My Brother\'s Voice

Reposted from - Sue Campbell, the book designer, February 25, 2013:

Stephens Press continues its venture into audiobooks with the publication of their bestseller, My Brother’s Voice by Stephen Nasser. This true story about a young boy surviving the Holocaust has been a perennial favorite since its first printing in 2003. The book debuted in hardcover, followed by trade paperback and there have been numerous reprintings in the intervening 10 years. It came to Kindles and iPads everywhere in 2012. And in all those venues it continues to sell well, and spread its message.

Mr. Nasser is the dynamo behind the lasting impact his story has had on his many audiences of students and adults, alike. He has spoken to groups upwards of 800 times all around the USA, and the world. He continues to do so almost on a weekly basis. Soon, the story will come alive in a stage play.

When Stephens Press first decided to venture into audiobooks, My Brother’s Voice was high on the list of books that publisher, Carolyn Uber, (and myself as the newly dubbed “audiobooks coordinator”) wanted to hear in audio. We knew that this book would need a special voice, to bring the story to life. So I began the audition process on ACX (audiobook creator’s exchange) a division of Audible.com. I knew that I wanted a younger voice and one that could convey the emotion and drama of this story, but without going overboard toward maudlin or melodramatic.

I listened to many sample “reels,” and chose a few narrators and sent requests for a “sample” reading. Most all of them obliged me with a five minute reading from our book. What struck me was how different the interpretations all were. They were all good, in different ways, but the one I knew I wanted stood out for me right from the start. That one was Maxwell Glick.

Max had exactly the right tone, and a balance of drama and matter-of-factness. His clarity and pronunciation, superb. He also portrayed just the right amount of youthful “naiveté” that I felt suited they young “Pista” Nasser of the story. And, Max is an actor—that was also something I felt we needed for this story—because only an actor would “get” how to convey the emotional component. He does and boy did he ever!

I was thrilled when Max agreed to work with us on narrating this book. We’re lucky enough to have an interview with Mr. Glick, and following that an audio sample of his work on My Brother’s Voice. Please read on for your reward!

Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Maxwell Glick from Long Island, NY. Live in Los Angeles, CA, and I’m an actor!
What inspired you to get into audiobook narration?
As an actor you’re constantly on the lookout for as many opportunities to work as possible. I started doing some voiceover work, and then heard about the website ACX, where authors search for narrators for their books. I love books and I love doing voiceover work, so I thought this was something I could do!

How long have you been doing audiobooks?

Since starting over a year ago, I’ve narrated almost 20 books now. It’s been great.

Do you also do other kinds of voiceover or narration?
I’ve done many voiceovers for all different kinds of things. I’ve done a bunch of commercials, cartoons, and e-learning guides. I’m currently working on a new cartoon where I’ve become the voice of a blue elephant named Bubbles. We’ll be hearing more about that soon once the show really gets underway. (Sue: Max is too modest. He’s also guested TV shows since he came to L.A., including appearances on The Office and, more recently, on Castle.)
What attracted you to My Brother’s Voice?
Stories from the Holocaust are so important for everyone to read and listen to. Holocaust survivors are some of the most brave and inspirational people this world has known. Their stories need to live on forever, and getting the opportunity to tell Stephen’s story was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had.
What was the experience of recording this book like for you?
This was such an incredible experience for me. It definitely was not easy at times. Throughout the recording process, I’d have to pause and regroup because some of the scenes are so emotional that I’d get choked up during the reading. When I finished the recording, I just wanted to tell everyone all about it because it was the best audiobook experience I’ve ever had. I just want the world to hear Stephen’s story. It really was an honor to get to tell it.
Tell us a little bit about the process of narration?
Audiobook narration is a very unique gig! It takes a long time and you need to keep your voice in good shape for the duration of the book.
Where do you record, how long does it take, etc.
It depends on the length of the book how long it takes me to record. I can usually finish it in 1-2 weeks. I record from my home! I have a home studio literally in my walk in closet. I’ve transformed it into a space where I can work!
Do you do any sort of preparation to get yourself ready for it?
My preparation for a book is to read it, and look up anything I don’t know the meaning of. For this, I got to talk to Stephen and actually have him pronounce all of the Hungarian words I didn’t know which made my life much easier going into the book.
Is it just like acting?
Audiobook narration is like acting, but a very different kind of acting. You’re all the voices!

(You can follow more about Max’s career on www.maxwellglick.com and follow his twitter feed @maxwellglick. He also has his own YouTube Channel and is a regular on the popular Lizzy Bennett Diaries on YouTube. What a busy guy!
Listen to a sample of My Brother’s Voice. The audiobook is available at Audible.com; iTunes; and Amazon.com. We expect the book to soon be available on Amazon’s Whispersync which will let you listen or read on your Kindle device and it will sync your place in both formats! Even if you’re read the book before hearing it narrated by a consummate performer like Max is a totally new experience, and one you won’t want to miss.

