Anatomy of Sound ─ Norman Corwin and Media Authorship

This collection of essays examines one of the most important, yet understudied, media authors of all time—Norman Corwin—using him as a critical lens to consider the history of multimedia authorship, particularly in the realm of sound. Known for seven decades as the “poet laureate” of radio, Corwin is most famous for his radio dramas, which reached tens of millions of listeners around the world and contributed to radio drama’s success as a mass media form in the 1930s and 1940s. But Corwin was a pioneer in multiple media, including cinema, theater, TV, public service broadcasting, journalism, and even cantata. In each of these areas, Corwin had a distinctive approach to sonic aesthetics and mastery of multiple aspects of media production, relying in part on his inventive atmospheric effects in the studio both prerecorded, and, more impressively, live in real time. From the front lines of World War II to his role as Chief of Special Projects for United Nations Radio and his influence on media today, the political and social aspect of Corwin’s work is woven into these essays. With a foreword by Michele Hilmes and contributions from Thomas Doherty, Mary Ann Watson, Shawn VanCour, David Ossman and others, this volume cements Corwin’s reputation as perhaps the greatest writer in the history of radio, while also showing that his long career is a neglected model of multimedia authorship.

Neil Verma writes about the history and aesthetics of sound in narrative-based art and media. He is the author of the award-winning bookTheater of the Mind: Imagination, Aesthetics, and American Radio Drama as well as several articles that theorize sound in radio, television, film, and other media. Verma teaches at Northwestern University.

Jacob Smith is Associate Professor in the Department of Radio-Television-Film and Director of the MA in Sound Arts and Industries at Northwestern University. He has written several books, includingVocal Tracks: Performance and Sound Media, Spoken Word: Postwar American Phonograph Cultures, andEco-Sonic Media (all from UC Press), and has published articles on media history, sound, and performance.