Something wicked this way comes
Check it out on Audible now!
Baby’s first horror audiobook has hit the digital shelves! Enter if you dare… 1377 Rikoppe Lane: A Haunting in Gig Harbor, Book 1 (that’s right - more to come!) by Sufani Weisman-Garza is a delightful romp into the paranormal. It’s full of frisson, jump scares, and a heck ton of readin’ by yours truly!
I would never have called myself a fan of horror, and I still don’t if I’m honest. I have issues with gore and violence and things that make me go “ick.” But have I recently dipped my toes into True Crime after a lifetime eschewing it? You betcha. Did I go down a bit of a Mia Goth rabbit hole after popping “X” on the TV? Then “Pearl”… then “Infinity Pool”… darn tootin’ I did. (I still don’t know what’s going on with her Horror Princess situation but I’m not not here for it.)
There’s something innately unifying about a terrifying (or even just unsettling) experience. Especially if we know deep down that we are not actually in any danger ourselves. To quote someone who is quoting someone, Leslie Jamison states “In his theory of the sublime, eighteenth-century philosopher Edmund Burke proposes the notion of ‘negative pain’: the idea that a feeling of fear - paired with a sense of safety, and the ability to look away - can produce a feeling of delight. One woman can sit on her couch with a glass of Chardonnay and watch another woman drink away her life. The TV is a portal that brings the horror close, and a screen that keeps it at bay - revising Burke’s sublime into a sublime voyeurism, no longer awe at the terrors of nature but fascination at the depths of human frailty.”
I once used this theory-upon-theory in a performance art piece where I listed off my greatest fears while sitting atop a teetering ladder directly above a visibly distraught audience of my peers laying about its feet. (Heights are, unquestionably, not among my fears.)
So my interest in the nature of fear has always been there, largely unexplored, but appreciated from a distance. I do not thrill-seek. Largely, I strive to contentment-seek.
But working with Sufi on her horror series has been extremely fun, challenging (in the good good way), and a refreshing dive back into the world of audiobooking. I also took on the sound design for the book, which is pretty new ground for me!
Book 1 is out on Audible now, Book 2 is already in production! So stay tuned, horror fans (or sublime negative pain fans!), for Sufi and I have more tricks up our sleeve.
“Voice” page under renovation
Both my commercial demo and my “Voice” page are undergoing some tender but speedy renovations
I just got back from a voice over conference and even though I’ve been in VO for over a decade, I learned exactly 1 million things. And so; both my commercial demo and my “Voice” page are undergoing some tender but speedy renovations. Stay tuned!
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
I had the joy of voicing an episode of “Goodnight Stories” from the powerhouses over at Rebel Girls.
In case you missed it!
I had the joy of voicing an episode of “Goodnight Stories” from the powerhouses over at Rebel Girls. And what an honor to voice the episode on Tolani Francisco -“a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna and a dedicated veterinarian who has cared for her four-legged brothers and sisters both on her reservation and around the world.” Trails were blazed, and I am humbled to play a small part in spreading her story to the next seven generations.
Another Season of TurboTax Tips
I genuinely love spitting out USA tax knowledge.
I genuinely love spitting out USA tax knowledge. I did not know this about myself until I became the voice of “TurboTax Tips” - do yourself a favor and listen (wherever you get your podcasts) to brush up on your tax facts before April!
TIME Magazine Spotlight
Putting it on my to-do list now to check out Coursera now for Laurie Santos’ class on The Science of Happiness!
I’m proud to be one of the voice artists recording pieces for TIME Magazine, and this week’s “Spotlight” episode was a particular joy to read.
Putting it on my to-do list now to check out Coursera now for Laurie Santos’ class on The Science of Happiness!
Audiobook Release! “The Star That Always Stays” by Anna Rose Johnson
“Growing up on Beaver Island, Grand-père told Norvia stories—stories about her ancestor Migizi, about Biboonke-o-nini the Wintermaker, about the Crane Clan and the Reindeer Clan.”
From Dreamscape Media, LLC
Listen to the audiobook today!
“Growing up on Beaver Island, Grand-père told Norvia stories—stories about her ancestor Migizi, about Biboonke-o-nini the Wintermaker, about the Crane Clan and the Reindeer Clan. He sang her songs in the old language, and her grandmothers taught her to make story quilts and maple candy. On the island, Norvia was proud of her Ojibwe heritage.
Things are different in the city. Here, Norvia’s mother forces her to pretend she’s not Native at all—even to Mr. Ward, Ma’s new husband, and to Vernon, Norvia’s irritating new stepbrother. In fact, there are a lot of changes in the city: ten-cent movies, gleaming soda shops, speedy automobiles, ninth grade. It’s dizzying for a girl who grew up on the forested shores of Lake Michigan.
Despite the move and the looming threat of world war, Norvia and her siblings—all five of them—are determined to make 1914 their best year ever. Norvia is certain that her future depends upon it…and upon her discretion. But how can she have the best year ever if she has to hide who she is?
Sensitive, enthralling, and classic in sensibility (perfect for Anne of Green Gables fans), this coming-of-age story about an introspective and brilliant Native American heroine addresses assimilation, racism, and divorce, as well as every girl problems like first crushes, making friends, and the joys and pains of a blended family. Often funny, often heartbreaking, The Star That Always Stays is a fresh, vivid story directly inspired by Anna Rose Johnson’s family history.”
My First Love
I am your spaniel.
Like many actors, I was forever changed by the words of Bill Shakespeare. And like many of my oldest friends, I was blessed with an encouraging and challenging mentor who wouldn’t let me slack on letting the work move through me.
I am a veteran of The University of Michigan Residential College’s “Shakespeare in the Arb” program. It’s just passed it's twentieth season, and there is no wonder at that. Spearheaded by my mentor and friend, Kate Mendeloff, this wild show has gripped hearts and changed lives. I know it changed mine.
Every June, my heart lives among the peonies in Ann Arbor’s best not-kept secret.
Celebrating its 10th Anniversary with sold--out performances, Shakespeare in the Arb brings together non--theater students from across campus along with Ann Arbor community members to perform "A Midsummer Night Dream".
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