About us
“An amazing storyteller…” – TIME 5/30/22
Like a lot of us, BJ struggled to read as a kid. He grew upto be a scenic artist and sculptor for TV and film, and when he discovered audiobooks, his entire world changed.
Suddenly, all these classic stories he’d wanted to read were unlocked for him. He could experience The Count of Monte Cristo, JaneEyre, Pride and Prejudice, David Copperfield and so many books he’d wanted to read but simply couldn’t. He listened to audiobooks every day at work for 20 years. When he heard about podcasting, he wanted to create a show where people who struggled to read could have his experience with the classics.
In 2007, when his Classic Tales Podcast hit the scene, his unique enthusiasm for the classics was infectious. Listeners responded voraciously. The show peaked as the #3 podcast in iTunes – in all podcasts in their directory. Pretty soon, Audible came calling. Now, over 900 audiobooks later, he continues to impress critics and listeners alike. Audiofile says he narrates with “gusto” and“enthusiasm”. TIME opts for “soothing”.
First shortlisted by iTunes as One of the Best Podcasts of2007, he has gone on to win four Voice Arts awards as narrator, producer, and podcast host from The Society of Voice Arts and Sciences. He has also won an Independent Audiobook Award, a Platinum Award at the Hear Now festival, and two w3 awards.
1000+ episodes later, his podcast continues to unlock the wonders of the classics for struggling readers and fans. The audiobook library card project extends his vision of making reading approachable and accessible for everyone, while simultaneously creating jobs for narrators.
