ALSO A POET A Memoir

In many ways, this audiobook defies description. When Calhoun unearthed interview recordings that her father--NEW YORKER critic Peter Schjeldahl--had made years prior, she decided to use them herself to finish his intended biography of poet Frank O'Hara. What emerges here, though, is a memoir about O'Hara's presence in Calhoun's own identity and in her relationship with her father. Calhoun is a candid, no-frills narrator who gets the job done efficiently and without sentimentality. Lili Taylor and Josephine Brill inhabit supplemental roles that blend into Calhoun's tapestry. Using the medium well, the audiobook incorporates clips from the actual recordings, lending a sparkle of bohemian celebrity. Some clips are fascinating, and others are muffled or muddled with background noise. The result, though, is still solid, making this memoir a fascinating experience. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2022]