GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU HAVE On Being Stalked

There's no doubt that James Lasdun was stalked by a former student from his creative writing class, but this cyber-stalking looks different from what we traditionally think of as stalking. "Nasreen" writes to Lasdun: "I will ruin you." She sends him multiple menacing emails daily, sends his colleagues profane messages ostensibly from him, and posts fake reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Robin Sachs, with his gravelly British voice, is perfect for Lasdun's memoir. Even though Lasdun's life becomes consumed with saving his reputation, he recounts it all with a level of detachment. (He barely mentions his wife and small children.) Sachs employs a matter-of-fact tone that feels true to Lasdun's personality. Sachs wisely resists any temptation to overdramatize Nasreen's mad screeds, but the unhinged nature of the transcripts is clearly apparent. A.B. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2013]