Brent and His Mother.

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One reason we chose this piece is that the presentation is a bit different. Here's what Brent said about it: "I had originally planned to write a script and record it, but one night listening to the tape I was inspired to sort of make it up. I wound up really liking the quality, the sense of discovery that comes from improvising, but it is not the usual style for public radio."

One question we hope to consider on Transom.org is the variety of voices and styles and tones that end up on public radio. What's "acceptable"? What's not? Why?

Brent Carrying His Mother

"Shake Marilyn Monroe" was produced entirely within his one bedroom apartment with a Beyer M-58 Microphone, a Sony TCD-D10 DAT Machine and ProTools LE.

Brent began his radio career by being rejected from This American Life's internship program. Luckily, they liked one of his story ideas enough to encourage him to write it. "Fire and Ice Cream," was produced with Jay Allison and Christina Egloff and aired on the Hospital Diplomacy show in January of 2000. You can hear it at www.thislife.org. "It took me ten months to write, it should take you ten minutes to listen to."

His work also appeared recently on All Things Considered's Lost & Found Sound.

Brent is from Ithaca, New York.