![]() ![]() His texts wasted no words and his delivery wasted no time. They were all too short and too crowded with facts to permit any excess of generalities and sentimentalities. No speech was more than 20 to 30 minutes in duration. And he did not hesitate to depart from strict rules of English usage when he thought adherence to them (e.g., "Our agenda are long") would grate on the listener's ear. He rarely used words he considered hackneyed: "humble," "dynamic," "glorious." He used none of the customary word fillers (e.g., "And I say to you that is a legitimate question and here is my answer"). He refused to be folksy or to include any phrase or image he considered corny, tasteless or trite. He used little or no slang, dialect, legalistic terms, contractions, clichés, elaborate metaphors or ornate figures of speech. "-but with few other exceptions his sentences were lean and crisp. He had a weakness for one unnecessary phrase: "The harsh facts of the matter are. He wanted his major policy statements to be positive, specific and definite, avoiding the use of "suggest," "perhaps" and "possible alternatives for consideration." At the same time, his emphasis on a course of reason-rejecting the extremes of either side-helped produce the parallel construction and use of contrasts with which he later became identified. He wanted both his message and his language to be plain and unpretentious, but never patronizing. But if the situation required a certain vagueness, he would deliberately choose a word of varying interpretations rather than bury his imprecision in ponderous prose.įor he disliked verbosity and pomposity in his own remarks as much as he disliked them in others. ![]() Words were regarded as tools of precision, to be chosen and applied with a craftsman's care to whatever the situation required. His frequent use of dashes was of doubtful grammatical standing-but it simplified the delivery and even the publication of a speech in a manner no comma, parenthesis or semicolon could match. ![]() Sentences began, however incorrect some may have regarded it, with "And" or "But" whenever that simplified and shortened the text. He was fond of alliterative sentences, not solely for reasons of rhetoric but to reinforce the audience's recollection of his reasoning. His best paragraphs, when read aloud, often had a cadence not unlike blank verse-indeed at times key words would rhyme. The test of a text was not how it appeared to the eye, but how it sounded to the ear. Our chief criterion was always audience comprehension and comfort, and this meant: (1) short speeches, short clauses and short words, wherever possible (2) a series of points or propositions in numbered or logical sequence wherever appropriate and (3) the construction of sentences, phrases and paragraphs in such a manner as to simplify, clarify and emphasize. Neither of us had any special training in composition, linguistics or semantics. We were not conscious of following the elaborate techniques later ascribed to these speeches by literary analysts. Check out Tacos for Truth on Facebook to keep up with the latest news about the event.Ĭan’t make the event? You can make a one-time contribution or becoming a recurring supporter here.The Kennedy style of speech-writing-our style, I am not reluctant to say, for he never pretended that he had time to prepare first drafts for all his speeches-evolved gradually over the years. Some of the in-depth issues explored over the years includes the local housing crisis, refugees in Tompkins County, veteran issues, homelessness, the opioid epidemic and an upcoming series about human trafficking and exploitation. The Ithaca Voice is a non-profit news site started n 2014 by Cornell University alumnus Jeff Stein. If every monthly reader pitched in $1 a year, we would have enough money to fund The Ithaca Voice for an entire year.” Jolene Almendarez is Managing Editor at The Ithaca Voice. Jolene Rickard & Judith Byfield (64,000) Aug. But we can’t continue to operate in the community using only funds from sponsors. Cornell University, Fiber Science & Apparel Design, Faculty Member. The Ithaca Voice Executive Director Mike Blaney said about the event, “At a time when news sites are putting up paywalls and reducing coverage to weekly publications, The Ithaca Voice continues to buck the trends and provides free, daily updates online. tail lounge The Loft opens above Carriage House Cafe Other cocktails and craft beer will also be available for sale.Īll fundraising proceeds will go toward general operations at The Ithaca Voice, where the content is always free and local. The Loft is also pitching in to help support local news and contributing a portion of sales from a signature cocktail to The Ithaca Voice. Related - Bickering Twins: Infectiously energetic Latin American cuisine ![]()
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