Fictional podcasts magnify the elements of literary use of language and of drama, which includes dramatic use of voice as well as acting - if you can separate that after all. It makes for more intense listening. It adds to the cerebral, intellectual and possibly spiritual aspects, that I know so well from the regulars on this blog. It adds the aesthetic, in sound, language, composition and performance. Consequently, the listening is more intense and demands more concentration. I am used to listen while engaging in driving, shopping, cleaning or other menial tasks. Combining fictional podcast listening with driving or shopping doesn't work out to well. The menial task needs to be more monotonous and routine - like cleaning for instance.
For Namaste I didn't even do that. I just sat down and closed my eyes. DaveP, the maker, provides a total immersion podcast. He makes the music, writes the (very literary) text and reads it, with a restrained passion that is mesmerizing. I have let myself float with the sound experience, tremendously enjoyed the integrated whole and yet, still I haven't figured out whether the stories are independent or part of a larger scheme. They seem to be related however with returning persona's such as Georgette, Dad and I - the narrator. For the joy of the podcast, that is not needed. What we see is podcast as a work of art.More:
Forgotten Classics
