The average chapter is 10-1/2 minutes; you can watch/read along, or just listen in the dark

Many years ago I read about Joanne Woodward's obsession with this book, how she re-read it every year, and her dream was to turn it into a film. I contacted her back then because I had an idea for her film, and I ended up writing a song about the book and her passion for it. My song is spoiler-free, so if this intrigues you at all, you can watch this video to help you decide if you'd like to read this book for yourself, or listen to me read it:

"The Song Of Lucy Gayheart" by Christine Lavin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA6mdxq8JEQ

Joanne Woodward is retired now, so she will never make this film, but I'm still hoping a filmmaker out there will turn her dream into a reality.

At the beginning of the pandemic I started reading the book, one chapter a night, and I got better at it as the project progressed. I even started adding music to it (it's the story of Lucy Gayheart, a 21-year-old rehearsal pianist for an opera singer, Clement Sebastian). He is a baritone, and Willa Cather sure knew her opera, so when I could find recordings of the songs Clement sang, I included them -- some are instrumentals, some are choral pieces -- so this became more than just a straight reading of Willa Cather's book.

If you're looking for something you can enjoy on headphones, or listening to every night as a bedtime story, I think you'll dig this book. It begins during the Christmas holidays of 1901, so the timing is just right.

LUCY GAYHEART READ ALOUD by Christine Lavin

approximately 6-1/2 hours — 36 chapters —

average chapter is 10-1/2 minutes

Chapter 1 and 2 of “Lucy Gayheart” 15-1/2 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqjylRUZMRQ&feature=youtu.be

Chapter 3 "Lucy Gayheart” 20-1/2 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFk9fRtr_gg

Chapter 4: https://vimeo.com/403551305 (w/music) 19:37

Chapter 5/6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kUsD1WDqfM 13:39

Chapter 7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0CcfYeLYSA 15:27

Chapter 8/9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfXuJCheio0&feature=youtu.be 16:58

Chapter 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCAyL4Btb5s&feature=youtu.be 13:03