“Booked and Bothered: A podcast about books, authors, and their drama” by Hannah Hargraves is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Booked and Bothered is a cozy, conversational podcast where I talk about books, authors, and their drama. Each episode explores the love lies, scandals, and secrets of literary figures and the stories they inspired, because the classics were never truly boring. This podcast is classic literature meets modern gossip, to make the subjects that may be daunting to some, more accessible and fun. Booked and Bothered explores the lives and scandals of famous writers, uncovering the love, lies, and drama hidden behind classic literature in a way that’s fun, cozy, and totally judgment free. While also breaking down classics, and talking about juicy themes and tidbits that readers may have not caught the first read, or that may intrigue new readers, no homework required.
I chose to open my podcast with a piano to evoke a feeling of another era, such as the Regency era. I tied that in with a cafe ambience to set a cozy mood, inviting the listener to join me for a cup of tea or coffee and a good gossip session. I added the sound of a page turning before I began to speak to give the feel that we were opening a book as we entered into the literary world of the past. Once I began to talk about Emily Dickinson, I added the sound of a pen or, in her case, a quill scribbling on paper, which she often did bent over a page, creating a new poem. At the end, I close with the sound of tea being poured into a mug to emphasize what I was saying, spilling the tea.
Audio Credits:
Bach,_JS_-_Italian_Concerto_Mvt-2_(Piano_Performance_by_eldüendesüarez).wav by Bach, JS. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
Boiling_water_being_poured_into_a_mug_for_tea.ogg by cori. CC0 1.0 Universal
Cafe_ambiance.ogg by Marble Toast. CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
Turning_a_page.ogg by planish. CC0 1.0 Universal
Writing_with_feltpen.ogg by stephan. CC0 1.0 Universal
Podcast Project:
“Booked and Bothered: A podcast about books, authors, and their drama” by Hannah Hargraves is licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Original Work:
Narration by Hannah Hargraves licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
I would absolutely listen to this podcast! Starting with the classical piano and ending with “let’s spill the literary tea” was a great way to combine the past with the present, making classic literature accessible, interesting, and relatable. Layering the quill and pouring tea sounds into your podcast introduction was well done. You also did a good job of writing a prompt for AI to create podcast art that evokes the same feeling.
Hey Hannah! I would love to listen to this podcast. It sounds so warm and inviting, and I could see myself listening to it as I build my Legos before I wind down for the evening. You did a great job in incorporating the different sounds, such as the piano music. The cafe ambiance also enhances how intimate the podcast sounds, and I wish that it were definitely longer than 30 seconds. The use of sound effects, like the page turning and the quill writing, immerses us as listeners so that we can connect meaningfully. It felt as though we were sitting next to each other at a cafe, enjoying our drinks and pastries. Overall, your concept was very compelling because you made it feel accessible and entertaining, which appeals to young adults and those who are fans of literature.