Sue Campbell’s novella, “Shadows of Dreams” can be found in Witch Hunt: Of the Blood. She designs award-winning books and jump-off-the-shelf covers from her Colorado studio, assisted by her standard poodles, Pepper and Bella.

Stephen Nasser was recently invited back to Budapest, Hungary, to witness the installation of plaques memorializing the house built in 1872 by his grandfather, Samu Nasser. German artist Gunter Demnig created the six plaques (Stolpersteins) and with permission from Hungarian Mayor, Dr. Molnar Szabolcs, who also attended the ceremony, he laid them in front of the house on September 28, 2012, and a local television station was on hand to interview Mr. Nasser.

Above is the Nasser House as it looked in 1944, when the family was taken to concentration camps by the Nazis and to the right is the “Nasser House” today.

Below is Gunter Demni installing the 6 Stolpersteins and watching are Stephen Nasser and his wife, Francoise, and the TV crew.

The Stolpersteins, from left to right across the top: Dezso Nasser, Stephen’s father, Georgia Nasser, his mother, Bozsi Nasser, his aunt who was murdered front of him in Birkenau, Auschwitz.

The bottom three Stolpersteins are engraved with the names of: Andras Nasser, Stephen’s brother who died in his arms March 30, 1945, and to whom My Brother’s Voice is dedicated; Stephen Nasser (Istvan is the Hungarian version of Stephen); and Peter Nasser, Stephen’s cousin, who was also murdered.

Some of the attendees at the installation included from left to right: German friend, Milena Finus (with red scarf) and her husband Wolfgang behind her, who made it possible to have the Stolperstein installed; artist Gunter Demnig and behind him, Eugene Lebovits, a friend from Florida; Stephen Nasser (Istvan aka Pista) and his wife Francoise.

In the Thursday, September 27, 2012 Las Vegas Review-Journal, reporter John Przybys writes a thoughtful and touching article:

Wall of Hope shows local Holocaust survivors smiling for the lives they’ve lived

It’s a safe bet that at least a few visitors will be surprised when they see some of the the portraits that make up the Sperling Kronberg Mack Holocaust Resource Center’s Wall of Hope.

The Wall of Hope features portraits of 60 Holocaust survivors who live in the Las Vegas area. And, in many of the portraits, the survivors smile, rather than wear the serious expressions one might expect from a Holocaust-related photographic exhibit.

It’s by design. The idea, photographer Lyn Robinson explains, is to celebrate the survivors and the lives they have created and recognize their victory in rising above the horrors and inhumanity they have experienced.

The Wall of Hope will be dedicated at 10 a.m. Sunday at the center, 4794 S. Eastern Ave., Suite A. The center provides resources for students, teachers and community members about the Holocast, tolerance and diversity.

Myra Berkovits, the center’s education specialist, said the Wall of Hope was inspired by a similar exhibit in Los Angeles and will serve as a vehicle to honor Southern Nevada’s Holocaust survivors.

A call was put out for a photographer, and Robinson, who earned a fine arts/photography degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was awarded the commission.

The portraits Robinson created are “incredible,” Berkovits said. “I think the exhibit is as good as it is because she has such compassion and understanding and was so sensitive.”

Particularly striking, Berkovits added, is that “when you see these pictures, everybody is smiling.”

Robinson’s vision was that the portraits not be about the Holocaust itself. Rather, Robinson said, “it’s about these people who are survivors and who they are as people. They have come a long way (in) surviving, and they are really neat people who have all of these interesting stories.”

During her sessions with the men and women, “I wanted them to have a natural smile,” Robinson said. “So I’d interact with them and try to make them giggle so I could get a real smile.”

A few of her subjects did ask “why I wanted them to smile,” she added. “I said: Because we’re celebrating people surviving a horrible event, not celebrating the event itself. We want (to show) who you are as persons.”

The survivors whose portraits appear in the exhibit represent a diverse range of Holocaust experiences. Among them: Ziva Harris, who, as a 2-year-old, was hidden by a Hungarian family; Micheline Rodgers, who lost about a dozen family members to the camps and who was forced into hiding after her mother’s arrest; and Sophie Ray, a Roman Catholic who as a teenager spent time in two camps.

Robinson sometimes found the sessions to be intense and emotional.

“I’ve cried. I’ve laughed,” she said. “I get goose bumps every time I talk about them.”

After Sunday’s dedication, the Wall of Hope can be viewed during the center’s regular hours of operation. Also, Berkovits said, the center offers monthly programs during which specific aspects of the Holocaust – life in Europe’s ghettos in October and Kristallnacht in November, for example – are examined.

For more information and a calendar of events, visit the center’s website at www.lvhresourcecenter.com.

What might guests take away from viewing the Wall of Hope?

“First of all, I want them to know that we have honored the survivors in a very special and personal way,” Berkovits said.

“I want survivors to know that we respect what they have gone through and what they have become and, I guess, how much we look up to them.

“And, I want people to leave appreciating humanity,” Berkovits said, and how people can rise above even the worst of circumstances.

“When people came out of the Holocaust in the late ’40s, the focus wasn’t on what was but on what will be,” she said.

