Acting with an Accent

ACTING WITH AN ACCENT

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New York City

(and surrounding areas)

- Streaming Video Accent Lessons -

Produced by

Written and Taught by David Alan Stern, PhD

About the Author/Host

David Alan Stern received a BFA in Theatre-performance (University of Connecticut) and a PhD in Speech (Temple University) and then served on the fac- ulties of both Wichita State and Penn State before founding Dialect Accent Specialists, Inc. in Hollywood in 1980—working there primarily as a text and dialect/accent coach for professional actors. In 1993 he returned to his alma mater, UCONN, as Professor of Dramatic Arts. He continued in that post for twenty-five years while keeping a foot in the film/TV industry and serving as resident dialect coach for Connecticut Repertory Theatre and the Berkshire Theatre Group in Massachusetts. Among the many actors he has helped to prepare for stage, televi- sion, and film roles are Geena Davis (The Accidental Tourist), Julie Harris (Carried Away), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Easy Money), Shelley Long (Outrageous Fortune), Terrence Mann (My Fair Lady and Sweeney Todd), Liam Neeson (Next of Kin), Lynn Redgrave (Sweet Sue and Midnight), Pat Sajak & Joe Moore (Dial M for Murder), Vince Tycer (Chappaquiddick), Forest Whitaker (Bird and The Crying Game), and Daryl Hannah, Julia Roberts, Sally Field, and Olympia Dukakis (Steel Magnolias). He returned to the stage several years ago playing Zolton Karpathy in My Fair Lady (with Terrence Mann), Arvide Abernathy in Guys and Dolls (with Sarah Schenkkan), and Roy in The Odd Couple (with Pat Sajak and Joe Moore). He has just created his first three accent-learning video programs (English RP, New York, and American Southern) with Broadway on Demand.

Visit David Alan Stern’s Website for

- downloads of audio lessons in 24 different accent patterns - - audio and video lessons to Americanize accents of other languages - - audio downloads for reducing American regional accents - - audio downloads to improve your speaking voice & diction quality - - information and prices for 1-on-1 coaching via ZOOM or SKYPE –

subscribe to the DIALECT ACCENT NEWSLETTER and immediately download a free copy of DAVID ALAN STERN’S ESSAYS: HINTS FOR ACTING & AUDITIONING WITH ACCENTS CTRL+CLICK TO GET IT NOW 3

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Listening to Native Speakers

I am an accent parrot. I discovered at age 10 that I could reproduce accents just by listening to them. They went into my ear and then out of my mouth with no conscious analysis of what I was hearing. When first asked by a director friend to teach accents to the cast of her production, I soon discovered that simply playing samples or modeling the accent was a very poor teaching method. A very small percentage of actors are capable of listening to and mimicking them. Over the years that followed, I developed the accent-teaching technique you’ll worked with in this program.

That doesn’t mean that listening to real speakers of target accents isn’t important. It gives you a sense of how people who grew up speaking a certain way actually sound when they communicate, as well as awareness of differences in given accents from speaker to speaker. But you also have to be careful. Most people of the world ARE NOT effective, interesting speakers—regardless of language or accent. Reproducing the exact speech patterns of accent speakers who are unexpressive, lack vocal variety, and fail to highlight ideas and images is of little benefit to actors. So, I’m providing you with links to relatively expressive speakers of various levels of this New York accent.

Samples of Real-World NYC Speakers

(If some links are no longer active, search for videos with the names of the speakers or programs.)

Penny Marshall, Actor, Director, Writer Classic Bronx accent—EXCEPT rhotic R occasionally appears https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKuzct0qX9I (starts at 2:30 of clip)

Garry Marshall, Director-Writer Classic Bronx-style NYC accent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDsnRlbdHfY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB7pdyDxyIg (starts at 0:25)

Bernie Sanders Although Sanders has lived in and been an office holder in Vermont for many years, he still has a heavy NYC accent, which may not have softened much in all the years since he moved away. All the basic vowels consistent with our manual. NURSE vowel stays rhotic but isn’t quite as open as the version I teach. 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG1vQnUrfvo http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/01/26/iowa-democratic-town-hall- sanders-campaign-political-revolution-01.cnn

Bella Abzug, (former Member of Congress) She has the classic accent—with the EXCEPTION of the START Vowel, which she does NOT half-round into the lower lip) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA3lq_u39q8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh1tAVvEOak

