Fascinating voices and faces
November 17, 2019 8:05 AM Subscribe
I'd like to build a little library of people I can study for writing fiction. People with distinctive speech and phrasing and character. Some examples and notes inside.
Sometimes when I'm writing fiction I like to hear the voice of a character in my head, and it's helpful to have a reference. If you can think of some audio or video reference of someone with a distinctive character, a distinctive way of speaking or behaving, I'd love to know.
For example, Richard Feynman: The accent, the pacing, the way he inhales in excitement when he's building a point.
Or Tammy, starting at 25:10 or so in this episode of the Lost Notes podcast. "I'd as soon smack the piss outta him" — amazing.
Of course everyone's speech pattern is unique. But there's something hypnotic and distinctive about these two examples; it makes it tantalizing to try to write in their voice, or borrow some characteristic.
Some requests:
— No fiction please. Don't care how wonderful.
— I'm not really looking for people with a practiced cadence (e.g., BBC Newsreaders).
— Similarly, performers who are working their shtick are less interesting to me. I love Tom Waits, but when he's on a talk show he's doing shtick. And yes, Feynman had a shtick, but … you know what I mean.
Thanks!
Note: I know real human beings I've known make the best reference. This is just one tool in the kit.
Sometimes when I'm writing fiction I like to hear the voice of a character in my head, and it's helpful to have a reference. If you can think of some audio or video reference of someone with a distinctive character, a distinctive way of speaking or behaving, I'd love to know.
For example, Richard Feynman: The accent, the pacing, the way he inhales in excitement when he's building a point.
Or Tammy, starting at 25:10 or so in this episode of the Lost Notes podcast. "I'd as soon smack the piss outta him" — amazing.
Of course everyone's speech pattern is unique. But there's something hypnotic and distinctive about these two examples; it makes it tantalizing to try to write in their voice, or borrow some characteristic.
Some requests:
— No fiction please. Don't care how wonderful.
— I'm not really looking for people with a practiced cadence (e.g., BBC Newsreaders).
— Similarly, performers who are working their shtick are less interesting to me. I love Tom Waits, but when he's on a talk show he's doing shtick. And yes, Feynman had a shtick, but … you know what I mean.
Thanks!
Note: I know real human beings I've known make the best reference. This is just one tool in the kit.
No specific suggestion, but...listen to comic Pete Holmes unorthodox interview podcast 'You Made It Weird'. He's an unselfconscious dork with a knack for drawing the 'real' out of his guests. A few I was fascinated with: Henry Winkler, Russel Brand, Dax Shepard, Gary Shandling, Sarah Silverman.
Admittedly, not enough women guests, but more than I expected given the comedy subculture misogyny.
posted by j_curiouser at 9:24 AM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Admittedly, not enough women guests, but more than I expected given the comedy subculture misogyny.
posted by j_curiouser at 9:24 AM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Francis Ford Coppola. His commentary tracks for The Godfather trilogy and The Conversation are enthralling to me not just because of the stories but his voice.
Robert Durst.
Joey Pantoliano.
Writer Bethany McLean (as seen in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room)
posted by The Deej at 9:34 AM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Robert Durst.
Joey Pantoliano.
Writer Bethany McLean (as seen in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room)
posted by The Deej at 9:34 AM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Arguably John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats is doing a schtick with his onstage patter cadence and vocabulary, but I also very much suspect he just talks that way.
posted by babelfish at 9:47 AM on November 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by babelfish at 9:47 AM on November 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
Jello Biafra has a very distinctive way of talking. Most of the video you'll find of him is doing spoken word or something, but I don't think this is really a schtick, pretty much seems to be just him.
posted by jzb at 10:07 AM on November 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by jzb at 10:07 AM on November 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
Henry Rollins
Tom Petty
Bea Arthur
Wendy Malick
posted by MexicanYenta at 10:21 AM on November 17, 2019 [4 favorites]
Tom Petty
Bea Arthur
Wendy Malick
posted by MexicanYenta at 10:21 AM on November 17, 2019 [4 favorites]
Eric Jackson (WGBH’s “Eric in the Evening”)
posted by Seeking Direction at 10:26 AM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Seeking Direction at 10:26 AM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
William S Burroughs
I sometimes hear his voice in my head when I'm reading his books
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:27 PM on November 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
I sometimes hear his voice in my head when I'm reading his books
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:27 PM on November 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
People beat me to Biafra, Rollins, and Burroughs...
