It must be especially difficult to write a biography of someone like the poet Amy Clampitt, who became prominent late in life but lived mostly unrecorded until then. Willard Spiegelman's work-around in this audiobook is to focus mostly on what we do know, which is primarily the writing and the last two decades of Clampitt's life. With Arthur Morey narrating Spiegelman's words and Cassandra Campbell narrating Clampitt's, the text is clear and evocative, and the author's fondness for his subject--personally and critically--enlivens the text and the performance. While both narrators are strong, Campbell has the advantage of delivering some excellent poetry. Clampitt's poetry was idiosyncratic, as was her journey to writing it, and this biography explicates both admirably.
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023
Duration: 15 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593664643
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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