Help
Audio Player Support
This website streams audio and video using “Real player.” It is free software, and you will have best results by making sure you have the most current version. If you are having problems listening to audio files, please follow these instructions.
Make sure you have the Real Audio Player installed on your computer.
This is software that comes pre-installed on many computers; you may already have a copy. You will know shortly after clicking on the sound icon if you have the player. If you don’t, a message will display and a link should appear taking you to the website for the audio player.
*To get the latest version, go to www.real.com*. There are free and for-pay versions of the Real audio player, so you can choose which one you want. The free version is all that is required to listen to audio content on this website. You will be able to select a player that works for the computer type and operating system you have. Examples would be PC with Windows 2000 or Mac with OSX. Follow the instructions provided for installing it on your computer. Some computers may need to be re-started for the Real audio player to work.
Once you have the audio player installed, a small new window (the audio player) will pop open when you click on an audio file link. It will have standard audio player buttons, just like you see on a cassette player.
It may take several seconds for the audio file to load before you will hear anything, depending on your Internet connection speed and your computer. You may have to click the “Play” button to begin the audio. Please be patient. Also, if your computer goes to sleep from a period of inactivity, you will have to click the “Play” button again to resume listening.
Please be sure you have the speaker volume adjusted correctly on your computer to enable you to hear the audio recordings. The player window will allow you to make additional volume adjustments.
To pause your listening, click the “Play” triangle button; it toggles between play and pause. Please do not click this button several times, as it will be difficult to know if you are on play or pause, especially since the audio file takes several seconds to begin playing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I’ve done everything you suggest, and it still doesn’t work. What should I do now?
A. First, go to another website that has audio files, such as www.npr.org or visit this Real Audio test page. If you cannot access these files, then you may need to reinstall Real player, or your computer may be behind a firewall that is limiting your ability to download audio files. You may want to talk to your organization’s IT department.
If everything works on these test pages, then it is possible there are too many users trying to access the Lannan audio files at this time, or that we have a temporary problem on the web server. Please try again in a few minutes. If you continue to experience problems, please contact us directly.
Q. Do I have to leave the window open? I want to listen to a recording while continuing to surf the web.
A. The only window that needs to stay open is the small Real player window. You are free to leave the page where you found the original audio link at any time.
How to search the Lannan website
All content on the Lannan website is searchable using the link at the top right of every page. Simply type in a word or two keeping in mind these basic search principles:
The less you enter for a search query, the more responses you are likely to receive. The longer or more detailed your search query, the less likely you are to receive results.
If you are looking for a person, you will have best results by typing the first few letters of the last name.
If you are looking for an organization or event, simply type in one or two words in the title.
Case does not matter, so there is no need to worry about capitalization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I see the “Search” word in the upper right, but I am not sure how it works.
A. The Search tool is “styled” to be subtle yet convenient. You can simply place your cursor anywhere on the word “Search” and begin typing your search query. Then click “Return” or “Enter” to activate your search. You can type several words into the search field, however we recommend a very short entry to be sure you can find the item(s) for which you are searching.
Q. When I search for a person, I often get back duplicate titles that are in different sections. Are these the same?
A. Yes. For example, each item found in the Lannan Audio Archives section will “point to” that item’s original page. The Audio Archives section serves as a convenience to our site visitors who may want a quick way to review all of the Audio content available on the site, regardless if it is a Readings & Conversation Literary event or a Cultural Freedom event, for example.
Q. I have pages bookmarked that no longer work. What should I do?
Since the Lannan website has been completely rebuilt from the “ground up,” old bookmarks will no longer work. Please use the navigation to explore the site, or use the convenient search tool to locate articles of interest.
Q. Some people I’ve searched on do not have any “cross links.” How come?
A. We apologize! The cross links maintained for each person are added by hand. We are still in the process of updating all of this content. Please consider searching for a person by last name to get an overview of their mention(s) on this website.
Using the "Explore Lannan" feature
Have you noticed the “Explore Lannan” areas nested in a gray box in the right column on many pages? This is a special feature of our web site intended to show you content you might not otherwise discover. We call them “touts.”
These items are randomly selected from six program areas. When you arrive on the main page of a program, you will be presented with “Explore Lannan” items that belong to that program.
However, as you venture deeper into a program area, the touts will display content from other program areas. We found that many site visitors come for specific interests, and are not aware of the diversity of Lannan’s support and activities.
Each tout usually has two links. The upper link will take you to the article being featured. The lower link will take you to the program area where that article belongs, such as “Cultural Freedom” or “Residency.”
If the tout is featuring a Bookworm audio recording, you will be able to click on the speaker icon and listen to the file directly.
Please keep in mind that if you try to go “back” to a specific “Explore Lannan” tout, you will not find the same one you previously saw! Every time the web page loads, it displays a new, randomly-generated “Explore Lannan” tout.
...HideWhat are the three "A's" for?
The three “A’s” in the upper right corner of the page are a simple control that allows you to change the size of the text on the page. Simply click on each one to choose the size that works best for you.
This is made possible by the use of “CSS” to build this website. It is one of the many user-friendly technologies that have been employed on this site.
You may also choose the page background you prefer. Scroll down to the bottom of any page, and look for the “Choose your background” link. Simply click among the choices provided.
Our intention is to help you relax and enjoy the diverse depth of content available on our website.
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Explore Lannan
Bobby Byrd and Lee Merrill Byrd each awarded 2005 Cultural Freedom Fellowship
Lee Merrill Byrd and Bobby Byrd are the founders of Cinco Puntos Press, a publisher of nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and children’s literature, based in El Paso, Texas.
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From Cultural Freedom