in praise of saving conversations
audio is such a magically intimate medium, why don't we make better use of it? and what happens when we do?
I’ve been going through old voice notes lately for a podcast series I’m working on and stumbled across a file of conversations I’d recorded with my son Frank in the bath, back when he was four.
I’m posting one of them below for you to listen to if you’re curious — firstly because it’s weird and hilarious — topics include his travels through worm holes, why he finds the planet earth “boring,” the tragic story of how his “first family” died and how he got his “laser eyes” — and secondly because it illustrates the nuances of his 4-year-old character more vividly than any photo or video could. Anyone attempting to write fiction should take note of the power of audio — conversation and voice are how character is built. Why don’t we record more of them I wonder, if only for posterity’s sake?