Zadie Smith on what it means to speak in more than one voice

Speaking in Tongues. Zadie Smith lays out what it means to be able to converse in different voices. You can listen to a version of this in MP3 format. "Recently my double voice has deserted me for a single one, reflecting the smaller world into which my work has led me. Willesden was a big, colorful, working-class sea; Cambridge was a smaller, posher pond, and almost univocal; the literary world is a puddle. This voice I picked up along the way is no longer an exotic garment I put on like a college gown whenever I choose—now it is my only voice, whether I want it or not. I regret it; I should have kept both voices alive in my mouth. They were both a part of me."