Anatomy of Sound

Book excerpt: This collection examines the work of Norman Corwin—one of the most important, yet understudied, media authors of all time—as a critical lens to view the history of multimedia authorship and sound production. Known as the “poet laureate” of radio, Corwin is most famous for his radio dramas, which reached millions of listeners around the world and contributed to radio’s success as a mass media form in the 1930s and 1940s. But Corwin was also a pioneer in other fields, including cinema, theater, TV, and journalism. In each of these areas, he had a distinctive approach to “soundwork,” relying on inventive prerecorded and live-in-real-time atmospheric effects in the studio, among other aesthetic techniques. Exploring the range of Corwin’s work—from his World War II–era poetry and his special projects for the United Nations to his path-breaking writing for film and television—and its influence on media today, these essays underscore the political and social impact of Corwin’s oeuvre and cement his reputation as a key writer in the history of many sound media.