Summary
LeVar Burton Reads is a podcast hosted by LeVar Burton, where he reads a piece of short fiction and shares his thoughts on it.[1] Since its launch in 2017, it has won numerous awards and favorable reviews. [2][3][4][5][6]
| LeVar Burton Reads | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Hosted by | LeVar Burton |
| Genre | |
| Created by | LeVar Burton |
| Written by | Various |
| Language | English |
| Production | |
| No. of episodes | 155, 192, 197, 206  |
| Publication | |
| Original release | June 13, 2017 |
| Ratings | 4.837837837837838/5 |
| Provider | Stitcher |
| Related | |
| Website | www |
Burton is well-known for his acting career, which included Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and also for hosting Reading Rainbow, a long-running children’s television show on PBS. [3][7] In reviews, LeVar Burton Reads has been described as “Reading Rainbow for adults.” [4][2]
In each 30-45-minute episode, Burton reads a short work of fiction.[3] Music and sound design are added to create a full sensory experience. [5] “What audio storytelling does is it engages the listener in a way that visual storytelling does not. You are creating the visuals for yourself, and because of that additional level of personal investment, it’s enjoyable on a different level,” Burton told The Verge.[6]
Burton and his producer choose all the stories based on personal taste. “The primary consideration for a story to be selected is that I love it,” he told Los Angeles Magazine. [3] The show has included works by Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, Octavia Butler, Neil Gaiman, Joan Aiken, Haruki Murakami, Nnedi Okorafor, John Chu, and Oscar Casares, among others.[8] [3][1]
Reception edit
LeVar Burton Reads has been well received by USA Today, The New Yorker., The Washington Post, The Verge, NPR, Los Angeles Magazine and many other publications[9][10]
The show has won multiple industry awards, including the 2023 and 2024 Webby Award for Best Art and Culture Podcast,[11][12] the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Podcast[13] and the 2020 Ignyte Award for Best Fiction Podcast.[14] His 5-word Webby acceptance speech for his 2023 Webby Award was, “Be a better person. Read.”[11]
References edit
- ^ a b "Official Website: LeVar Burton Reads". LeVar Burton Podcast. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Puchko, Kristy (July 3, 2017). "Review: 'LeVar Burton Reads' Is 'Reading Rainbow' For Grown-Ups". Pajiba. Retrieved Jan 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Martin, Brittany (April 6, 2018). "LeVar Burton Would Like to Read You a Story". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Ratcliffe, Amy (June 28, 2017). "LEVAR BURTON'S NEW PODCAST IS LIKE READING RAINBOW FOR ADULTS". Nerdist. Retrieved Jan 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Greene, Steve (July 26, 2017). "LeVar Burton Reading a Neil Gaiman Short Story is Even Better Than 'American Gods' — Listen". IndieWire. Retrieved Jan 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Liptak, Andrew (March 18, 2018). "LeVar Burton wants to read you his favorite short stories". The Verge. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ "LeVar Burton Is Still Reading To Us During The Pandemic". NPR. August 1, 2020. Retrieved Jan 8, 2024.
- ^ Allen, Elizabeth (Sep 6, 2018). "7 of the Best Episodes of Levar Burton Reads". BookRiot. Retrieved Jan 8, 2024.
- ^ Mallenbaum, Carly (June 19, 2017). "'Reading Rainbow's LeVar Burton reads to adults in awesome new podcast". USA Today.
- ^ Larson, Sarah (August 31, 2017). "LeVar Burton Reads—to Adults". The New Yorker. Condé Nast.
- ^ a b "NEW Webby Gallery + Index". NEW Webby Gallery + Index. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
- ^ "2024 Webby Winner: Levar Burton Reads". The Webby Awards. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ "2023 NAACP Image Awards: 'LeVar Burton Reads' and 'Therapy for Black Girls' Among Winners". BET. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
- ^ Lewis, L. D. (October 17, 2020). "RESULTS: The 2020 Ignyte Awards". FIYAH Literary Magazine.
External links edit
- Official website
