Audio recordings of Wolfe

Nigel Price · 05 Dec 2008, 21:06 · from 2008-December.txt.gz

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From: nigelaprice at talktalk.net (Nigel Price)
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 21:06:32 -0000
Subject: (urth) Audio recordings of Wolfe
Message-ID: <AFEFKBJKJDDJOMBNACBNOEPADNAA.nigelaprice at talktalk.net>

When I recently had the pleasure of meeting Gene Wolfe, among the things we
discussed were the various audio recordings which he has made over the
years. Amongst others recordings, he mentioned one which he had made some
time ago at a science fiction convention.

The organisers set up recording equipment to make a professional-standard
recording of the panel which Gene was on with another author. (I think it
may have been Fred Pohl, but I'm not sure.) The authors arrived early, the
technician set the levels, started the recorder running and went off to
provide tech support at some other event in the convention. Gene and his
companion sat there waiting patiently, but absolutely no one turned up to
the panel! In the end, they decided to fake a discussion.

They invited questions from the floor, and would then specify imaginary
members of the audience to ask questions, saying things like, "Yes sir, the
gentleman with the green T-shirt in the back row. What was your question?"

To cover the lack of a question, Gene and Fred (or whoever) would then say,
"I don't think that the microphone picked up your question, so I'll repeat
it for the benefit of those listening to the recording. What you wanted to
know was..."

They of course asked themselves all the questions about their own work which
they always hoped fans would ask, and then answered them as they saw fit.

Apparently they kept this up for the entire length of the proposed panel
session. Gene says that he never heard the recording broadcast or used in
any way and therefore supposes that the recording engineer tumbled to their
little game when he played back the tape. Still, it's interesting to think
that this recording might still be out there somewhere. I couldn't help
wondering what questions Gene asked himself, the questions which he wishes
we the fans would ask, presumably instead of the ones which we actually come
up with!

I wondered whether anybody here had a copy of this recording, or knew
anything more about it.

The only Wolfe or Wolfe-related recordings of which I do have copies are:

	- Wolfe reading "The Island of Dr Death and Other Stories" and "A Solar
Labyrinth" on a Library of Congress recording
	- Neil Gaiman and others taking part in a dramatised reading of "The Tree
is my Hat"
	- Gene Wolfe being interviewed for a BaltiCon podcast

Again, I'd be fascinated to hear of any other recordings which are out
there.

Nigel

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