An Absorbing Errand

How Artists and Craftsmen Make Their Way to Mastery

By: Janna Malamud Smith

Narrated by: Teri Clark Linden

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

An Absorbing Errand uses stories of artists' lives, personal anecdotes, and insights from the author's work as a psychotherapist to examine the psychological obstacles that prevent people from staying with, and relishing, the process of art-making. Each chapter is devoted to a problem intrinsic to the creative process and illustrates how these very obstacles, once understood, can become prime sources of the energy that actually fuels the mastery of art-making.

Many people carry within their hearts an aching sense that they have something they want to express through art; or that they will not feel complete until they’ve brought out some hidden part of themselves. Yet they cannot begin to do the work of bringing their creative idea into the world. Or, maybe they've begun over and over, but they can't stay with their labor long enough to finish it. Ultimately, An Absorbing Errand provides a philosophical, historical, and analytical look at the creative impulse and how certain artists from a wide field mastered their craft. From Julia Child to Charlie Chaplin, Lady Gaga to Michael Jackson, famous painters to established writers, Smith shows us how each overcame the obstacles they faced in the pursuit of their creative visions.

©2012 Janna Malamud Smith (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Unanimous Review

If you could sum up An Absorbing Errand in three words, what would they be?

Fascinating; terrible reader.

Any additional comments?

Really interesting approach to a complex set of psychic states. The author is authentic and intimate...and a good writer. But the reader sounds like the female version of Stephan Hawkings ... I swear, it might be.

Can hardly listen....

The reader of this book makes listening and understanding quite difficult. She reads like a robotic voice, pausing when she doesnt need to and pronouncing unimportant words with un-needed emphasis. There is not emotion or excitement here, the who,e thing sounds so dry and boring that I couldnt remember what I had last heard, let alone bear to complete listening to it.

Great book, poorly read

The reader's tone is detrimental to fully enjoying the remarkable content of this book. The reader sounds like she has been generated by a computer

Great book! Terrible reader.

I love the content of this book, it is a real shame the reader is so stilted in her delivery with so little emotion I am reminded of high school lectures.

Interesting but nearly impossible to listen to.

it's a shame they didn't choose a reader with an easier method of reading. lost focus several times due to her reading style.

Terrible reader, hard to tell about book..

There's beautiful and interesting ideas in this book, but the droning monotone reader makes it almost impossible to follow. The reader is barely registering what she is saying, just reads out one word after another in a meaningless string. What a shame.

terrible narration

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

the book was not the problem, the narrator is the problem. i cant imagine anyone enjoying listening to 7 hours of this voice. i lasted 10 minutes.

What didn’t you like about Teri Clark Linden’s performance?

robotic, random emphases, patronizing tone

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

the narration sparked anger. im sure the book is fine but i couldnt listen to it so i dont know.