Speechwriting Seminar: Sold out … waiting list only

March 8th, 2010

A quick note:

“The Basics of Writing & Giving A Speech” (March 22-23, Philadelphia) sold out last week and has moved into a waiting list.  Let me know if you’d like to be added to that waiting list … or if you’d like to attend a later seminar (April, June, August, October, November).  

This Week in History: Words to Remember

March 6th, 2010

From March 7 through March 13:

1790    After considerable time, Benjamin Franklin penned his religious creed:  “I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe.  That he governs it by his Providence.  That he ought to be worshipped.  That the most acceptable Service we render to him is doing good to his other children.” 

1841     Birthday of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr:  “… the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market.”

1876     Alexander Graham Bell uttered the first words ever spoken over a telephone:  “Mr. Watson, come here.  I want you.”

1913     William Knox, in Toledo, Ohio, bowled the first perfect 300 game in an American Bowling Congress tournament.  [I am still searching for a record of his words on this occasion .  What did say to mark the moment?]

1922     Birthday of Lane Kirkland, US labor leader:  “If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it to themselves.”

1930    Pluto was announced as a new planet. 

1933     President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his first radio fireside chat.

1961     President John F. Kennedy announced the formation of the Alliance for Progress, promoting Latin American countries.

1976     By Henry Kissinger:  “Americans have always made history rather than let history chart our course.”

National Association of Government Communicators

March 3rd, 2010

Mark your calendars.  NAGC’s annual conference offers an outstanding learning opportunity.  I’ll be offering more info in the weeks ahead.

May 17-21, 2010 – NAGC Communications School Transparency & Technology Advancing Government Communications, Hyatt Regency Bethesda, MD, USA 

This Week in History: US Government

February 26th, 2010

From February 28 through March 6:

1845     The first time that a presidential veto was overridden by Congress

1849     US Department of the Interior was created (first known as the Home Department) 

1854     The founding of the Republican party (at a meeting in Wisconsin)

1919     From Associate Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.:  “The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and creating a panic.”

1930     From President Franklin D. Roosevelt:  “The United States Constitution has proved itself the most marvelously elastic compilation of rules of government ever written.”

1931      “Star Spangled Banner” became the US national anthem (117 years after it was written)

1970     Nuclear nonproliferation treaty was signed by the US, the Soviet Union and 41 other nations

1973     The US, the Viet Cong, the North Vietnamese and the South Vietnamese signed a peace treaty in Paris

Award Winners

February 25th, 2010

The Cicero Speechwriting Awards have just been announced, and I was delighted to see so many of the winners coming from the ranks of my speechwriting seminars … Basic, Advanced, and Master levels. 

Congratulations to you all! 

Can you teach an online multimedia class?

February 23rd, 2010

I’m a long-time member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and I just learned about this job opportunity:

“We’re looking for an experienced teacher to run an online multimedia class through ASJA. The class will be offered first to [ASJA] members, and then to other interested students. In this class, students will learn how to add and edit photos, audio and video to enhance their written stories online. The class will ideally be structured so that students can come up with a story idea and then spend the duration of the class creating original content (audio slideshows, video, photos, etc.), so that by the end, they will have a published multimedia piece.

If you’re interested, please email Lisa Armstrong at larmstro2@yahoo.com. Please include a resume outlining your teaching/multimedia experience.”

Alum success: Vital Speeches of the Day

February 22nd, 2010

My March issue of Vital Speeches of the Day has just arrived, and I was delighted to see that it includes a speech given by Stanley Dambroski, federal government speechwriter and educator.

Stanley has attended all four of my speechwriting seminars, and it’s a pleasure to see this recognition of his work.

The title of his speech?  “How Johnny Can Write” (delivered at the University of Maryland).

Staff speechwriting job

February 22nd, 2010

I just received an email describing a great speechwriting job in Texas.  And, here’s the most important part of the job description: 

“Must have portfolio of successful executive speeches.”  

How’s your speechwriting portfolio?  Ready to show on a moment’s notice?  (If not, I have to ask:  Why not?  A great portfolio makes the difference.  Savvy speechwriters should know this.)

Need help figuring out what to put in your portfolio?  How many samples to share?  How much of your work to show?  Think about attending my “Business of Six-Figure Speechwriting” seminar (Saturday, April 10, Philadelphia).  We’ll discuss portfolios … staff salaries … freelance fees … referrals … “where the jobs are” … and “how to get those jobs.” 

Learn more at www.joandetz.com.  As always feel welcome to email directly with any questions, okay?  I’ll be glad to help.

This Week in History: Sports

February 21st, 2010

In recognition of the Olympics, I offer this as Quote of the Week:  “The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.” (Duke of Wellington)

Sports events for the week of February 21 - 27:

1874     Birthday of Honus Wagner (baseball) … “The Flying Dutchman” was one of the five original inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  He remained active in baseball as a coach until the World War II era. 

1902     Birthday of Gene Sarazen (golf), who invented the modern sand iron.

1918     Birthday of Bobby Riggs (tennis), who played the “battle of the sexes” against Billie Jean King.

1946     Jorge Pasquel, President of the Mexican Baseball League, offered contracts to star US players - hoping he could attract them to his league.

1949     Greta Anderson  of Denmark set a world record for 100-yard freestyle in Copenhagen.

1950     Birthday of Julius Erving (basketball), who first attracted attention for his skills on the playgrounds of Harlem. 

1964     The Ali - Liston match in Miami Beach, FL, ended with Ali winning the world heavyweight boxing championship. 

Harper’s resource

February 18th, 2010

A speechwriter in DC wrote to share this: 

Harper’s has published their entire 25-year archive of Harpers’ Indexes online at http://harpers.org/index/   Simply type in your query or keyword, and it will return the relevant factoids from over the years. Much interesting (and quirky) info in this resource.