Pride and Prejudice, Chapter One

I recorded the first five minutes within Chapter One from Pride and Prejudice, with some cutting to the text.

   

Like a lot of my classmates who studied English literature, especially those of us who identified as female, I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice during college.  The 2005 film with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen on DVD was frequently viewed within our dorm rooms; I tended to associate with a lot of the smartest girls on campus and, consequently, during my senior year most of my dorm neighbors were at the very top of our class.  I remember writing a piece of creative nonfiction during my freshman year where I remarked how romantic I found it that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth just happened to run into each other in these grandiose countryside settings; someone who was peer editing corrected my allusion as to the place but I, of course, was referring to the movie and not the novel. I also loved that during my senior seminar class in which we solely studied the work of John Donne, my professor remarked on pastoral literature and said, "Not that any of you would know what it is like to live near sheep," and I interjected immediately, "hold up, I definitely do!" because on my family farm--we often raised sheep or let others' sheep graze on our pasture in the grove.  

Place is so important to my favorite literature and other writing.  Where I come from and where I currently am impact how I pursue art and take in others' work.

After college, and not too many years afterwards--I got married.  For a long time, I considered this novel to be the most similar (of novels I have read) to my own love story.  I met my husband almost ten years ago to the date I am writing this.  I was visiting a guy friend from high school on my birthday on another campus, along with my best friend and his future wife, and pretty vividly remember the first moments in which we interacted.  He was so kind and attentive to me.  Later on that night, he was otherwise occupied when we were in proximity to each other, and I didn't think he liked me very much.  The next day (and I have hardly any recollection of this) he tried to talk with me and I didn't look up from my book much.  Neither of us knew it, but we both liked each other very much!  We are not very similar in many ways, but I enjoy the ways we complement each other and am so happy to be growing older with him continuously.

I will try to record as much of text of Pride and Prejudice as I can.  I may continue to cut some of the text, but I am a big fan of the content within Austen's work--especially more so as I age and mature and as I pursue being an artist--and will find it difficult to omit much.

Cinderella--Charles Perrault's version

I recently recorded Charles Perrault's version of Cinderella and was surprised by quite a bit of the content within it.  In this version, Cinderella's father is present throughout much of the plot, though not spoken of frequently other than to say he is controlled by the stepmother; he essentially allows the mistreatment of Cinderella to happen and, as far as I can note, what happens to the father or stepmother is not described.
I did note, however, there is a moment at the ball where Cinderella gives her sisters fruit, very expensive fruit, which she had received from the prince; I've never seen Cinderella interact with her family at the ball and love this gracious gesture that he describes as it happens and then has the stepsisters brag about it.  There are two nights of the ball and also the Godmother makes several appearances.

Here's a link to the story available on public domain in the United States:

Project Gutenberg: The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

I found it to be a really empowering experience to record this one:

I got to utilize the work I have been doing on voice, especially with heightened text.  A lot of this text is similar to prose I've seen in Shakespeare lately and the morals at the end resemble a lot of verse that I have enjoyed.  

I feel like this work of acting/reading is so powerful in so many ways. Over the last three years, since I became a mother, I've been trying to consistently make better choices in my lifestyle and part of that--during the last year in particular--showed up physically as I lost 20 pounds gradually and because of choices I have been able to steadily maintain.  For a few months, I would do a pilates workout for strength several days per week and use the 2.5 pound weights they recommend in the video, and I noticed such a change in everything of which my body is capable.  Not only is my body physically stronger, but my voice can project much further with potency and with subtle variety.  A lot of people who see me read text regularly have noticed a change with my delivery, and it means SO much to me that I am making a difference with people I see frequently and for whom I care about greatly.

I hope you enjoy the story of Cinderella as I have recorded it.  

One more thing to note: you have to open Sound Cloud files in a browser window, and I've been told that people who click on this via Facebook cannot do that from within their social media app.

Shakespeare and Such

One of my favorite terms I learned while working on my undergraduate degree in English was sprezzatura. I thought it was fascinating that poets who worked within the system of the royal court had this code of conduct to pursue their art to the fullest extent while maintaining a sense of nonchalance about the effort he put towards creating the art. One poet who lived this was John Donne, and I included some of his work in what I recorded today.

A lot of the poems that I studied during college, liked, and remember unpacking had some theme along the lines of how long love lasts. I'm continuously grateful to have faith and family in my life and so much love.