Elizabeth Holtzman (former Member of Congress) She has a significantly less harsh version of the accent than Abzug’s, albeit with moderate versions of all the NYC vowels EXCEPT the part of the PRICE set where the first stage half-rounds into the lower lip. OCCASIONALLY, a rhotic R appears—especially internally before a consonant. http://history.house.gov/Oral-History/Women/Representative-Holtzman/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYw3TzJIvog

Rob Reiner (actor, director, writer) This is a moderate albeit very obvious NYC accent with pretty much all the target pronunciations. This is a great example of a NYC accent not interfering with the image of someone’s being smart and articulate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfdIiff8Syo&list=ULOQKAqlPA3OY&index =2691

Rodney Dangerfield (comedian) Classic Brooklyn-style with lots of intonation. Some residual Yiddish inflections. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SVZvWaMWsA

Amy Heckerling, (writer/director) (best at 1:00 and 4:27 of the clip) Classic moderate-degree NYC accent—Bronx style (relatively monotone). All expected vowels EXCEPT the NURSE vowel, which occasionally leans a little toward an RP pronunciation rather than the typical or street NY pronunciation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXktZRa5Gdk

All in the Family This huge hit that started in 1971 was the first weekly network show to deal with issues of bigotry. It, and other sitcoms produced by Norman Lear, are considered 6

to have both changed TV and helped begin changes in American culture. Very good NYC accents. If links are not current. Search ALL IN THE FAMILY, ARCHIE & EDITH, GLORIA & MIKE.

Archie and Edith are VERY heavy “street accents.” Mike’s is still heavy, but more refined. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fqCS7Y_kME

This is a young Rob Reiner (as Mike), now one of the most famous film directors in Hollywood. This is pretty much the accent he speaks with in the real world. Gloria’s accent is pretty good but not as dead-on as the others with a few vowels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYgVKckoypk

Laverne and Shirley Heavy NYC accents. Laverne’s is very heavy and very real. Shirley’s is quite good, but the R’s aren’t dropped consistently. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW6Ae76AxWw&feature=related

Welcome Back, Kotter – Gabe Kaplan Most of the accents are pretty accurate—occasional R’s not dropped. Occasional [ae] changed when it shouldn’t be. First time America saw John Travolta. Horshack (the nerd) is played by the late Ron Palillo, UConn BFA 1971. Ron and I overlapped as undergrads for two year https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df73uwfVVdY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksul9_x_Y2A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGm0r-L9izc

Acting with a New York City Accent

- Episode One -

LESSON ONE

The Resonance and Muscle Impulses of the NYC Accent

Follow the exercises in Lesson One of the video for producing two different degrees of the New York style of mouth movement and resonance/placement. You will apply the technique to the following sentences:

We needed to do it. It’s doing him some good. The musicians had several gigs a day. ------

LESSON TWO

Rounded and Half-Rounded New York Vowels

A KEYWORD labels a set of words with consistent vowel pronunciation WITHIN accents.

For example, the THOUGHT Vowel is pronounced differently in NY than in Cockney.

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An IPA Symbol describes or prescribes a specific pronunciation.

For example, [ɔwə] is how the THOUGHT Vowel is typically pronounced in NYC. 8

Word Set Target NY Sound START Vowel [ɒ:] r

hard to start the car card harm cartwheel The sergeants were archery partners. The cardinal played cards in the garden. They are old. R-drop: The car stopped. R-glide: The car arrived. R-drop: too far behind R-glide: too far away

Additional START Vowel Drills ark, army, artful, bar, barn, charge, charming, Clark, darn, guard, harbor, harden, heart, march, marshal, scarf

He disembarked from the sparkling new car. Father Charles argues about the guard's identity card. Carl and Marni formed an artful partnership. Arthur charged out of the arbor unharmed. He parked the car far away.

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PRICE vowel splits into: Target NY Sound NICE Version [ai]

TIME Version [ɒi]

NICE: bike nightlife 9

high time rising crime light sight right hike Michael bike nice ice mice life knife rifle ripe diaper typing She likes ice cream late at night. That town has nice nightlife. TIME: sidelines pride side bridle dime fine drive Eliza won science prize. time for riding high Please arrive by nine. The violent child was tired. spy deny ply The guy can’t deny it.