“I just think we have lessons to learn from all of them: That we can be in hell, but that we can come out.”

Photo:
Doug Unger poses in front of the Wall of Hope at the Sperling Kronberg Mack Holocaust Resource Center. The wall features portraits of 60 Holocaust survivors who live in the Las Vegas area. Unger serves on the governor’s Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust.

Jessica Corais, a student of history in in Rio de Janiero, Brazil wrote to Mr. Nasser as part of her research on the Holocaust. Her questions to him – and his responses – seem appropriate to share, especially at this time as Mr. Nasser prepares to return to Budapest to witness the installation of six “Stolpersten” brass memorial plaques in front of what used to be called Nasser House. Commissioned by a German organization and designed by German artist Gunter Demnig, the plaques will named in memory of his mother, father, brother Andris, aunt Bozsi, cousin Peter, as well as one in Stephen Nasser’s name.

Eric Pratt had the opportunity to meet Stephen Nasser at Northern Arizona University and buy My Brother’s Voice. He was so moved by the story that he has written a review and asked us to share it with all of you.

Dear Reader:

I was recently blessed to read My Brother’s Voice, a memoir by the Holocaust survivor Stephen Nasser. This is a difficult time period to read about, let alone write about, so I was impressed with Stephen Nasser, also known as Pista, to share an experience from his life in which he was like any other person thrown into the worst of circumstances. The unique experience that Stephen Nasser shares with the world from his time in the Jewish concentration camps differs from all other memoirs, in that Nasser tells his story of not only survival, but also of hope and humanity.

At the beginning, he shares the anxiety of a thirteen year old boy as the state of Hungary is transforming under the rule of the Nazis. The Nasser family sustained him and each other through these hard times and particularly his brother Andris supported the young Pista. The friendship and brotherhood that he forged with Andris was so well illustrated that I understood what it was that allowed him to survive through the worst horrors that Hitler’s henchmen could bring about among the Jews.

I was particularly impressed with Nasser ’s ability to find humanity in even the most difficult memories. It seemed that Nasser recognized the existence of humanity even as he recounted the evil SS beating his malnourished and younger self. Nasser bears no grudge against the German people. Yet he understandably shudders in disgust against those that he refers to as “bullies”, the Nazi SS and Gestapo. I am grateful for men that showed mercy and love to this fourteen year old boy when he expected not to live through the worst of the ordeals that occurred during his experience.

As Nasser finishes his story, I was touched with his miraculous recovery, his return to Hungary after the war, and his story of first love. Nasser learns the lesson of freedom, as he shares of his emigration to Canada as the Cold War escalates.

My Brother’s Voice is a reminder that even in the worst of times there exists humanity, wit, humor, hope, and the hand of Providence . I think that there are many Nassers looking down upon Pista with pride. He defied the Nazi’s with his determination to survive, to live a normal life, and in doing his part to make sure that these events happen never again.

Thank you Mr. Nasser, for writing this memoir, and visiting so many to share your sentiments on this important part of your life.

Sincerely,

Eric T. Pratt

Stephen Nasser recently gave a presentation and signed books at Nevada State College. Once again, Stephen’s story touched everyone in the audience, and he made more new friends. His dedication to bringing his brother’s voice to audiences around the country continues to make an impact on young and old.

On March 20th, 2012, Stephen Nasser was invited to be a keynote speaker at the International Boy Scout Museum in Las Vegas, where he shared his own Boy Scout plaque from 1943. It was quite an honor; Mayor Carolyn Goodman attended the event and introduced Nasser to the crowd.

Stephen Nasser appeared recently at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Las Vegas – and wowed the crowd once again. Young and old, teachers and students, parents and their children, all were captivated by the compelling story of My Brother’s Voice.  This boy’s smile with author Nasser is proof; his tale of woe and triumph speaks to us all.

Each year, Stephen Nasser speaks to the students at Faith Lutheran, sharing stories from My Brother’s Voice. This year, the school had tee shirts with his motto, “Never Again,” for the students, who all insisted he sign their shirts after the presentation. Nasser tirelessly gives his time for the students, who love hearing him speak and vow that a Holocaust will never again happen.

Stephen Nasser, author of My Brother’s Voice, recently returned from a month in Germany commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp at Seeshaupt. Nasser traveled across the country,  speaking and signing books at almost twenty different venues, often two or three locations in one day, telling the story of his struggles and survival in a concentration camp as a young boy, and sharing the story of his brother, who did not survive.

As part of the festivities, Nasser participated in the launch of the German version of his book, Die Stimme meines Bruders, by Wolfgang Maximoser. In addition, German filmmaker Walter Steffen premiered his ninety minute documentary, Endstation Seeshaupt, reenacting the route of the Death train from the Muhldorf concentration camp to Seeshaupt, the point of liberation by General Patton’s third army on April 30, 1945. Mr. Nasser’s visits were also recognized in German newspapers, with local dignitaries and other concentration camp survivors. His tireless dedication to telling his story, his brother’s story, and to Holocaust education is remarkable.