Season 2 of Sky TV's "Living The Dream" has finally aired and you can catch the antics of Herman Bloch IF you have Brit Box or some other way to watch Sky TV. I couldn't divulge the reason I was in Spain for a couple of months last year until now, but it was a wonderful experience and the privilege of returning to recreate Herman was more than I could have hoped for.
Many thanks to James Dean, our wonderful producer and frequent golf buddy for making it all happen. The cast was so great to work with--Phil (also a golf buddy) and Leslie really are a class act! And a special shout-out to Jane MacNeil who played my wife and was a good friend throughout the long and sometimes lonely days far away from home.(pictured right)
Alas, Season 2 (or Series 2 as they say in Britain) was Living The Dream's last. It was, as Cole Porter once sang "great fun, but it was just one of those things."
New Music!
I've written songs off and on for most of my life. Sometimes in fits and starts; sometimes in a wave of output. I've recently had a good run with some different ideas running around in my head. "World Without End" came out in a gush--it's dark and foreign and inspired by my visit to Gibraltar. "Ocean" emerged after being out of the country for so long. "I Wanna Fly" is one of the first tunes I've ever written out of thin air. I just started with a small phrase and followed my nose. "Exit Wound" is pretty self-explanatory, written while still in the blast zone of personal loss. "In Between" started as one thing and then shape-shifted into being about something/someone else entirely. "End of the Line" is a response to our changing cultural mores--'nuff said. Listen by clicking on the song titles~
Geary is a Harvard professor who takes his humor very seriously. This wonderful and amazingly clever work is not only entertaining but really instructive at the same time. So if you're interested in deconstructing what makes us laugh, titter and groan-- and couple it with a unique approach to storytelling in each chapter, this is the book for you. I had a blast with this one!
One of the more interesting analyses of global politics that I've encountered in my narrating experience, Krastev and Holmes take the West to task for their approach to spreading democratic liberalism in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union. Rising authoritarianism didn't emerge in a vacuum and these astute observers give us some very good reasons why we find ourselves at this precarious political juncture.
Click to listen to a sample
I narrated a number of very interesting books about the First World War to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Armistice. But this particular book was my favorite. The unquenchable agony of the Middle East was forged in the events that lies within the pages of this extensively researched book. If you want to return to the genesis of so much of what troubles that region today, look no further than this wonderful book. And be prepared to facepalm at the insane hubris of the Western powers and the mendacity of so many, many others.
Notable Recordings
This beautiful collection of stories about life in the ER will tug at your heart in unimaginable ways. I had to repeatedly stop and compose myself as the situations overwhelmed me time and again. I felt honored to bring these words to life. Here's what author Phil Green had to say about this Tantor recording:
David, I finally made it through your reading of Trauma Room Two. I could only listen to one story a day as many were loosely based off of real experiences I’ve had and to be honest didn’t exactly want to remember. But your readings were incredible. You nailed the cadence, the pacing, and most importantly the emotion of the stories, of the characters, and of the situations. You brought them to life in a way that gave me chills and to be honest left me almost overwhelmed with all the emotion of the original cases. So thank you. You are a true Artist with a capital A and I feel blessed that you and I together created something beautiful out of some really terrible situations. Best of luck, and thank you. -Phil Green
Click to listen to a sample
Podcasts
New Business Mindset
A New Business Mindset -
Listen to my podcast conversation with Gareth J. Young on a variety of topics under the headline, "Healing the World Through Stories." Gareth and I got to know each other through another conversation at Theatrical Outfit after a performance of "Storefront Church." I've appeared on his show before and we enjoyed it so much, we decided to have another go.
