Radio On: A Listener's Diary

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It's a hit!

I didn't even know this book existed until I found it while browsing through the used section of the Harvard Bookstore. I've read and love Ms. Vow... (show more)

I didn't even know this book existed until I found it while browsing through the used section of the Harvard Bookstore. I've read and love Ms. Vowell's "Assassination Vacation" and greatly enjoy her contributions to This American Life and other outlets, so I picked it up and only now put it back down.

For me, "Radio On" was a nostalgic tribute and tear through the music and politics of the mid-90s. It was also an informative editorial portrait of Radio (capital R) as a powerful, forgotten, neglected, often misused medium -- honestly, something I hadn't given much thought. It was also a respectable piece of masochism, a hell of a way for her to "take her lumps" early on in her writing career. Sarah's usual humor (smirky, scathing, sincere) and humble personal touches are offered throughout. I recommend it, though your mileage will certainly vary depending on your politics, radio listening habits, and connection to the era. (show less)

 

 

by Facebook User

No, it's a flop!

funny, very cranky ... but also very dated. Most of Radio On was written in 1995 ... in ten more years, very few people will recognize many of the ... (show more)

funny, very cranky ... but also very dated. Most of Radio On was written in 1995 ... in ten more years, very few people will recognize many of the events (show less)

 

 

by Facebook User

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  Great concept for a book. In 1995, Sarah Vowell decided to track her thoughts and cover her day to day observations on what she was listening to on the radio. The result is a year's worth of diatribes on what great things radio programming could be, and how awful it usually winds up being. This ranges from talk radio to modern mainstream music stations to NPR. In the end, whether she meant to or not, this book is a lovingly scathing indictment on the pussification of American media and ho... (show more)

  Great concept for a book. In 1995, Sarah Vowell decided to track her thoughts and cover her day to day observations on what she was listening to on the radio. The result is a year's worth of diatribes on what great things radio programming could be, and how awful it usually winds up being. This ranges from talk radio to modern mainstream music stations to NPR. In the end, whether she meant to or not, this book is a lovingly scathing indictment on the pussification of American media and how timid American thought and creativity so often is in the the post-modern age. (show less)

   

   

  by Greg Norton on Apr 24, 2009 at 02:11AM

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  Decent read if you're a big fan of (I am) and/or share some history in Bozeman/KGLT (I do) and/or listened to a lot of the same tunes around the same time (I did not). If you don't meet any of those criteria, i still highly recommend her later works.

   

   

  by Facebook User on Mar 26, 2009 at 08:30AM

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