Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description

speech! speech!

Instructor(s): Linda Hall, English

Speeches, it is often observed, are not only the way we measure people in public life but how we tell another who we are. In this course we will read (and recite, when video or audio is not available) a number of the greatest speeches of the recent and distant past—a few of which were considered mediocre when they were delivered. We will also use them to inform and inspire our own writing for the ear. Assigned texts will cover a wide range of subjects; this seminar is by no means only for those who are passionate about politics. Nor is it intended mostly or even mainly for those who speak easily in front of an audience, though as we refine our reading and writing abilities, we will also work on facing a crowd with confidence and poise. At the close of the semester, each of us will assume the role of speechwriter for a public figure and compose a Skidmore commencement address in the “voice” of that person. The course may include a visit from a professional speechwriter and an opportunity to learn some basics of American Sign Language.

Course Offered:

• Fall 2022