Mark Pottinger, Ph.D., narrated “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe in the first edition of the Classic Readings Series. @MANHATTANEDU / INSTAGRAM
Barbara Vasquez, Production / Web Editor
Manhattan University [MU] has recently unveiled a new “Classic Readings Series,” a “monthly celebration of literature and storytelling,” according to manhattan.edu. The series promises readings of various pieces of classic literature performed by MU faculty.
The idea for the videos came from Robert Cole, executive director of marketing at MU. Cole shared a statement with The Quadrangle about where this idea initially stemmed from.
“The idea is an offshoot of the Sixth Borough Film Festival,” Cole wrote. “The film festival is a testament to storytelling across multiple genres. The Classic Reading Series mirrors these same values and allows viewers to hear and see the written words brought to life through the narration of the storyteller via the University’s web and social media platforms. By partnering with Dr. Michael Grabowski, Dr. Mark Pottinger and Kakos School of Arts and Sciences Dean Marcy Kelly, we were able to create a unique and creative way to promote literacy.”
The series premiered with a reading of “The Raven,” by Edgar Allen Poe, performed by Mark Pottinger, Ph.D. Pottinger, professor of music and musicology and chair of the communication, sound and media arts program, felt passionately about the combination of classic literature and performance.
“It’s great because it’s really about using faculty and various folks here on campus to reveal these classic tales, but at the same time connect us with these larger understandings of literature and how it has deeper connections, especially when you hear it,” Pottinger said. “Words are not just to be written, and I think we lose focus by silently reading. These words were written like music on a score– not just to be analyzed on the score, but to be heard. There’s something very sonic about, not only poetry, but about literature in general that is supposed to be heard, not just something that is seen.”
The performance included a number of intricate details, all chosen with intention. The setting, located in the alumni room of the library, served as the foundation for the rest of the production to be built around.
Anna Schmidt, senior sound studies and communication double major, worked on the video’s production design and sound effects. She personally took care of some of the decor featured in the video, including a small raven skeleton placed in the background. Schmidt also helped evaluate optimal sound for the video, focusing on using sound in a way to best convey the message and tone of the original story.
“I think the acoustics of the room were really interesting because they were slightly reverberant, which I think helped add to this almost ghostly vibe,” Schmidt said. “I’ll also say Dr. Pottinger gave me chills. The way in which he was able to convey the story through his pacing of it, through the inflections and just his own vocal timbre… I feel like this version of it really brought it to life and gave it more emotion that is sometimes hard to get from reading it on a page.”
Schmidt became a part of the production after attending a class taught by Pottinger, where he extended an invitation for interested students to get involved. She immediately took him up on the offer.
“I always love any chance I can get to do, I call it freelance-type work, where it’s more just pick-up stuff here and there,” Schmidt said. “I really, really love it, because it’s always such a unique experience. And this was obviously the first of a new series, so it was cool to be there for the development aspects.”
The team behind the video also included Michael Grabowski, Ph.D. Grabowski, professor of communication, sound and media arts, teaches multiple classes akin to the work done for the production of the video. For him, this project serves as a perfect teaching opportunity for students.
“I think that both for current students and potential students it’s a demonstration of what is possible,” Grabowski said. “It gives me the opportunity to show students what’s possible as far as setting up a recording like this. I’m using the same equipment that students use for their classes. The same lights, the same cameras, and it just shows them what can really be done.”
As the series progresses, Grabowski hopes that more students can participate and help out with the videos.
“I’ve always told students that the best way to learn how to do production is to do production, and the best way to get better at it is to do more production,” Grabowski said. “With every shoot that you’re on and every shoot that you do, you learn some things and you get a little better at it. So being able to provide as many opportunities as possible for students to get involved is really important.”
In terms of content, the series will not only focus on romantic style, like “The Raven,” but will instead highlight all different types of notable and fitting pieces of literature. No matter what choice pieces are chosen, however, they will all connect to the larger idea of the series.
“You want to get a real nugget of something that is complete and at the same time, something that hearkens this sense of connection to a family of ideas that’s at the heart of a liberal education,” Pottinger said. “Ideas of thinking critically and knowing that what you see in front of you is not the whole picture. That there is a whole history and a whole understanding of things that go beyond the surface. I think that in the end, that’s what literature teaches us. By connecting ourselves [MU] with the series, we try to bring that forth and say that this is the type of environment that highlights that.”