Working on Me Audiobook

• • 3ARTS MATCH
  • 80% contributed
  • 20% to go

To accompany Nikki Patin’s debut memoir, Working on Me, Patin will produce a beautifully recorded and engineered audiobook. As an accomplished vocalist and performer, Nikki will voice the audiobook herself, guiding listeners through the pages while evoking the magical feeling of awe and wonder. Since the release of her memoir, Nikki has received multiple requests to create an audio version. Excited to bring Working on Me to life beyond the page, Nikki will create a new level of interaction with the memoir, making it more accessible to those that want to read her story. 

 

About This Project

In April 2024, I celebrated the release of my debut memoir, Working on Me, a book made in the tradition of the biomythography genre that chronicles my life growing up in a Black Russian Jewish interracial family on the far South Side of Chicago. In writing the book, I was drawn to the idea of bringing these pieces to life—beyond the page—through film, music, spoken word, and visuals. The touchstone for this inspiration was the piece “Brick,” which describes what happens to a material like that when it is hammered, chiseled, and ground down—a metaphor for my own experience with trauma.

In 2014, during a long 18-hour drive from Portland, ME to Chicago, IL, I was fully entrapped in the audiobook version of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston, narrated by Ruby Dee. I’d like to provide a similarly magical experience for my readers and listeners by creating an audiobook for Working on Me. Having an audiobook version was always something I wanted to do as part of the offering of my memoir. I’m a writer and a performer of words, so while editing my book, reading it aloud was part of a number of strategies I used to make sure that I was saying what I really wanted to say in the way that I want to say it. Having an audiobook version of my memoir matters to me because of accessibility. Not everyone has the visual or mental stamina for words on a page. Some folks just enjoy being read to and for some, reading using sight simply isn’t an option. I’m also in love with the book I wrote, which took 10 years and a lot of work. My wish is that, with your support, as many people as possible get to experience it and enjoy Working on Me.  

Working on Me was published by Vine Leaves Press, a small but mighty independent press out of Greece. They’ve done an incredible amount to get my memoir out into the world, including creating gorgeous design and marketing materials. However, the budget cannot cover the production costs of an audiobook. This campaign will help fill in a critical gap that many authors are just unable to close. 

Thank yous

Contribute any amount or choose from the levels below.

• $10
  "The Revolution Begins Within" affirmation mirror ($7.00 is tax deductible.)
• $20
  "I Got You" gift card set ($15.00 is tax deductible.)
• $50
  Autographed hard copy of "Working On Me" debut memoir (Vine Leaves Press, 2024) ($30.00 is tax deductible.)
• $100
  Commissioned poem by Nikki Patin ($50.00 is tax deductible.)
• $250
  "Surviving the Mic" T-shirt, plus an affirmation mirror, gift card set, and autographed book ($162.00 is tax deductible.)
• $500
  One hour, private, one-on-one "Brave AF" writing workshop (for you, or as a gift to someone you choose), plus an affirmation mirror, gift card set, and autographed book ($250.00 is tax deductible.)

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Nikki Patin

Make a Wave Artist

Featured in The Guardian, Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Reader, on WBEZ, WTTW, FoxSoul, and on international television and radio, Nikki Patin has been writing, performing, educating, and advocating for over two decades. She has …

View Nikki Patin's profile

• 1 update
• 12 supporters

• Update 1: The Working on Me Audiobook

  Posted on September 24, 2024

  

  Nicole Waddington  

  Nikki Patin at Elastic Arts on 9/21/24

  Big thanks to those of you who have already contributed!

  I decided to shift this campaign to support an audiobook version of Working On Me because I kept getting requests from future readers who would only be able to access my book via audio. 

  I put out a call for companies or individuals who know how to record audiobooks and a music colleague of mine, Bradley Engel, reached out and offered his expertise. Within a few days, I'd recorded the first 80 pages and will be heading back into the studio this weekend to continue to work on it. 

  I'm excited to shift the funding campaign's goal to a version of Working On Me that will make the book more accessible to more people. Also, as a vocalist and long-time performer of poetry, my narration helps bring another layer of meaning to the printed words of the words. Finally, the recording process has been incredibly healing for me because the process that Bradley and I have created is deeply trauma-informed.

  I'll continue to post updates, including sharing snippets of what's been recorded so far and upcoming events where you can check out live readings and performances of Working On Me.

  Thank you for the support you've offered and for those checking this page out for the first time, thank you for your time, energy, and support.

  Here's to making words more accessible to everyone!  

• Thank you to the following for contributing to 3Arts with the recommendation that we support this project.

  • Quinn Houlihan

  • Amanda Glasbrenner

  • Barak ade Soleil

  • Diana Clegg

  • Denise Haritos

  • Marya Spont-Lemus

  • Alice Walton

  • Anthony Dekker

  • Joanne Vena

  • Azure Osborne-Lee

  • Michelle Brinckerhoff

  • Kamara Ellis

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