September 4, 2024
From the witty writer who invented detective Father Brown, a poem you can read out loud to improve your public speaking.
Read More ⟶August 1, 2024
Our founder believed reading poetry out loud was a terrific way to improve your public speaking. This month, try "August" by Dorothy Parker.
Read More ⟶July 2, 2024
One of America's most popular poets, James Whitcomb Riley frequently wrote in the lisping dialect he associated with children. Yet, this month, we look to him for a poem that gives your diction a workout.
Read More ⟶June 27, 2024
Good communication skills can boost your negotiating power. Negotiating techniques can sharpen your persuasive presentations. See how you can benefit from the win-win.
Read More ⟶June 4, 2024
Reading poems out loud can help you stretch your vocal range. Here's one by Australian poet Dorothea Mackellar that celebrates our love for the imperfect places we call home.
Read More ⟶May 15, 2024
You're moderating a panel and one of your experts has gone rogue. Check out three phrases that can help you get back on track.
Read More ⟶May 6, 2024
Reading poems out loud can improve your public speaking. Make the most of it this month with a sonnet from the Swan of Lichfield.
Read More ⟶April 2, 2024
From the poet who gave us "days of wine and roses" and the first writer to use the word "soccer," some lines you can read aloud to improve your public speaking.
Read More ⟶March 4, 2024
Send a shout out to spring and improve you public speaking, with this poem by Marion Strobel to read aloud.
Read More ⟶February 15, 2024
Looking for another great resource to inspire better communication? We're liking this podcast from Stanford University's graduate business school!
Read More ⟶February 5, 2024
Delivering poetry aloud will enhance your public speaking. This month, try some romantic lines from the controversial star of England's Romantic movement.
Read More ⟶January 3, 2024
More companies are finding that an investment in employee soft skills - including etiquette - can help them improve performance and achieve important goals. See why it works on multiple fronts.
Read More ⟶January 2, 2024
A concert violinist turned poet, Leonora Speyer captivated audiences and captured the Pulitzer Prize. Read her lines out loud to improve your speaking.
Read More ⟶December 26, 2023
At eight years old, Madison Reid delivered an impromptu message about books that made a big impression. Where is that powerful little speaker today?
Read More ⟶December 21, 2023
Most presenters we know are keen to improve their gestures, body language, and other nonverbal communication. Here's a book that can open your mind to the possibilities!
Read More ⟶December 3, 2023
The tune may be burned into your holiday brain, but finding another way to deliver the lines can improve your public speaking. We provide "Good King Wenceslas" for you to read out loud.
Read More ⟶October 2, 2023
While we don't know much about popular songwriter and poet Fannie Isabelle Sherrick, we do know reading her lines aloud can help a speaker out!
Read More ⟶September 12, 2023
Don't let the movies lead you astray: Saying "no comment" is not the smart response to a reporter's question. Here's what you can do instead.
Read More ⟶September 5, 2023
Celebrate September with a perfect poem for polishing your diction and learn more about the fascinating woman who wrote it.
Read More ⟶August 14, 2023
Our ease in business social settings can say a lot. In this post-pandemic, casual dining world, how can you brush up on basic table manners? We've got some ideas!
Read More ⟶August 3, 2023
When is a love poem an act of defiance? When a woman in Puritan New England dares to write it. Read these familiar lines by Anne Bradstreet out loud: You can enhance your phrasing and marvel at her boldness in putting them down.
Read More ⟶July 3, 2023
Why of course an acclaimed wit would know how to deploy the punch of a well-timed pause. Practice placing yours by reading some lines from Dorothy Parker out loud.
Read More ⟶June 1, 2023
Reading poetry out loud is a great way to enhance your presentation skills. See how Edward Lear makes it a lot of fun, too.
Read More ⟶May 1, 2023
Isabella Whitney defied convention and became the first Englishwoman to write and publish secular poems. So don't be a noddy! Read her lines this month, improve you phrasing--and have a bit of fun.
Read More ⟶April 3, 2023
The poet associated with Romantic literature, a love of nature, and England's Lake District has inspired Taylor Swift. This month, let him inspire your public speaking, too!
Read More ⟶March 6, 2023
Sara Teasdale was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. This month, read her lines aloud to experiment with expressive dialogue - and to give your diction a workout.
Read More ⟶January 2, 2023
Learn more about the gifted poet Christina Rossetti and read her lines out loud to improve your phrasing and timing.
Read More ⟶December 2, 2022
Seems mistletoe isn't the only holiday greenery to inspire the romantic imagination. Celebrate the wreath - and improve your public speaking with this poem to read aloud.