He's a bit of a dick, but I used to catch the politics type shows on PBS back in the '80s and such and Buckley has that distinctive voice/cadence thing going on.
My favorite voice however... Björk talking about her TV. Björk just does strange things to my auditory system.
posted by zengargoyle at 1:12 PM on November 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
He's a bit of a dick, but I used to catch the politics type shows on PBS back in the '80s and such and Buckley has that distinctive voice/cadence thing going on.
My favorite voice however... Björk talking about her TV. Björk just does strange things to my auditory system.
posted by zengargoyle at 1:12 PM on November 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
William F Buckley. Say what you will about his politics, but his voice is distinctive.
George Plimpton has some of the same, without the disreputable politics.
Ed Orgeron, the football coach at LSU. Heavy, almost unintelligible Cajun accent.
Mary Louise Kelley from NPR.
posted by kevinbelt at 2:45 PM on November 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
George Plimpton has some of the same, without the disreputable politics.
Ed Orgeron, the football coach at LSU. Heavy, almost unintelligible Cajun accent.
Mary Louise Kelley from NPR.
posted by kevinbelt at 2:45 PM on November 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
Werner Herzog?
posted by Vidamond at 3:07 PM on November 17, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Vidamond at 3:07 PM on November 17, 2019 [5 favorites]
“Little Edie” Edith Bouvier Beale from the documentary Grey Gardens. Absolutely one of a kind in accent, mannerisms, style, point of view. There are multiple clips on YouTube if you haven’t seen the doc itself.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:45 PM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:45 PM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Another suggestion: Wesley Willis. Willis was a singer-songwriter from Chicago's alternative rock scene. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was famous for his unusual songs and being beloved by fans. (He liked to greet fans with a headbutt.) Interview with Willis on MTV, audio interview.
posted by jzb at 6:46 PM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by jzb at 6:46 PM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
First few people I thought of:
Desmond Tutu
Interview starts at 14:35
Aimee Mann
Interview starts at 11:50
Harvey Pekar
Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop
posted by Mister Moofoo at 2:20 AM on November 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Desmond Tutu
Interview starts at 14:35
Aimee Mann
Interview starts at 11:50
Harvey Pekar
Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop
posted by Mister Moofoo at 2:20 AM on November 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Edgar Oliver. I've heard several of his stories on The Moth and they maintain that that is the way he talks all the time--it sounds so distinctive and good that I was kinda sorta sure it was a put-on, but that shows what I know.
Also, there are a billion stories in the archives at The Moth (it says 57 pages) and a bunch of the speakers are distinctive and interesting. I searched through like twenty-five pages because I couldn't remember his name, but it was worth it because now I can listen to him again.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 6:09 PM on November 18, 2019
Also, there are a billion stories in the archives at The Moth (it says 57 pages) and a bunch of the speakers are distinctive and interesting. I searched through like twenty-five pages because I couldn't remember his name, but it was worth it because now I can listen to him again.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 6:09 PM on November 18, 2019
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1. I will listen to John LeCarre talk about anything, ever. Just anyone who knows a ton and is masterful with words and boy can they tell a story!
2. Shah Rukh Khan speaking in english, where he's slightly less practiced and his mannered behaviors a little shakier, for example his appearance (linked) with David Letterman. I love the artifice-exposed aspects of it, not that I would prefer a lack of artifice, but the peek-behind-the-curtain or cracks-in-the-facade quality.
posted by MiraK at 8:18 AM on November 17, 2019 [1 favorite]