over the summer i had a long commute so i listened to books on tape:
_Roughing It_, and _Life on the Mississippi_, and some of Twain's short
stories.  Norman Dietz reads both of the novels for Books on Tape, i
think, and does an awesome job.  I laughed hysterically through most of
_Life_ !! maybe if someone wants to use these ideas we've been discussing
about reading aloud to their class...but they are afraid of the dialect,
they can use a Books on Tape version.

p.s. vern--it *was* _The Hobbit_ and _Lord of the Rings_ my romantic
friends started out reading aloud to each other! :)