Mr Montenegro
By Natalie Kestecher
This is a fairytale about ‘carnivorous desire’, big hands, and the courage to never accept the shirt tucked into the underpants.
Written and produced by Natalie Kestecher; Sound engineer Steven Tilley.
This story was part of an audio series based on the Game Consequences produced by Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 3's Between the Ears; and also broadcast on The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's RN.
“Only Natalie can elevate the smokiness of charred meat to erotic heights. This tightly written short story is hilarous, because most of us, maybe all of us have at some stage clung desperately to fantasy, so we can avoid the onset of reality and searing disappointment... just for a few minutes more....”
The Cut
by Masako Fukui
The Japanese word for hair is kami, which also means 'the gods'. Is this why long, black Japanese hair is considered to have such potent symbolic power?
Written and produced by Masako Fukui; Sound engineer Marty Peralta.
Originally broadcast on The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's RN
“I wonder what demon possessed Masako’s uncle when he brutalized her locks so viciously. Was it the ultimate display of power or a twisted act of revenge? I hope there’s a sequel and the ponytail gets its own revenge!”
Passing the Torch
by John Connell
Feeling the blood of life on his hands as he delivers his first cow, writer John Connell comes of age.
Written and performed by John Connell; Sound engineer Russell Stapleton; Producer Claudia Taranto.
Originally broadcast on The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's RN
“I was surprised to find myself so moved by these strange bovine utterings. Assisting a cow to give birth is such an unexpected yet poignant metaphor for young Irishman John Connell’s rite of passage.”
Son of Rex
Written by Nick Antonsca; Performed by Edgar Oliver
What if your neighbour's dog spoke to you, asked you to do the unthinkable?
Written by Produced by Jenna Weiss-Berman, Whitney Jones, Andrew Leland, Ross Simonini.
Originally broadcast on KCRW's The Organist
“This conversation between a dog and his human neighbour takes one into goose bump territory. The writing, the dog’s plight and Edgar Oliver’s marvelous, menacing voice work together to create 6 minutes of audio joy.”
Wayne Funnell’s Erotic Ode to Adelaid
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by Wayne Funnell
Naturalist Wayne Funnell, known for his insightful explorations into natural phenomena, is also fascinated by human built phenomena like cities. Here he coddles Adelaide.
Written, produced, and narrated by Wayne Funnell
“The brevity of these odes to Australian state capitals belies the depth of Wayne Funnell’s rich emotional life. In this ode to Adelaide, in which he expresses the intenstiy of his passion for Gleneg Pier, we sense the mystery and ambiguity of human eros.”
Knitting with Dog Hair
by Natalie Kestecher
'Better a sweater from a dog you know and love than from a sheep you'll never meet.'
From its origins in fifteenth century Spain to the contemporary practice of this fun and ecologically friendly hobby, this story includes tips on harvesting, spinning, garment and odour management.
Written and Performed by Natalie Kestecher; Sound Engineer Russell Stapleton.
Originally broadcast on The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio National
“If we take the definition of an audio documentary to be a story in sound that creates an immersive environment through which we can experience certain truths, then this story explores truth, not always factual truth, but an inner truth perhaps, those deeper human questions that are often hard to get at with straight factual exploration. For this reason, Knitting with Dog Hair is to me, strange and exquisitely beautiful.”
Henry
by Dennis Funk
If your name’s Dennis, why change it to Henry?
Written and narrated by Dennis Funk
Photo by Dennis Funk
“What’s in a name? As someone who’s considered changing their name to one that’s easier to pronounce, I get the cafe queue dilemma. But is guilt better than fear?”
The Story of Dusty Lee
by Wayne Funnell
In this tragic and true story of North Korea's only country and western singer Dusty Lee, naturalist Wayne Funnell provides some linguistic, culinary, and neurological insights into the people of this seemingly unfathomable country, landlocked by its secrets.
By Wayne Funnell; Originally broadcast on The Night Air, Radio National, The Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Unlike Sir David Attenborough who explains for us the known world, naturalist Wayne Funnell takes us into worlds hitherto unknown and unseen. Interestingly, Wayne Funnell himself has never been sighted, but his legendary adventures live on as audio stories.”
Kintsugi Dog
by Natalie Kestecher
‘I was grieving the loss of my job when a rejected dog came into my life. She was beautiful, boisterous, and traumatised. We were expecting the impossible from each other. And then I learned about Kintsugi, the Japanese art of embracing damage.’
By Natalie Kestecher; Sound Engineer Stephen Tilley.
Originally broadcast on BBC's Short Cuts Tough Love
“Kintsugi is the art of re-creating beauty out of something that has been irreparably damaged. In this audio story, Natalie explores her own pain to show us the profound beauty hidden on the other side of human frailty.”
The Landlady’s Offer
by Joe Zaresky
In this audio story, a breeder attempts to keep alive historic canine working breeds, that no longer have a use.
Written and Performed by Joseph Zaresky; Produced by Natalie Kestecher; Originally produced by The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio National
Photo by Mary Aughney
“I’ve always loved Joe Zaresky’s strange and beautiful talent for combining pathos with absurdity and fine writing. In The Landlady’s Offer he invites the listener to enter a world that has sprung from his own affinity with and compassion for the underdog, the forgotten dog, the no longer in-fashion dog.”