One of the most interesting and useful ideas for learning to me is the use of compact discs. I have been attracted to this format that Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky use to spread their ideas.

One CD in particular is Zinn’s lecture given at Reed College, which can be found in most record stores. I would like to know if you have given any thought of producing some of your own lectures, interviews, or even readings on to CD.

I believe it would do very well. I know I would be intrigued.

Since all my lectures and speeches can be read for free on my website, ishmael.org , I doubt that an audio version of them would find a market large enough to justify the substantial initial cost of producing them on CD.

I’d be delighted to see any of my work made available in this form, but for me to do it myself would just be a way of losing my shirt; my forte is ideas, not marketing. (Zinn and Chomksy’s CDs are marketed not by Zinn and Chomsky but by a press that specializes in anarchist materials; this press has a large, well-defined market, which my work, reaching people of every conceivable political, social, and religious orientation, does not.)

It should be noted that even my best known work, Ishmael, couldn’t make it in an audio version (though it’s been made available again as a download).

ID: 543
posted: 26 Feb 2002
updated: 26 Feb 2002