May 5, 2008
NEW GUEST: Elizabeth Arnold

We think of Elizabeth Arnold as intrepid. After all, her reporting has
ranged from the halls of Congress to the world's deepest wilderness. When
we created our recent series, "Stories from the Heart of the Land," we
asked Elizabeth to go, by herself, to the Great Bear Rainforest, Mongolia,
and the North Pole! Like I said, intrepid.

But Elizabeth has a different view. She actually feels insecure about her
work. Which may be what makes it so good. Come read her manifesto "On
Interviewing" which centers on the values of patience and respect. Also,
Elizabeth will be available at Transom to answer your questions.
http://www.transom.org/guests/review/200804_elizabeth_arnold/


Drop over any time,

Jay Allison
Atlantic Public Media
Woods Hole, Massachusetts

==========================

If there's one assignment I hate more than anything in the world it's "man
on the street," "vox," or as one AP radio reporter friend calls it "triple
A....Ask Any Asshole." I hate it simply because I am shy and insecure.
Really.

The idea of walking up to a perfect stranger and asking a question like,
"How did you feel on September 11th?" Or "what do you think about the fact
that farmed salmon has red dye added to it?" I can't do it. It's intrusive,
it's arrogant, it's obnoxious...and worst of all it gives the person a
perfectly legitimate opportunity to tell me what a jerk I am to my face, or
better yet, the once in a lifetime opportunity to snub a reporter with "no
comment."

But I do it.

So, how could someone like me possibly be a poking, prodding, intrusive,
obnoxious, question-asking reporter for more than 20 years, asking any
asshole anything on a daily basis?

In a way I think, my insecurity and shyness has helped. I am forced to dig
down deep, to summon the courage to blurt out my question. It had better be
good, it had better be important, I better not be wasting this person's
time.....okay just hear me out, before you start blogging all over the
place about how lame I am.


....Elizabeth Arnold, continued at www.transom.org

April 10, 2008
NEW REVIEW: Creature Comforts / NEW AWARD: PRX Gets MacArthur "Genius Organization Award"

* NEW REVIEW: Creature Comforts *

We've compiled our interview (and associated videos) with the creative team of "Creature Comforts" for this issue of the downloadable Transom Review. "Creature Comforts" is a remarkable claymation feature using interviews with actual people as their guide track. Some of the interviews are done by public radio producers and it's an edifying look at an unusual re-purposing. And, a lot of fun.

http://www.transom.org/guests/review/200801_creature_comforts/

* NEW AWARD: PRX Gets MacArthur "Genius Organization Award" *

Atlantic Public Media (parent of Transom) is the co-parent (with the Station Resource Group) of the Public Radio Exchange (prx.org). Today, it was announced that PRX is a recipient of the 2008 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, a kind of "Genius Organization Award." We are all very proud of the wonderful team at PRX and all they've done to make public radio more public. PRX will use the $500,000 grant to establish a cash reserve fund, a content reserve fund and to develop new technologies. Read more at the PRX blog:

http://about.prx.org/2008/04/prx_selected_for_macarthur_fou.php

Drop over any time,

Jay Allison
Atlantic Public Media
Woods Hole, Massachusetts

March 14, 2008
NEW TOOL: Sony PCM-D50 Digital Recorder

Transom is committed to testing new tools for public radio producers. To that end, our TOOLS editor Jeff Towne has reviewed a lot of the new small digital recorders. They’re getting better. In fact, of the Sony PCM-D50, Jeff says, “Among all the small handheld flash recorders, the Sony D50 certainly is near the front of the pack. It does most things right, with only a few minor problems, and no tragic flaws.” So, it’s not quite perfect, but if you’re in the market, you should check out this review.

http://www.transom.org/tools/recording_interviewing/200803_sony_pcmd50/

Drop over any time,

Jay Allison
Atlantic Public Media
Woods Hole, Massachusetts

=======================
Sony has long been a reliable source for small field recorders for reporters. The venerable TC-D5M cassette recorder, the Walkman Pro, the TCD-D7 DAT recorder, and various Minidisc recorders have occupied prominent places in independent audio producers’ gear bags over the years. With the shift of technology to flash-memory-based recorders, many have wondered why so many of the small, inexpensive devices didn’t record as cleanly as their Sony Minidisc recorders did, and wished for a flash recorder with a Sony pedigree. At first, Sony’s only offering was the $2,000 PCM-D1, celebrated for its sound quality, but beyond the budget of many recordists. The Sony PCM-D50 shares many attributes of its more expensive predecessor, and even with more affordable microphone elements and preamps, it delivers high quality sound from both the internal mics and external source.

-Jeff Towne (continued at transom.org)

February 26, 2008
NEW SHOW - Running From Myself

There's something about Louis' voice; it's both wise and callow. It feels like he has the answers while he's searching for them. Louis used to rob people on the street, but he stopped. Now, he's trying to reconcile the person he was with the person he is and wants to be. Louis worked with Anthony Mascorro at 826NYC to tell this powerful, complicated story. (By the way, it was nice for us to learn that Anthony acquired his editing chops at Transom.) We all hope you'll visit Transom to listen, and talk to Louis and Anthony.

Drop over any time,

Jay Allison
Atlantic Pubic Media
Woods Hole, Massachusetts

Piecing this together was an emotional time for me. Hearing my friend express her disappointment in me was hard to swallow. There were days where I didn't want to hear the recordings I'd made to avoid feeling depressed. There were many cuts and changes in what I wanted to say throughout the editing process, because each time I spoke to someone, I learned something about myself. I can honestly say that working on this piece with Anthony and 826NYC was a growing process for me which I enjoyed and am grateful for. - Louis

I work for 826NYC, a non-profit writing and tutoring center in Brooklyn. We operate out of the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. ...It serves to get kids inside the space and interested, and... it lets the kids know in a very direct way that it's possible to make kind of a lifelong practice out of honoring your imagination, being creative, and entertaining yourself as opposed to always turning to someone else for entertainment. You know, those things don't have to end once you grow up and decide to do something productive, like run a tutoring center. - Anthony

February 14, 2008
GUEST SIDEBAR - Creature Comforts: "How Dan Does It"

While the creators of Creature Comforts (England's Aardman Animation, that is... the Wallace and Gromit people) are our guests, don't miss the sidebar on star interviewer Dan Sinclair and his clever ways. Check out some backstory and audio/video here:

http://www.transom.org/guests/review/200801_creature_comforts/dan.php

Plus... Dan, Kit Boss, and Richard "Golly" Goleszowski are hanging around if you have questions for them.

http://www.transom.org/guests/review/200801_creature_comforts/

Drop over any time,

Jay Allison
Atlantic Public Media
Woods Hole, Massachusetts

January 29, 2008
NEW GUEST: Creature Comforts

Transom is proud to welcome the creative team behind our favorite animated series, Creature Comforts. If you haven't seen it, get thee quickly to their Transom pages and catch up. This series comes from Aardman Animation in England (home of Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, etc.), and is inhabited by claymation animals whose identities are derived from audio interviews with real people. There’s a kinship between radio and animation, because we all imagine the source of voices we hear, and if our imaginations are free-ranging and whimsical, the voices might look like this.

Kit Boss, Richard “Golly” Goleszowski, and Dan Sinclair talk to Transom’s Samantha Broun. The conversation is transcribed, illustrated with audio/video, and is downloadable in MP3. There’s also a “Making Of” video, and all sorts of background and technique, including interviewing. And you can ask questions. This is good stuff. You'll like it.

http://www.transom.org/guests/review/200801_creature_comforts/

Drop over any time,

Jay Allison
Atlantic Public Media
Woods Hole, Massachusetts