This work is a poetic tour de force in which Mann shows how much information can be lost when language is written down. Intonation, cadence, volume, emphasis, pause, breathing, and so much nonverbal information infuses the recorded vocal performances of these texts that the written texts pale by comparison. To try to represent Mann’s Australian accent, rhythms, and pauses in writing would’ve given E. E. Cummings nightmares— and he was a master at encoding speech patterns on the page (see [Buffalo Bill ‘s] for an example).