Read More ⟶November 1, 2022
This writer, teacher, speaker, and national leader used her voice to advocate for Native Americans. Read one of her poems out loud to inspire your public speaking.
Read More ⟶October 3, 2022
This popular children's verse provides a great vehicle for developing more animation in your delivery. This month, try reading aloud about the sailors in the wooden shoe.
Read More ⟶July 3, 2022
Questions can be a great tool when presenting, a way to get your audience thinking. Here's a poem to help you practice the many ways you can pose one.
Read More ⟶June 6, 2022
See how techniques we teach in media training and Q&A coaching can help you demonstrate why you're the person they need to hire.
Read More ⟶June 2, 2022
Our founder believed reading poetry out loud improved your public speaking. This month, we provide a poem by Hart Crane.
Read More ⟶May 2, 2022
Seize the day, gather the darling buds of May and improve your public speaking with some irreverent help from the poet Robert Herrick.
Read More ⟶April 1, 2022
Reading poetry aloud improves your phrasing and inflection. How is this poem from D.H. Lawrence a great one for practicing the rhetorical question?
Read More ⟶March 3, 2022
As we often say to clients, "no, the numbers do not speak for themselves." Here's a book that looks at how you can make the data you present more accessible for your audiences.
Read More ⟶March 1, 2022
Reading poetry out loud can help you expand your range as a speaker. This month, we provide a contemplative poem by Thomas Hardy.
Read More ⟶February 3, 2022
Reading poems out loud improves public speaking. Here's one by Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer.
Read More ⟶January 3, 2022
Not all communication can--or should--be scripted. How can you make your point and minimize the fluff that comes with speaking off the cuff? Here's one simple way to capture what's going on, so you can improve on it.
Read More ⟶January 1, 2022
Reading poems out loud can help you make your vocal delivery more dramatic. Here's a sonnet from a poet whose life and work inspired Jane Austen and Charles Dickens--with drama to spare.
Read More ⟶November 22, 2021
Feeling nervous? Our founder says focusing on the right audience members can help you find your confidence AND make audience support go viral.
Read More ⟶November 15, 2021
Would you benefit from a class? Or is one-on-one coaching a better fit? Some thoughts on how to choose training that meets your needs.
Read More ⟶November 3, 2021
Reading Robert Browning's dramatic monologues out loud can help you find greater range in your vocal delivery. Here's a favorite, plus the story of the duchess who inspired the poem.
Read More ⟶October 6, 2021
Influential athletes like Billie Jean King are the focus of season two of 'It Was Said.' More on this podcast series about speeches and why you may find it helps you think about your own public speaking.
Read More ⟶October 2, 2021
Paul Laurence Dunbar's poetry inspired Maya Angelou (and the title of her autobiography). Here's his light-hearted poem about autumn to inspire your public speaking.
Read More ⟶September 5, 2021
Elizabeth Hands, who worked as a domestic servant, challenged assumptions with her poetry and witty insights. Read one of her poems out loud to improve your public speaking!
Read More ⟶August 3, 2021
Comic timing, drama, gestures, and a sneer that curls the lip: Improve your public speaking in every department by reading baseball's favorite poem out loud.
Read More ⟶July 5, 2021
Trapped somewhere by a summer thunderstorm? Read this poem out loud, enjoy the beauty, and improve your public speaking.
Read More ⟶June 1, 2021
Intense emotion in the confines of formal poetry? Louise Bogan's work is a great tool to help speakers work on timing and cadence, so here's a poem by the United States' first female poet laureate for you to read out loud.
Read More ⟶May 5, 2021
Are you talking yourself out of succeeding and into a serious case of breathlessness and shaky knees? Whether you're going on stage or on Zoom, change your pre-presentation self-talk and see what happens...
Read More ⟶May 3, 2021
Reading poems out loud can improve your presentations. Here's a poem from an award-winning public speaker and wildlife guide, whose life was as interesting as his verse...
Read More ⟶April 21, 2021
Your pace can project confidence. Your tempo can cue an emotional response in audiences. Our founder holds forth on how to use both when presenting so that you orchestrate better vocal delivery.
Read More ⟶April 1, 2021
Put some spring in your diction with lines from an Elizabethan troublemaker who appears to have known how to have a little fun...
Read More ⟶March 17, 2021
One of the most powerful ways to use the voice in a speech is... to stop speaking? Our founder describes the dramatic potential of a well-timed zip of the lip.
Read More ⟶March 2, 2021
While a popular new TV series invites you to reimagine America's favorite reclusive poet, we invite you to improve your public speaking with these sassy lines. Watch out, April!
