Friday, July 21, 2006

mp3 download

Here is the first round of mp3 postings for the site:
More to be on the way soon.

Stay posted to the PoMo-X Blog!

Thanks are extended to box.net for allowing free mp3 hosting.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

About Us. . .


The Postmodern Experience is a program on Kent State University's student-run internet radio station Black Squirrel Radio. The show is formatted in a classic radio sort of way, with storytelling in mind. The writer's voice, his or her spoken word, takes center stage and each story tends to take on a life of its own.

PME was concieved by English major Ryan deBiase in November of 2005. The word "conceived" is used lightly, as he basically copied the idea directly from Public Radio International's This American Life. Maybe you're familiar with the program hosted by Ira Glass. If not, it is strongly recommended that you visit their site.

Here's the link:
This American Life Homepage.

The TAL site has archived recordings going back to 1996, so you should check them out if you have the time.

In terms of production, PME is strongly reliant upon the Kent writing community to send us their work. Charles Parsons, the submissions director, dilligently reviews each work sent in and tries his darnest to fit it into our themes. He even goes so far as to send out revision ideas to promote the best possible work for broadcast.

After the work is revised, the piece is passed on to production director Ryan deBiase. Ryan contacts the writer and sets up a time to record. Usually, recording is done done during our weekly meetings in Satterfield, sometime in the evening. However, the recording schedule is flexible, in order to conform to each writer's schedule. Plus, Ryan has very little going on. Ever.

After the spoken word portion is recorded, Ryan layers music into the story. This can be done to make it more dramatic, emotional, humorous, etc. Writers are strongly encouraged to choose music they would like to be used in their piece. Ryan is usually pretty accepting in these matters, though final production decisions ultimately fall into his hands.

Each segment is then compiled to form a coherent episode that corresponds to the week's theme. Ryan records his opening to the show and all the segues between stories, slaps it onto a CD and [voila!] you have classic radio. Or at least internet radio.

Charles and Ryan feel that The Postmodern Experience provides a great opportunity for creative writers in Kent to promote their own work. Tell your friends, because if more people listen, more people will hear your work!

And feel free to email with any questions:

postmodern.experience@gmail.com

Detailed Episode Themes For Season II

Show airs Mondays at 4 on Kent Black Squirrel Radio.

--Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll: Stories for this episode can feature one, two, or all three instances listed. Relationships, parties, and festival shows all fall into the mix. Ideally, we are looking for a story about virginity; a story about the first time getting high; a story about the first rock concert ever attended; and one final story that puts all the pieces together. Submissions are closed for this episode. Show airs 10/16.

--Coffeeshops, Bars, Delicatessans: Stories that are set in those venues. These stories merely have to take place, at some point, in a coffeeshop. Ryan is producing a documentary on the differences between Starbucks and Susan's. Submissions close 10/16. Show airs 10/23.

--The Supernatural: Imagine sitting around a campfire, but instead of fire, it's a radio [well, not really a radio, but a computer linked to The Postmodern Experience]. Ghost stories can be true or imagined. PME is producing Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" with Charles Parsons and Nicholas DiSabatino. Submissions close 10/23. Show airs 10/30.

--Breaking up, Breaking Away: This could be a mental, physical, or emotional break down. And, obviously, dumping or getting dumped applies. Writers can also break away from the norm. Any story in which you stepped above and beyond the call of rational thought. Stories about braking also accepted. Ryan is doing a documentary on a benign bike gang in Kent. Submissions close 10/30. Show airs 11/06.

--Family Holidays: We all have some wacky, zany story about getting together with the fam. Has your family created its own holiday? This episode will air between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Submissions close 11/13. Show airs 11/20.

--Benevolence/Church: Good deeds and such. For this episode, we're hoping for the helping hand to guide us along. Do you volunteer? Do you like helping people? Do you hate helping people? Then this one's for you, chap. Also, stories from Holy Ground. They can be serious, philosophical, or satirical. Or you can just tell a story. Submissions close 11/20. Show airs 12/04.

Keep in mind, these are only prompts. If you have a story that does not necessarily fit within the criteria which we mentioned, send it anyway. If the story stands out, it will be used.

Submissions can be sent to postmodern.experience@gmail.com.

Hit us back with questions, as always.

Get writing and hope to hear from you soon.