The eloquence of Oscar Wilde

A cartoon of Oscar Wilde at the end of his visit to America in 1882, The Judge magazine.

[UPDATE - Martin Amis on the perfect paragraph rhetoric of Hitchens here and below]

Christopher Hitchens was a man of inimitable intellect and staggering, effortless eloquence. I've often pondered how he possessed such mastery and control of the language and rhetorical flair. I feel that James Joyce, speaking to Vanity Fair in Paris in 1922, gives a hint:

"All the great talkers have spoken in the language of Sterne, Swift, or the Restoration. Even Oscar Wilde. He studied the restoration through a microscope in the morning and repeated it through a telescope in the evening."

Peter Tatchell on challenging orthodoxy

Peter Tatchell (@PeterTatchell) explained to Simon Armitage in the BBC 4 broadcast Speeches that Shook the World (view here) on what makes a good speech:

"I think a good speech has an element of provocation, controversy and even confrontation. Because that's the way you challenge orthodoxy. That's the way you get people to sit up and notice."

He also said on the power of language:

"Emotive words can change the course of history; but powerful language in the wrong mouths can be extraordinarily dangerous."

Speaking to Belfast Metropolitan College Students

On Monday 15th April I was invited to speak at Belfast’s new E3 College in the north of the capital city. Housed in a state of the art building the college teaches young people under a new philosophy: employer-led project learning.

Speaking - Belfast Metropolitan College

On Monday 15th April I was invited to speak at Belfast's new E3 College in the north of the capital city. Housed in a state of the art building the college teaches young people under a new philosophy: employer-led project learning. A style of teaching which blends theoretical with on-the-job practical learning. I spoke alongside the super succesful Belfast native, Aaron Taylor who clocks up 1000s of air miles every year and who can be found anywhere in the world from New York to New Delhi. His success has come from his gaming company Goprezzo, formerly known as Gogamingo. You can read the latest news about Aaron, his company and his adventures here. You can see a selection of photos from the speaking event below: In this image I'm talking to the gaming students about working with Michael Deane and how I have publicised my work through social media.

Thoughts on Public Speaking with Dale Carnegie

We always hear that children need to be fluent in reading, writing and arithmetic. However there’s something missing in this recipe to social success.

In order to succeed children must be taught the fundamentals of public speaking and effective communication.

As I looked back and evaluated my own college training, I saw that the training and experience I had had in public speaking had been of more practical value to me in business — and in life — than everything else I had studied in college all put together. Why? Because it had wiped out my timidity and lack of self-confidence and given me the courage and assurance to deal with people. It had also made clear that leadership usually gravitates to the man who can get up and say what he thinks.

These are the words of Dale Carnegie, words which have been formulated and structured in a way which express better the argument than I could ever wish to argue that children MUST be taught public speaking.

The video above is a recording of Dale Carnegie’s famous work ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.’ Dale Carnegie was an American  writer, lecturer, and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills.