One of the funniest radio programmes I have heard in a long time is Stuart McLean on the CBC where he hosts The Vinyl Cafe. He is a story teller and humorist who has been around awhile having produced many books, CDs and audio tapes. His photo and website are here.
The CBC blurb states: "The Vinyl Cafe radio show is based on Stuart's visits to 'the world's smallest record store,' where he picks up an eclectic selection of recorded music and some neighbourhood gossip from Dave, the store's eccentric owner. Stuart spins the gossip into short stories, which he interweaves with fascinating music selections."
He celebrates ordinary people and weaves stories about them much in the same way as Garrison Keillor [also see topical footnote] did with his Lake Wobegon tales of this fictitious small town in Midwest USA a generation ago. Actually McLean is also very much like Stephen Leacock, Canadian humorist of the early 20th century, and apparently has many times won the Stephen Leacock Award for Literary Humour.
His topics are as Canadian as Pacific milk and screen doors. Everyone can relate to them. Last week he was in the Northwest Territories and did his live radio show gearing it to the local situation (as I guess he must always do).
While he has published a number of books, often related to the Vinyl Cafe, it is his voice and his delivery, i.e. timing, that would be the way I would want to 'hear' him. My preference would be audio books here.
He celebrates ordinary people and weaves stories about them much in the same way as Garrison Keillor [also see topical footnote] did with his Lake Wobegon tales of this fictitious small town in Midwest USA a generation ago. Actually McLean is also very much like Stephen Leacock, Canadian humorist of the early 20th century, and apparently has many times won the Stephen Leacock Award for Literary Humour.
His topics are as Canadian as Pacific milk and screen doors. Everyone can relate to them. Last week he was in the Northwest Territories and did his live radio show gearing it to the local situation (as I guess he must always do).I notice that one of McLean's books is called Welcome Home: Travels in Smalltown Canada and Leacock, in 1912, had a book published called Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town.
While he has published a number of books, often related to the Vinyl Cafe, it is his voice and his delivery, i.e. timing, that would be the way I would want to 'hear' him. My preference would be audio books here.
___________________________________________________________________
Footnote: It appears that Garrison Keillor's own bookshop opens today in St Paul, Minnesota.
Book photo: Amazon
No comments:
Post a Comment