Author Topic: PC255 / 646: The Medicine Woman of Talking Rock  (Read 14288 times)

benjaminjb

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Reply #25 on: April 22, 2013, 05:49:50 PM
Somehow this story got wrapped up in my mind with a recent This American Life story here that detailed how a Native American tribe in California is slowly kicking out many of its members based on lots of bureaucratic red tape. It was an interesting juxtaposition, and I think added some life to a fantasy story that was otherwise lacking somehow.

I also felt a strong connection between that episode and this story. Maybe that's one reason why I liked this story more? But--oh for a dimensional viewer where we could check this experimentally--I think I still would've liked this story even without that TAL.

I'll admit that, in general, I enjoy the concept of modernizing the mythical; but whereas in many of those stories, the premise comes out as either "damn this modern red tape" or "look at how primitive our myths are," I felt this story hit a very pleasant third-way. That is, the drift boat may be easier to handle than the cedar canoe (point to modernity), but there are still past medicines to help the elder's back. So we can have medicine rituals while also using lists (not traditional) or mugs that say "World's Best Elder."

Now, just from the title alone we can pretty much tell that this isn't going to be a big event piece. Our medicine woman isn't about to save the sun from one of Coyote's crack-brained plan. This story is going to be quieter, smaller--no one lives or dies depending on the medicine woman's actions, only people's lives get better or worse, often in very small ways. But I'm fine with that: a piece that focuses on themes of modernity and tradition at least has that focus.

So far, this might be my favorite story this week (of catching up with podcasts).



Conejo Gordo

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Reply #26 on: April 23, 2013, 04:18:54 AM
Many readers have voices that draw me into the stories: Graeme Dunlop, Kara Grace...of course M.K. Hopson.  However there are a few that force me to look for other stories.  This unfortunately was one of the latter.  With no offense directed at Ms. Brown (whom I understand to be a talented actress and singer), the sound of this story just didn't work for me and I could hardly start, much less finish. 



DruidPrince

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Reply #27 on: April 24, 2013, 05:49:33 AM
Well I can't add much to what has already been said. I made it through 4 to 5 minutes and bailed. I typically can force myself to give the story a chance. But I found the subject matter slow and made more painfully so by the narration. Her voice reminded me of someone off an old game show and yes, as mentioned, like she was reading to a class of 2nd graders. I didn't think she did a bad job, just not to my taste.
Hopefully I will give this one another try later.

The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.
-Blaise Pascal


Talia

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Reply #28 on: May 02, 2013, 12:10:49 PM
The narration was slightly difficult to listen to at first, but by the end it seemed to fit the story perfectly (no to mention the acting was great).

Enjoyed the story. At first I thought it was going to be an "oh geez, the spirits have fallen prey to the bureaurocrats" type story, instead its kind of a commentary on how the old ways aren't necessarily better just because it's tradition.



Unblinking

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Reply #29 on: May 02, 2013, 01:44:40 PM
I enjoyed the setup of this one.  Stories where religion is taken in a non-traditional way tend to entertain me.  But I felt like it set up a story that it never finished.




Talia

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Reply #30 on: May 02, 2013, 02:01:32 PM
I enjoyed the setup of this one.  Stories where religion is taken in a non-traditional way tend to entertain me.  But I felt like it set up a story that it never finished.



I would guess that depends on your perception of the story. The story of a traditional woman having to deal with upsetting changes felt pretty finished to me personally.



Unblinking

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Reply #31 on: May 02, 2013, 07:58:43 PM
I enjoyed the setup of this one.  Stories where religion is taken in a non-traditional way tend to entertain me.  But I felt like it set up a story that it never finished.



I would guess that depends on your perception of the story. The story of a traditional woman having to deal with upsetting changes felt pretty finished to me personally.

I would have if it had seemed like more than a minor inconvenience to her. 



TheBigBlueFrog

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Reply #32 on: January 18, 2015, 12:35:29 AM
I liked the story, but the narration was stilted. It all had the same tone.



Ocicat

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Reply #33 on: October 01, 2020, 08:20:00 AM
This episode has been re-presented as PodCastle 646: TALES FROM THE VAULTS — The Medicine Woman of Talking Rock



AM Fish

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Reply #34 on: March 21, 2021, 01:46:06 PM
I was very glad to have this story brought up from the vaults.  As a few of the responses to this story above point to a lack of plot and a lack of drama in the reader's presentation (please let me know if I've not summed up those comments fairly) I would say those are two reasons I really like this story.  I agree that podcastle has some amazing readers that are often as entertaining as the story.  The bar for reading in this podcast is very high.  Ada Milenkovic Brown's reading was effective for me because her presentation was so well suited to the text.  She was reading a story more about a place and state of being than about action, trauma, or triumph.  I especially appreciated this because it concerned a very unique and wonderful group of people.