August 21, 2005

One of the numerous options available for download on Audible.com (or for CD purchase at bookstores) is Verb, an audio literary magazine created by Atlanta-based radio producer Daren Wang.
It features the work of S.C. Poet Laureate Marjory Wentworth, as well as Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler and National Book Award winner Ha Jin. Distributed by the University of Georgia Press, Verb ($19.95) runs 150 minutes on two audio CDs, assembling original fiction, poetry and music to create what may be the first audio literary magazine on the market.
Wang, who has been producing book-related programming for public radio for nearly 15 years, felt he could improve on traditional audiobooks. The inaugural issue of Verb also showcases an unreleased recording from the late James Dickey and a new short story from Edgar Award winner Tom Franklin.