Audio version of Dr. Gupta's book coming soon
Dr. Arun Gupta of Monroe is continuing his battle against the opioid crisis, and he got an area actor/singer/musician to help his cause.
Brendan Coulter recently recorded an audio version of Gupta’s 2002 book “The Preventable Epidemic: A Frontline Doctor's Experience and Recommendations to Resolve America's Opioid Crisis.”
“Dr. Gupta found me through the work relationship he has with my dad, Mike Coulter, at PT Link Physical Therapy," Coulter said. "Dr. Gupta knew about the work I do as an actor and asked my dad if I’d be interested in recording the audiobook for him."
Coulter spent several weeks on the project, starting in mid-April. The recording was finished earlier this month, and the audiobook will soon be available on Amazon.com, iTunes and Audible.
“I work several other jobs, so I recorded the audiobook in my free time,” Coulter said. “This is the first audiobook I have ever done, and I had a blast doing it. I would love to do more. Anyone who wants to reach out to me inquiring about having their book recorded can reach me via email."
Coulter said recording a book entails more than just reading.
“This kind of work is a lot more challenging than it may seem. It can be very taxing on the vocal cords when talking into a microphone for several hours at a time, trying to maintain a consistent tone or speaking voice. It is easy when speaking aloud for long periods of time to fumble some words or sentences and then have to take the time to go back and re-record or make edits," he said. "Recording an audiobook is not just sitting down and recording the whole book flawlessly in one sitting. It takes patience and several attempts at speaking through a passage before it sounds natural or is free of errors."
Gupta is pleased with Coulter's recording.
"Brendan has done an amazing job. I am very happy and excited to finally get the audiobook out," Gupta said. "Lots of people are busy, and may not have time to sit down and read. I really enjoyed listening to it more than reading my own book."
Coulter grew up in Sylvania, Ohio, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theater in May 2022 from Elon University in North Carolina. He's soon moving to New York City.
“Since graduation, I have signed with a New York City based acting agency and have performed on several different stages across the country. Some of my favorite recent credits include Jimmy Buffet’s 'Escape to Margaritaville' at the Cumberland County Playhouse in Tennessee, 'Illumination' at Prima Theater in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and 'Rent' at the Media Theatre just outside of Philadelphia. I am waiting for the next opportunity to perform professionally,” he said.
In addition to his book, Gupta also speaks regionally about the opioid epidemic. A member of the Monroe Rotary Club, he recently spoke to Rotary clubs in Sylvania and Trenton. On July 11, he’s speaking to the Lansing club.
“The battle against opioid use continues throughout our entire country, and we should be proud that one of our own is willing to go above and beyond to find ears willing to his thoughts and concerns,” J. David Bagnall, president of the Monroe Rotary Club, said.
Gupta's book is available at bookstores, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple iBooks and Google+. To learn more, visit thepreventableepidemicbook.com. Coulter can be reached at brendancoulter17@gmail.com. His website is brendancoulter.com.
Gupta also wrote an article about the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which went into effect June 21. The article can be found at:https://www.newthinking.com/health/a-call-for-a-strategic-reset-in-fighting-americas-opioid-epidemic.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Audio version of Dr. Gupta's book coming soon
