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An Improvised Life
- Author
- Alan Arkin
- Narrator
- Alan Arkin
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 1 March 2011
- Run Time
- 4 hours 15 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
In this insightful memoir, Oscar-winning actor Alan Arkin reflects back on finding his place as an actor and on what theater—specifically the improvisational sort—has taught him about the craft and life.
Alan Arkin knew he was going to be an actor from the age of five. From this early age, he recognized that “every film I saw, every play, every piece of music fed an unquenchable need to turn myself into something other than what I was.”
An Improvised Life is Arkin’s wise and unpretentious recollection of the process, artistic and personal, of becoming an actor and a revealing look into the creative mind of one of the best practitioners on the stage and screen. Arkin, in a manner that is direct, down-to-earth, accessible, and articulate, reveals not just insights about himself but truths for the rest of us about our sense of self, our work, and our relationships with others.
Critics Review
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“[A] wealth of wisdom.”
New York Post
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“As narrated by Arkin, this memoir is ideal fare for those considering an acting career as well as for those already starting out on that path. Arkin brings a subtle element of pizzazz to his work….[and] reveals himself as a truly fine teacher.”
AudioFile
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“A profoundly honest and revelatory reckoning of an artistic and personal awakening…All artists would benefit from Arkin’s accrued insights and wisdom.”
Library Journal (starred review)
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“[A] perfectly calibrated memoir…Actors of all levels and film and theater buffs will appreciate Arkin’s candid discussion of the creative process both from an acting and a directing perspective.”
Booklist (starred review)
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“A welcome window into the mind of an artist…[An] engaging and instructive book.”
Publishers Weekly
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“The author illustrates the principles of his acting philosophy with a wealth of concrete details taken directly from his experience, resulting in a coherent and provocative manifesto…Less a celebrity memoir than a serious consideration of the principles of acting and improvisation.”
Kirkus Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Alan Arkin
- Narrator
- Alan Arkin
- Duration
- 4 hours 15 minutes
- Release Date
- 1 March 2011
- ISBN
- 9781481545914
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- Biography: arts and entertainment, Memoirs
Synopsis
In this insightful memoir, Oscar-winning actor Alan Arkin reflects back on finding his place as an actor and what theater—specifically the improvisational sort—has taught him about the craft and life.Alan Arkin knew he was going to be an actor from the age of five. From this early age, he recognized that “every film I saw, every play, every piece of music fed an unquenchable need to turn myself into something other than what I was.” An Improvised Life is Arkin’s wise and unpretentious recollection of the process, artistic and personal, of becoming an actor and a revealing look into the creative mind of one of the best practitioners on the stage and screen. Arkin, in a manner that is direct, down-to-earth, accessible, and articulate, reveals not just insights about himself but truths for the rest of us about our sense of self, our work, and our relationships with others.
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