Elspeth Millar, Oral History Archive Assistant, writes:

A new exhibition at the British Library is celebrating the work of American photographer Michael Katakis.  The exhibition coincides with the launch of a new publication Michael Katakis: Photographs and Words, a collaboration of photographs by Katakis and observations from his wife, the anthropologist Dr Kris L. Hardin. 

Michael Katakis and Kris Hardin donated their archives (including Michael's photographs and negatives,
and Kris's fieldwork notes and recordings) to the British Library in 2008.  At the time of the deposit, the Oral History section at the British Library (with funding from the Eccles Centre for American Studies) recorded a joint interview with both Katakis and Hardin at the Library, followed by two separate life story interviews recorded in early 2009 in the United States. 

The 'Michael Katakis Photographs' exhibition features photographs from the projects 'The Vietnam Veterans Memorial', 'Troubled Land: 12 Days Across America' (a portrait of the US in the days after 9/11) and 'A Time and Place Before War' (a project documenting life in Sierra Leone before the outbreak of civil war in 1991).  Reflections on all three projects, and in particular the time spent in Sierra Leone by Katakis and Hardin, can be found in all three interviews (catalogued on the Sound Archive catalogue as 'Michael Katakis and Kris Hardin interviews', collection reference C1348).  The interviews are accessible on-site at the British Library via the SoundServer service. 

Kris Hardin and her namesake Bondu Kris (Kainkordu 1988) [credit: Michael Katakis]

Cheryl Tipp, Wildlife Sounds Curator, writes:

Jana Winderen’s Utvær is an incredibly evocative piece that brilliantly captures the atmosphere of a solitary lighthouse situated off the west coast of Norway. Originally broadcast on Touch Radio during 2008, this recording immediately transports you to the imposing red tower that has guided mariners to safety for over 100 years. The constant howl of the wind and occasional splashing of waves onto nearby rocks create a sense of isolation that is almost tangible. The intermittent song of a bird is the only indication that life exists in this unrelenting environment.

http://sounds.bl.uk/View.aspx?item=028M-C1428X0028XX-0100V0.xml

'Recording of the Week' highlights gems from the Archival Sound Recordings website, chosen by British Library experts or recommended by listeners.

Stephen Cleary, Lead Curator, Drama and Literature Recordings, writes:

Russian poet Oleg Borushko perpetrated a literary hoax that proved so successful that it almost overshadowed his own serious work. His book of haiku Erotic Tanks was published under the name Ruboko Sho, who purportedly composed his verses in the 11th century. In fact the poet did not exist and Ruboko Sho was a partial anagram of Borushko's own name. In this recording, which was made at Christmas 2010 in Borushko's kitchen in Abbey Wood, London, he reads some of these haiku, along with more serious works. In Russian language only.

http://sounds.bl.uk/View.aspx?item=024M-C1340X0057XX-0000V0.xml

'Recording of the Week' highlights gems from the Archival Sound Recordings website, chosen by British Library experts or recommended by listeners.