Here are some audio stories I recommend, because they're so timelessly good. This list is an extension of The Circular Edition 42: Sound rich listening.
Sound rich listening…Part II
Review of Borgen, Power and Glory on Netflix: did the series lose touch with its feminine side?
When this revival series got the Netflix makeover, which is to say its drama polished for international appeal, it lost some the humanity that made the original three seasons wistfully exciting, romantically brave, and what felt to me like an authentic portrayal of a woman in power.
Review of The Cleaner on BBC/Britbox: therapy of sorts…
The first season of The Cleaner is the perfect binge on rainy weekends. At times totally wacky, always spectacularly gory and insistently puerile, this comedy series is enjoyable because each episode features a character whose transformation feels uplifiting, even though the narratives are sometimes hit and miss.
Seminar about working with multiple languages, Oral History NSW, History Matters, June, 2021
This session of History Matters (Oral History NSW) explores ways we can value linguistic diversity and develop a fuller and more inclusive understanding of Australia’s multilingual past and present.
Audio Stories relating to Japan
Here is an unfinished collection of audio stories featuring aspects of Japan, people and things Japanese. Some are new, some are old, and in no particular order. If you like sound stories about Japan, peruse at your leisure. Suggestions most welcome
Review of Wine Country on Netflix: the perils of representing women over 50
I usually get the Amy/Tina wit, but was royally disappointed with this one, actually pissed off that women can portray women as such one dimensional, mean, unattractive nobodies who have nothing to share but a disdain for millennials.
Review of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix: self transformation you can’t see
About five years ago, I KonMaried my underwear drawer and now all my knickers maintain vertical integrity. And yes, I experience joy every time I open my drawer.
Chenille! It’s back, actually, it never went away in Japan
This cute chenille hanky arrived from Japan today, thanks Yoko! The Japanese just have a different attitude to hankies than in the west...
Review of SBS The Feed’s Sex in Japan: a new look at a disturbingly old problem
I think Sex in Japan: Dying for Company is a compassionate and insightful look at today's Japan. What I like most in this story is the reporting. Rather than talking to media savvy academics or commentators, The Feed team engage with 'ordinary' young Japanese.
Review of Drama-Sutra by Nautanki Theatre: Indian and Chindian stories
All our stories belong to all Australians. All our stories should have equal value. That's why these three plays by South Asian diaspora playwrights Sonal Moore, Kevin Bathman and Roanna Gonsalves are so precious, and resonated with me.
MASAKO FUKUI 