LOUD AND CLEAR

Somewhere among these fine collected essays, previously published in THE NEW YORK TIMES, is one on speeches that translate well to print. Turn that around and you have this production--a selection of Quindlen’s musings on the pleasures and absurdities of today’s society which, with the help of a superb reading, become audio gems. With a clear voice and an unhurried pace, Kathe Mazur picks up on Quindlen’s joy in her children, her ache for her long-dead mother, her outrage at the notion that Christmas spending can ease the pain of 9/11, and her puzzlement that “family time” must be scheduled. Although the essays have a definite point of view, Mazur avoids a preachy tone, as does the author. Only the difficulty in relocating a specific column mars this terrific listening experience. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 04]