WILD NIGHTS!

Oates pays homage to some of American literature's best authors. Using Poe, James, Dickinson, Twain, and Hemingway as her characters, Oates creates fictionalized death scenes in writing styles that mimic them. So Poe lingers in an island lighthouse while Twain forms a relationship with a young girl. The Hemingway piece depicts the great writer in a state of psychosis. Mark Deakins fluidly adapts to the different style and tone of each narrative. His solemn yet rhythmic cadence for Poe's story melts into an elderly Southern voice for Twain and then transitions into a matter-of-fact tone for Hemingway. His versatile inflections make him the perfect narrator for this collection in that they allow for individual characterizations but still provide a singular voice that connects all the stories. L.E. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]