(unrounded NICE vowels are underlined once – half-rounded TIME vowels, twice) Slice the fried pike on Friday night. The ivy vines were just the right height. a life of violent crime

Additional PRICE Vowel Drills

advice, aisle, appetite, baptize, bright, brine, concise, crisis, crucify, cry, die, dried, Eliza, erudite, eye, file, fire, flight, icon, icy, identify, idle, lice, myopic, night, Nile, pliable, pliers, polite, pylon, pyrite, ride, rye, shiner, shy, skylight, slicing, spicy, style, thrice, twilight, virus, while

There’s a gold mine in the sky. It’s a sign of the times. Please recite ironic rhymes of an iambic kind. Tie the drapes behind the shutters. Dried spice is likely to be appetizing. My guide and I had a fine time on the Nile. I transcribed five dialogues, but I don't know why. Blind justice presided at the indictment. It's the right time to fly in the sky. The sight of dry land was exciting for Ira. Slice the meat with a sharp knife. My guide and I had a fine time.

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Word Set Target NY Sound THOUGHT Vowel [ɔwə]

CLOTH Vowel [ɔwə]

NORTH Vowel [ɔwə] r

AW-wuh thought thought I saw saw author O-U - thought brought A-U - author autumn A-W - jaw claws A followed by L - all tall Even a silent L - walk talk O-F - often officer O-S - lost toss 11

O-N-G - wrong song O-T-H - moth cloth

O-L (at the end of a root word) - alcohol the word - dog He caught the ball and ran down the hall. I saw what the painting cost Paul. The strong wrestlers fought a costly battle. The cat crawled across the lawn.

R-drop leads to the same pronunciation for the NORTH Vowel set.

core implore organize more support fourscore tons of corn I couldn’t afford the mortgage. Pour it out. I’m sore at you.

Additional THOUGHT Vowel Drills applaud, assault, autistic, awed, bawdy, caught, cause, chalk, cough, draw, flawed, flawless, gnaw, hall, hallway, jaw, laud, laundry, lawn, mall, malted, naught, nautical, ought, pause, raw, shawl, sought, taught, vault, walk, wall, wrought The tall author walked home. The awkward, awful, strong man walked home. The dog fought the moth he had brought home. He stalked the ball and then vaulted down the hall. The awful sauce made Paul pause and then walk away. The cat crawled over the lawn with its hurt paw. We applauded the awkward author. You taught me to vault flawlessly without falling. 12

Additional CLOTH Vowel Drills

broth, froth, cross, across, loss, floss, toss, coffin, offer, office, oft, cost, frost, lost, glossy, off, strong, loft, long, strong

Lost boys often get tossed out. He often raises the cost of doing wrong. Right or wrong, the song lyrics were lost. The cloth in the closet smells of mothballs.

Additional NORTH Vowel Drills

before, explore, fortune, ignore, nor, Orville, pour, score, shore, sore

I couldn’t afford all fourteen surfboards. Forty gory creatures poured through the French doors. The spores were found in the core of the ornament. More and more support came forth for the orphan's party.

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LESSON THREE

Unrounded New York Vowels

Word Set Target NY Sound LOT Vowel [a]

got a lot in common What do you want? what want watch spa wash orange pocket stop contest onset on on time on top on the spot one on one What have we got to watch? I want to put the copper ring in my pocket. 13

He was shocked by the electric socket. We’ve got a lot in common.

Additional LOT Vowel Drills

Adonis, almond, aqua, balmy, bog, calm, comedy, common, confidence, Conrad, constitute, father, fox, golf, gondola, grotto, honor, jalopy, jonquil, knock, locksmith, obelisk, obstinate, obvious, occupy, odd, opera, opposite, option, oxygen, plot, pocket, positive, psalm, respond, rock, sock, stop, swamp, Utah

He occupied the gondola of the golf cart. The rocket shot toward the opposite airlock. The obstinate opera singer was preoccupied. Becket was positive about the honor of God. The frog got groggy and hopped away. Anonymous letters commonly dishonor Adonis. Oxygen is commonly found in air pockets. The rock grotto was obviously our final option. I'm obligated to respond with fondest acknowledgements. Father wanted to wash dishes in the spa.

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TRAP / BATH splits into: Target NY Sound THAT Version [æ]

MAN Version [εə]

[æ] before a K - back Jack lack bracket cracker factual jacket mackerel knack package racket shack [æ] before L - Alan pal Sally alcove dalliance California shallow fallacy gallery hallowed value [æ] before P - lap happy evaporate capsule dapper gap haphazard rapture sap collapse 14

[æ] before R - narrow carry parrot barrel Carol garret harrowing caramel Laramie marrow [æ] before T - rat battle cat Saturday cattle Pat batter fat matter begat hat clatter latter bat [æ] before CH - batch natural catch satchel match latched matching attach patchwork ratchet [æ] before voiced TH - lather rather gather Mathers (surname) [æ] before ZH - casual menagerie

