I have the most phenomenal voice in my head. Not only does she sing like a “boid,” but when she says, “you know?,” the accent is oh so identifiable. Yes, I’m talking about Barbra Streisand, who removed the second “a” from her name so she’d be “different.” With that accent, that nose bump (she’s the first to say she likes it and never thought to have it removed), and the tendency to sing what she describes as “cockamamie” songs, you wonder if she really had to try to be different. When her memoir, My Name Is Barbra, was released last month, I waited for the digital audiobook to be available, and when I saw that she was narrating it, I was sold. I wanted her voice, her Brooklynese, her honest emotional inflections, and delicious sense of humor to tell it to me. Plus, there’s excerpts of her iconic recordings to illustrate her point. And while I’m just past the halfway mark, I’m relishing every chapter like a pastrami sandwich on rye.
Barbra’s audio memoir is just one in a long line of audio listens I’ve enjoyed over the years, and I can’t even imagine ever simply reading the memoir when a whole entertaining production is available. The first time was around 2013 when I had an overseas trip planned and wanted something to listen to on the 14-hour roundtrip flight. I also didn’t want a heavy book to cart around.
Bill Clinton’s My Life was on my list, and I borrowed the compact disc collection at the library. I copied the dozen or so CD’s onto my iPod and with my own travel headphones, actually enjoyed what would have been a grueling and boring flight; I forgot about my typical travel anxiety and the time passed effortlessly. His voice with the Southern accent, sounding on the verge of laryngitis at the onset of every new chapter, told me about his early days, meeting Hillary, political success, presidential scandal; it was riveting. I heard elation in his voice, sadness, regret, and a desire to still be of service. The listening aspect of the process makes for an intimate experience. Clinton, as was Barbra, was in my head. I noticed that my own thoughts took on the accent of whomever I was listening to. So, right now, with any thought I have, I sound like an old Jewish lady.
Penny Marshall’s memoir, My Mother Was Nuts, was next, I think. Chosen because I liked Penny from the days on The Odd Couple, and I was so curious how the actress went from the Laverne & Shirley silliness to becoming a well-regarded director, working with Robert DeNiro, Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, and Geena Davis. I remember chuckling when her heavy Bronx accent first came into my ears and knew I was in for a hilarious time. What I picked up in Penny’s voice was a sense of how lucky she felt, surprised at her the successful trajectory of her life. One example she shared, and which really gave me goose bumps concerned A League of Their Own – the smash hit she directed. At the movie’s conclusion, she had invited the real-life women players to be in the last scene, a reunion in Cooperstown. When Steven Spielberg was planning Schindler’s List, he asked Marshall if he could use that same ending, invite the survivors to be in the film’s conclusion.
These audiobooks, I believe, are a more powerful listening experience because the narrator lived that life. They lived the bumps and glory and there’s no disguising their emotion, it’s as honest a connection as you can get. If there’s sadness in the story, as in Barbra’s case, we hear it in her voice, especially how she was haunted by her father’s early death. It wasn’t until Yentl that she could confront those feelings as she scouted locations in Poland and was eventually able to go through her father’s papers and find peace. With Penny, you never know what you’re going to get. She describes the time two teenagers broke into her house carrying Ninja swords. When they demanded her jewelry, she said, “I can’t, I wore them in a movie and the shots have to match.” When one of the robbers goes off to look for other valuables, he tells the other to kill her if she moves, Penny went into director mode, asking “How will that work, will they cut off my head?” (I suggest you check this memoir out to hear how the episode unfolds.)
When I learned Julie Andrews’ second memoir, Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, was being released, my ears perked up. I was eager for the graceful and melodious voice of Dame Julie focusing now on her Hollywood years. The Sound of Music remains a classic not only because of the story, but Andrews’ singing. I mean, the song Do-Re-Mi has her character, Fraulein Maria, teaching the Von Trapp children how to actually…sing. I wanted to hear her describe the filming of the movie, and then danced with animated penguins in Mary Poppins. Despite having botched surgery in 1997 that damaged her vocal cords, Andrews’ voice is deeper, but still carries a story so pleasant to the ear.
I’ve also heard Carly Simon’s ups and downs and musical success; Sally Field’s early traumas and rise from Gidget to her portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln in Spielberg’s hit film. But the Matthew Perry memoir, enjoyed months before his passing, still sticks in my head. I felt I’d been on the journey with him, through Friends, drug addiction, and found myself rooting for him as he tried to get healthy in whatever way he could. He read the story in a slow, world-weary voice, and sometimes I felt I was helping to carry him along, silently supporting him through rehab after rehab. I felt his voice get stronger towards the end of the book, perhaps he was hopeful or just relieved he was done reliving the story – maybe amazed he’d gotten to this point, still alive to tell it.
These stories are part of my life story, too. When Barbra talks about going to the movie theatres in Brooklyn, I know exactly what she means; Brooklyn is my history, too. Or Julie reminiscing about her friendship with Christopher Plummer — who I had a crush on – as I remember going to see the movie with my grandmother when it first came out. When Sally expresses regret at Gidget, I’m a bit offended as I thought that show was a hoot. I have all of Carly Simon’s albums and enjoyed Friends with my daughters over the years.
By listening to these stories, I’m also reliving my own story, too.
Top photo: Bigstock
