In this workshop, as well as talking about sound’s perspective and social distance (Mentioned in previous post) we examined the audio documentary regarding Howard Dully’s trans-orbital Lobotomy. The audio piece followed Howard through trying to look into the reasons that his parents decided to have him receive a frontal lobe lobotomy. I found it very difficult to examine the audio essay conventions being used, as the story itself was very interesting.

Howard mostly speaks during the audio documentary, but often when the story progresses, music will be played in the background. Throughout the documentary there are snippets of quotes from people like Walter Jackson Freeman, the doctor who performed the lobotomy, and a few snippets of other guests often regarding new information.

Overall the audio is very straight to the point, and up until the point where Howard talks to his father, there isn’t much of a pause to take in the emotion.