------[εə] before the trigger B - grab tab nab taxicab dab back to [æ] when a vowel or L follows - cabbage abolition babble dabble fabulous [εə] before the trigger D - mad bad sad glad pad fad cad comrade exception: all forms of “to have” (including “had”) are [æ] back to [æ] when a vowel or L follows - saddle paddle radical ladder [εə] before the trigger F - after calf laugh half draft raft staff Taft back to [æ] when a vowel or L follows - daffodil affable raffle baffle [εə] before the trigger G - bag tag rag sag wag lag nag brag back to [æ] when a vowel or L follows - haggle straggle Maggie [εə] before the trigger DG – badge

back to [æ] when a vowel follows - magic and gradual agitate imagine exaggerate gadget Plantagenet [εə] before the trigger M - tamper Sam ram amber damp gamble hamstring jamboree cram lamp ramble back to [æ] when a vowel follows - Alabama famished hammer clamor grammar Pamela hammock [εə] before the trigger N - ant ancestor Anne candle sand grand handle landowner mandate pandemic back to [æ] when a vowel or L follows - anniversary animal channel panel Panama panic cannibal granular [εə] before the trigger S - brass fast nasty crass cast dastardly gas lasting masters past vastly back to [æ] when a vowel or L follows - hassle castle tassel taciturn exacerbate [εə] before the trigger SH - ash mash cash hash abashed dashboard gash hashtag lash rash sash - exception - stays [εə] when vowels follow - passion fascist fashion [εə] before the trigger TH - bath math path wrath back to [æ] when a vowel or L follows - Cathy athlete pathogen [εə] before the trigger Z - jazz raspberry razz back to [æ] when a vowel or L follows - razzle-dazzle Basil chasm

(THAT version underlined once – regional MAN version, twice

Kathy was mad after the damage was done. 16

We had a narrow escape on Saturday afternoon. that have had has He has to have that. The ants hammered at the hamper. Naturally, the man had worn a badge. They casually shook hands with the athlete.

Additional THAT Version Drills absolute, admiral, alcove, Alps, annual, apples, as, bank, castle, fabric, frank, hassle, lad, rank, sand, shatter, snack, soprano, tank, trap, tassel, wax

The actor was trapped in the alcove. The huddled masses sang the National Anthem. Sam rammed the flag into the anthill.

Additional MAN Version Drills

adding, after, amber, ample, answer, anthem, anthill, baggage, bashful, basket, bass, bath, command, disaster, France, glass, half, hand, lad, lamps, laugh, man, mass, master, math, passage, ram, passed, path, tan,

The passengers took their baggage in hand. He passed out halfway up the path.

Additional THAT/MAN Contrast Drills

During the disaster, the master commanded the castle. The soprano laughed as she shattered the glass. Ask any bashful man for his answer. Pam made an ample snack of the wax apples. Let's have a lamb and ham sandwich. That man is dancing divinely. Last night the cat transferred the kittens to the back room. Lady Astor handed the annual to the admiral. The staff had a rash of bad habits.

LESSON FOUR

R-Drops and R-Glides

R-Action Script Notation Post-Vowel R-Drop r

Post-Vowel R-Glide care about

start charging North Shore square air careful careful rarely there Where can I get a haircut? near gear weird cheerful I sincerely love you, my dear. insure cure poor detour The doctor’s not sure she can cure you. letter mother catcher helper He’s a talker, but not a letter writer. The bear will surely appear. My brother is weird about his hair. The poor farmer was clearly tired. There it is. Tear it off. The beer is cold. It sure is. Mother and I

Additional “Simple ER” Drills

brother, dancer, father, later, lighter, master, neither, reader, singer, sister, stronger, weaker, worker

The burglar and his helper stirred up such a clamor. The swimmer needed a better trainer. Esther was a good talker who never wrote letters. This summer was longer and hotter than last.

No R-Drop Target NY Sound NURSE Vowel [ʌɚ]

nurse earthworm perfect thirsty The German hurdler came in first. The girl searched for a perfect fish. Cursing is the worst thing.

Additional “Stressed ER” Drills

cursed, curve, early, earnest, first, German, Herbert, hurdle, search, serve, verb, worm, worst

Herman was the first to win thirty games. The German hurdler was the scourge of the early events. He searched the world for a perfect curve. Herb first learned the names of thirty worms. The girl caught a perfect fish with an earthworm.

Rare Street Version of NURSE: [əi]

nurse earthworm At first, he searched for the words.

