporation of DJs.

To enhance the diversity of Radio Gutenberg programming, beginning this
 coming June we are going to feature programs selected by Radio Gutenberg DJs
 every evening at 6 P.M. U.S. Central Time till the following morning. We
 think the resulting diversity of program materials that more minds and
 hearts must inevitably bring to the broadcasts, our appeal and value to the
 public at large will be greatly magnified.

This month's selections include Jack London's "Tales of the Fish Patrol" and
Joseph Conrad's "Lord Jim".  That's a healthy dose of adventure!  London
actually chased down fish poachers as a boy and Conrad was an accomplished
seaman and gun runner.  These books will grab your gut!

Here's some background on the authors.

from http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/jackbio.html (edited excerpts) :

John Griffith London (1876-1916) was born in San Francisco of an unmarried
mother of wealthy background, Flora Wellman.  Because Flora was ill, Jack was
raised through infancy by an ex-slave, Virginia Prentiss, who would remain a
major maternal figure while the boy grew up. Late in 1876, Flora married John
London, a partially disabled Civil War veteran. The family moved around the
Bay area before settling in Oakland, where Jack completed grade school. The
family was working class, but not so impoverished as London claimed.

As an adolescent, the boy served on a fish patrol to capture poachers. Always
a prolific reader, he consciously chose to become a writer to escape from the
prospects of  life as a factory worker. He studied other writers and began to
submit to various publications, mostly without success.

He began publishing in the Overland Monthly in 1899. From that point he was a
highly disciplined writer, who would produce over fifty volumes of stories,
novels, and political essays. Although The Call of the Wild (1903) brought
him lasting fame, many of his short stories deserve to be called classics.
He was instrumental in breaking the taboo over leprosy and popularizing
Hawaii as a tourist spot.

London was among the most publicized figures of his day. He was among the
first writers to work with the movie industry, and saw a number of his novels
made into films. His novel The Sea-Wolf became the basis for the first
full-length American movie.  He was also one of the first celebrities to use
his endorsement for commercial products in advertising, including dress suits
and grape juice.

Contradictory themes in his life and writing make him a difficult figure to
reduce to simple terms.

from http://www.online-literature.com/conrad/ (edited excerpts) :

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was born in Berdichev, Ukraine, on December 3rd,
1857. He was born Polish but he would become renowned for his English short
stories and novels. His father, Apollo Korzeniowski, worked as a translator
of English and French literature.

In the 1870's he joined the French merchant marines. While working on a ship
Conrad was involved in arms smuggling.
By 1886 he was commanding his own ship and was given British citizenship. It
was at this time that he officially changed his name to Joseph Conrad.

Conrad visited Australia, various islands in the Indian Ocean and the South
Pacific, South America, and he even sailed up the Congo River in Africa. In
1894 at the age of 36 Conrad finally left the sea behind him and settled down
in England. Two years later he married an Englishwoman by the name of Jessie
George, and it was with her that he had two sons.
--
gutenberg! yum!

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-- 
gutenberg! yum!


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