Spoken Arts Inc
Description
The Greenburgh Public Library has recently acquired the rare and historic Spoken Arts, Inc. Audio Collection, comprising over 469 recordings. Notably, many recordings feature renowned authors reading their own work, such as Arthur Miller, Langston Hughes, Dorothy Parker, and Pablo Neruda.
Founded in 1956 by Drs. Arthur and Luce Klein, in New Rochelle, NY, Spoken Arts, Inc. was a pioneer in the audiobook industry. At a time when reading was the only way to engage with literature, the Kleins envisioned something more—bringing literature to life through voice.
Dr. Arthur Klein retained the audio portion of the company until his death in 1997. In 2001, the Klein family donated the original reel-to-reel masters to Yale University’s Historical Sound Recordings Library, which later digitized them to CD format. The Klein family has now donated 469 titles to the Greenburgh Public Library —making it the only public library in the world to own this unique CD collection.
Originally released on vinyl and cassette, these recordings have never before been available on CD. Many feature acclaimed British and Irish actors, a nod to Drs. Arthur & Luce Klein’s background in UK theatre and his tenure at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. One standout: Poetry of Dylan Thomas, read by Sir Richard Burton and Anthony Quayle.
This extraordinary collection is now part of our library —ready to inspire a new generation of listeners.
Drs. Arthur & Luce Klein
Check out our display on the main floor of the library!