Additional “Street-Stressed ER” Drills

cursed, curve, early, earnest, first, German, Herbert, hurdle, perfect, search, serve, thirsty, verb, worm, worst

Herman was the first to win thirty games. The German hurdler was the scourge of the early events. He searched the world for a perfect curve. Herb first learned the names of thirty worms.

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LESSON FIVE

Some Isolated Pronunciations

Consonant-Action Script Notation -ing verb endings ing

They were singing and dancing in the rain. Stop staying out and partying all night.

Additional “-ING” Drills

Borrowing is the basis of banking. Interesting things were happening. They were walking under the towering arch. Glad tidings were coming from everyone.

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Consonant-Action Script Notation almost-D for medial-T d

glottal stop British writer batter The fighter scattered the letters. 20

Get a better view of the battle ground. What is it? What a pity!

Additional Medial-T (almost-D) Drills

What about city settlers? I want a little water. Put the kettle on. The batter was better at the bottom of the inning. a bottle of beer Get in. Let it go.

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LESSON SIX

Coached Drill

An Important Message for Dialect Actors

æ d εə MOST ACTORS FORGET THE REST OF THEIR CRAFT WHEN

d ɒi ʌɚ ATTEMPTIN(G) DIALECT ROLES. THEIR PURPOSE BECOMES

d a ɔwə æ æ d "PUTTIN(G) ON THE NEW YORK ACCENT" RATHER THAN CREAT- æ æ æ IN(G) THE MOMENT-TO-MOMENT ACTIONS AND REACTIONS OF

ʌɚ æ ɔwə ɔwə A REAL PERSON WHO HAS ALWAYS SPOKEN WITH NEW YORK æ ʌɚ MUSCLE IMPULSES, INTONATION, AND WORD PRONUNCIA-

(ɒi) ɒi ɒi ɒi d TIONS. I FIND IT NECESSARY TO REMIND EVEN THE FINEST

æ d d ACTORS TO REMEMBER THE OTHER FUNDAMENTALS:

æ d TO DISCOVER THE SAME ACTIONS, BEATS, UNITS (WHATEVER 21

ʌɚ a æ TERMINOLOGY YOU'VE USED FOR IT), AND SIMPLY PLAY

THOSE MOMENTS THROUGH THE NEW SPEECH REFLEXES.

ʌɚ æ ʌɚ IT'S PERFECTLY SATISFACTORY TO RETURN, WHENEVER æ NECESSARY, TO YOUR OWN ACCENT TO HELP YOU DISCOVER

THOSE MOMENTS. THEN YOU SHOULD RE-DISCOVER

ɔwə THE SAME OR SIMILAR MOMENTS WITH THE NEW PHYSICAL ɔwə TRAITS OF NEW YORK SPEECH.

Intensifying the Accent

æ d εə MOST ACTORS FORGET THE REST OF THEIR CRAFT WHEN d ɒi ʌɚ ATTEMPTIN(G) DIALECT ROLES. THEIR PURPOSE BECOMES

d a ɔwə æ æ d "PUTTIN(G) ON THE NEW YORK ACCENT" RATHER THAN CREAT-

æ æ æ IN(G) THE MOMENT-TO-MOMENT ACTIONS AND REACTIONS OF

ʌɚ æ ɔwə ɔwə A REAL PERSON WHO HAS ALWAYS SPOKEN WITH NEW YORK

æ ʌɚ MUSCLE IMPULSES, INTONATION AND WORD PRONUNCIATIONS.

Heavier Street Style with Some Extreme Pronunciation Targets

d əi ʔ a ɔwə THEIR PURPOSE BECOMES "PUTTIN(G) ON THE NEW YORK

æ æ d d ʔ d ACCENT" RATHER THAN CREATIN(G) THE MOMENT-TO-MOMENT

æ æ æ əi ACTIONS AND REACTIONS OF A REAL PERSON . . .

Brooklyn style

ɒi ɒi EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE, ɔwə ALL AROUND THE TOWN, a THE TOTS SANG "RING-A-ROSIE," ɔwə “LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLIN(G) DOWN.”

æ ʌɚ BOYS AND GIRLS TOGETHER, ɔwə ME AND MAMIE O'ROARKE

ai εə εə TRIPPED THE LIGHT FANTASTIC

a ɒi ɔwə ɔwə ON THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK.

