Q: What does Tom McCaffrey and John Irving have in common?
A: Voice over actor, Joe Barrett, provides the voice over narrator for some of their audiobooks.
Joe Barrett’s latest is the final(?) book in The Claire Saga – Where The Ley Lines Meet.
Now compare: https://www.amazon.com/A-Prayer-for-Owen-Meany-audiobook/dp/B001K56NJG/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
When Reagan Rothe approached me to do audio versions of The Wise Ass a few years ago, he suggested Joe Barrett as the perfect voice to narrate it. I did some research and came across Joe’s narration of John Irving’s A Prayer For Owen Meany. I listened to him read that opening paragraph, and as soon as I heard him read the words “fucking ball,” I knew he was just the right voice for the narrator of my book, Jimmy Moran.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a perfect Bronx Irish Accent. But it’s close enough to capture the personality of Jimmy Moran as it leads you through the lightyears of The Claire Saga.*
I needed a voice that could repeatedly utter the variations of the word “fuck” with the proper Bronx nuance. He would say it a lot in TWA, and has continued to say it in the rest of the books.
I am thrilled Joe will be repeating it many times in the upcoming Where The Ley Lines Meet.
Indeed, I hope that one day women’s book clubs across the universe will use Joe Barrett’s audio version of The Claire Saga to support a drinking game where the attendees have to do a shot whenever Joe Barrett utters that magic word. Of course, I would love to spread that drinking game to colleges across the land as well. Always looking for that new demographic. Maybe turn plumbing the literary and mystical depths of The Claire Saga into a one semester course in the English Departments of my alma maters – Fordham University, The New School and Lehman College – where the really cunning students will research my daily blogs for just the proper insights in the writer, the characters and the books. Sounds like a fun time all around.
And while Joe Barrett may be my six degrees of separation from John Irving, I could not be more thrilled with the connection. After all, John Irving not only has authored brilliant books, but many of them have transitioned to the screen. Indeed, John won an Oscar for his own adaptation of his novel Cider House Rules. Something I can aspire to.
So, I hope that those of my fine, five readers that enjoy listening to someone else read their books to them give Joe Barrett a shot. He’s fucking great.
Now I need to get a move on. Thank God it’s Thursday.
You fine, five readers get out there and wrap up your work week.
Friday has more March Madness in April. Hope you are still in the running on your picks.
I’m going to get out there and cuddle some kitties waiting patiently for breakfast.
And no matter whatever else we get up to, let us all make today a great one.
- Authors Note: Kissing My Ass Goodbye was narrated by another wonderful VO actor – Bill Thatcher – when Joe was unavailable to record at the time of KMAG‘s release. Bill did an equally amazing job and for pure consistency I challenge anyone to distinguish his voice from Joe’s, especially when he utters the magic word.
- Authors Second Note: Joe Barrett, the wonderful narrator, should not be confused with Joe Barrett, the brilliant author who gave me the wonderful front cover blurb for WTLLM. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Joe+Barrett&i=digital-text&crid=2E3BAQMSKYLAO&sprefix=joe+barrett%2Cdigital-text%2C147&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
