Narrators

Talking with Barrett Whitener

Based in D.C., Barrett devotes his dramatic gifts and training to audiobooks. "Eighty percent of my work is narrating, and the rest is teaching public speaking to professionals." Indeed, he could teach his nearly flawless pronunciation and phrasing to other narrators. He has the perfect sound for nonfiction (e.g., Richard M. Ketchum's THE BORROWED YEARS )—crisp, precise, assured, intelligent, attention-grabbing. Nonetheless, he particularly enjoys tackling humor, which he does with an enthusiasm palpable in NORWOOD by Charles Portis. He excels when combining technospeak with drama in THE EXPERT by Lee Gruenfeld, a thriller involving computer devices. His youthful high baritone cuts through tape hiss and ambient noises the way Enrico Caruso's voice cut through the limitations of early opera recordings.--2001 Narrator Yearbook