Bronx style

ɒi ɒi EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE, ɔwə ALL AROUND THE TOWN,

a THE TOTS SANG "RING-A-ROSIE," ɔwə “LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLIN(G) DOWN.” 23

Continue Bronx - with full Street Pronunciations -

æ əi d BOYS AND GIRLS TOGETHER, ɔwə ME AND MAMIE O'ROARKE

ai εə εə TRIPPED THE LIGHT FANTASTIC a ɒi ɔwə ɔwə ON THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK.

Spoken with Italian rhythms

ɒi ɒi EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE, ɔwə ALL AROUND THE TOWN, a THE TOTS SANG "RING-A-ROSIE," ɔwə “LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLIN(G) DOWN.”

Spoken with Yiddish Inflections

æ ʌɚ BOYS AND GIRLS TOGETHER, ɔwə ME AND MAMIE O'ROARKE

ai εə εə TRIPPED THE LIGHT FANTASTIC a ɒi ɔwə ɔwə ON THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK. 24

Joe’s Monologue (as abridged in the video) from Clifford Odets’ Golden Boy

əi əi a WHEN I PLAY MUSIC, NOTHING IS CLOSED TO ME. I’M NOT AFRAID OF

a ɔwə a PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY SAY. THERE’S NO WAR IN MUSIC. IT’S NOT ai LIKE THE STREETS. DOES THIS SOUND FUNNY? BUT WHEN YOU ɔwə LEAVE YOUR ROOM . . . DOWN IN THE STREET . . . IT’S WAR! MUSIC

εə εə æ ʌɚ əi CAN’T HELP ME THERE. UNDERSTAND? PEOPLE HAVE HURT MY ɒi FEELINGS FOR YEARS. I NEVER FORGET.

Lorna’s Monologue (as abridged in the video) from Clifford Odets’ Golden Boy

a ɔwə ɔwə εə [TOM’S] A KID AT FORTY-TWO AND YOU’RE A MAN AT TWENTY-TWO. . . .

əi æ d ɒi HE PICKED ME UP. I HADN’T HIT THE GUTTER YET, BUT I WAS NEAR. HE

a ɒi ɒi WASHED MY FACE AND COMBED MY HAIR. MISERY REACHED OUT TO

ɔwə əi a MISERY—YOU MAKE ME FEEL TOO (H)UMAN, JOE. ALL I WANT IS PEACE

ɒi a ai əi əi ɔwə AND QUIET, NOT LOVE. THE TWICE I WAS IN LOVE I TOOK AN AWFUL

əi a d d BEATING. I DON’T WANT IT AGAIN! 25

Joe’s unabridged Monologue

ɔwə əi əi

Music means more to me. May I tell you something? With music I’m never .

əi æ ai ɒi ɒi alone when I’m alone — Playing music . . . that’s like saying, “I am man. I ɔwə ʌɚ əi belong here. How do you do, World—good evening!” When I play music

əi a a nothing is closed to me. I’m not afraid of people and what they say. There’s

ɔwə a ai no war in music. It’s not like the streets. Does this sound funny? But when ɔwə εə you leave your room . . . down in the street . . . it’s war! Music can’t help me

εə æ ʌɚ əi ɒi there. Understand? People have hurt my feelings for years. I never forget.

εə ɒi a You can’t get even with people by playing the fiddle. If music shot bullets

əi ai ɒ ai æ ɒ ʌɚ I’d like it better—artists and people like that are freaks today. The world

εə æ ai ɑ(ʔ) moves fast and they sit around like forgotten dopes.

Lorna’s Unabridged Monologue

ɒi ɒ ɑ εə əi a ɔwə Why start what we can’t finish? [I’m staying with Tom] because he needs

ɔwə ɒi ɔwə ɒ me and you don’t. —Because he’s a desperate guy who always starts out

ai ɔwə ɔwə ɔwə with two strikes against him. Because he’s a kid at forty-two and you’re a

εə a ʌɚ ɒi man at twenty-two. . . . He picked me up in Friskin’s hotel on Thirty-Ninth 26

əi ɒi ɒi əi əi Street. I was nine weeks behind in rent. I hadn’t hit the gutter yet, but I was

a ɒi ɒi near. He washed my face and combed my hair. He stiffened the space əi between my shoulder blades. Misery reached out to misery —You make me

ɔwə əi a ɒi a əi ɒi feel too human, Joe. All I want is peace and quiet, not love. I’m a tired old

æ əi ɒi a ɔwə εə æ a lady, Joe, and I don’t mind being what you call “half dead.” In fact, it’s what

əi ai ai əi əi ɔwə əi a d d I like. The twice I was in love I took an awful beating. I don’t want it again!