A personal narrative to sound written by one of the top figures in sound studies and that outlines a new way of thinking about migratory poetics.

Written by one of the most prominent thinkers in sound studies, Amplifications presents a perspective on sound narrated through the experiences of a sound artist and writer. A work of reflective philosophy, Amplifications sits at the intersection of history, creative practice, and sound studies, recounting this narrative through a series of themes (rattles, echoes, recordings, etc.). Carter offers a unique perspective on migratory poetics, bringing together his own compositions and life’s works while using his personal narrative to frame larger theoretical questions about sound and migration.

"This is a wonderful, exhilarating read, thoroughly original. It is personal, poetic – full of literary allusions connected to significant radio productions re-visited, re-imagined and literally remade. The text is rather like a sonic Proust meeting a John Berger for the ears, in which the themes are interwoven in order to explore the opaque layers of meaning, memory, culture and creativity within each radio artwork discussed. A tour de force!" - Michael Bull, Professor of Sound Studies, University of Sussex, UK

"Being simultaneously an auditory autobiography and a cultural history of sound, Amplifications is an excellent example of how to productively write about sonic experiences differently. As a piece of both literary and scholarly work, this book is a fascinating read." - Vincent Meelberg, Senior Lecturer, Department of Cultural Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and founding editor of the Journal of Sonic Studies

"Paul Carter's periautography is a uniquely rewarding meditation on voice and word as motion. Amplifications unquestionably amplifies the stakes in listening to the poetics and politics of sound histories." - Steven Feld, Anthropologist and Sound Artist, School for Advanced Research, USA

"What makes Carter’s work on migration powerful is that he begins with sound – the sounds of landscape or country, and the sound of language. Carter is especially interested in the resonances between the sounds of ‘nature’, like birdsong and the sounds of ‘culture’, speech and music…Amplifications lets the reader know what it’s like to listen consciously." - Plumwood Mountain