Star of Bengal Bonus: The Taylors’ Version
Come to the Ketchikan Public Library on August 10, 2024 at 2pm where I’ll present about the history of the Star of Bengal!
Star of Bengal Bonus: The Taylors’ Version
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When Bill Taylor was a young boy, he accompanied his father on board the steamship Hattie Gage as it towed the Star of Bengal to sea. Thanks to advances in AI audio restoration, for the first time ever, you can now hear the story in his own words. (46m)
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Back when my mother was a new church volunteer in Wrangell, she met Bill Taylor, a local elder who loved telling stories. She would visit his home and record him onto a tape-recorder. She was kind enough to give the tapes to me, and I am happy to return the favor by releasing this episode on her birthday. Happy birthday, mom!
I never met Bill Taylor. He died a few years before I was born, but I like feel that I’ve learned something from him. His tapes were an introduction to a Wrangell of the past that I’ve come to appreciate and study today. Bill was an outstanding storyteller. His voice is sometimes weak, and he frequently coughs, but he never lost his rhythm. My mother describes him as a mastery storyteller.
I used a few short clips of Bill Taylor back in 2022 when I released Rise & Fall of the Star of Bengal, but I resisting using more of Bill because the cassette tape sound was so degraded. Frequent loud popping sounds gave me a headache. Imagine my delight today to have state-of-the-art audio AI technology that can separate Bill’s voice from the background static. It’s truly remarkable, and it has made this production possible!
Best,
Ronan