Read More ⟶February 4, 2021
The sort of colorful character you'd expect to find in "Bridgerton," the celebrated poet L.E.L. provides a few jaded lines about love that can help your public speaking.
Read More ⟶January 5, 2021
Did Ben Franklin know that reading poems out loud could improve public speaking? Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wrote poetry? Get 2021 started with his lines for the first month of the year...
Read More ⟶December 16, 2020
Want to seem as if you're making your presentation up as you go along? Turns out, rhetoric has a word for that.
Read More ⟶December 2, 2020
Contemplating a New Year's Eve on Zoom? Make this the year you wow them by knowing all the words to "Auld Lang Syne"--and as you practice aloud, you'll give your public speaking a boost.
Read More ⟶November 2, 2020
Here's an enjoyable way to work on phrasing and timing: Read this poem by Marianne Moore out loud and see if you can capture the elusiveness of "The Jelly-fish."
Read More ⟶October 21, 2020
By talking about his struggles as someone who stutters and how he copes, Joe Biden has brought positive attention and provided encouragement to those who share this public speaking challenge.
Read More ⟶October 13, 2020
A speaker who is ferocious or harsh, as our founder so eloquently says, "don't win friends." Here's his field guide to truculent speakers--and what you can do to tame them (if they happen to be you).
Read More ⟶October 4, 2020
Reading poetry out loud can improve your public speaking. Here's one by Carl Sandburg that's perfectly suited for the decorative gourd season...
Read More ⟶October 1, 2020
Struggling to make yourself heard from behind the mask? Turns out there are techniques you can use that will also help you improve your public speaking...
Read More ⟶September 1, 2020
Reading poems out loud can help you explore and expand your public speaking delivery style. This month, try "The Stars Go Over a Lonely Ocean" by Robinson Jeffers.
Read More ⟶August 5, 2020
Dream of having audiences quote lines from your presentations? Maybe this little rhetorical device is just the can of spinach to make your next speech pop...
Read More ⟶August 2, 2020
A king who wants to frame his chocolates? A wack autocrat whacking pumpkins with a bat? A read aloud from poet Sukumar Ray can improve your public speaking--and may be just what we need right now...
Read More ⟶July 19, 2020
Skilled in oratory from an early age, John Lewis was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington. Learn how his fiery approach surprised other civil rights leaders and their last-minute efforts to tone it down...
Read More ⟶July 2, 2020
We're inspired this month by the poems of Gwendolyn Bennett AND the real-life swashbuckler who inspired Alexandre Dumas. Here's a poem to read aloud...
Read More ⟶June 17, 2020
As TED fans will tell you, reading speeches and watching speakers is a great way to learn and be inspired. Check out a new resource we think you'll like...
Read More ⟶June 4, 2020
Saturday Salons at her home in Washington D.C. helped her hone her voice and brought together leading artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Read a poem aloud by Georgia Douglas Johnson...
Read More ⟶May 20, 2020
It's a double entendre that can make your listeners do a double take--which might be just what your message needs! (It can also win you points in Scrabble.) Zoom on over and check it out...
Read More ⟶May 4, 2020
Because we've all been at home a lot lately, here's a poem from Edgar Allen Guest to read aloud...one that will help you see why droppin' the endin' of your words ain't somethin' you oughta be doin' in your public speakin'...
Read More ⟶April 2, 2020
Not feeling up to writing your "King Lear" during the coronavirus quarantine? How about a more modest goal: Read 14 lines aloud and improve your public speaking instead...
Read More ⟶March 26, 2020
If you're looking for examples of great speeches by women, Denise Graveline left us with a wonderful resource. Because it's Women's History Month, we were inspired to bring you her Famous Speech Friday posts...
Read More ⟶March 23, 2020
New to the school-at-home thing? Want some help? Here are some ways to have more fun, courtesy of Buckley faculty Jana Daley--a homeschool pro, who's also trained young debate champs.
Read More ⟶March 15, 2020
How can you best communicate important messages about the coronavirus to your employees, customers and community? Here are some resources to help:
Read More ⟶March 2, 2020
Her poems inspired the Harlem Renaissance. They can also inspire your public speaking. Here's one by Priscilla Jane Thompson...
Read More ⟶February 17, 2020
Worried that you antagonize audiences? Or perhaps that's your goal! Check out our founder's case for warming up your stage presence and his unconventional steps to get you there...
Read More ⟶February 10, 2020
We give a big thumbs up to gestures in public speaking. Science says there's a reason we're fans of talking with our hands...
Read More ⟶February 3, 2020
Reading this one aloud will give your diction and enunciation a boost. It might also improve your friendships!
Read More ⟶January 20, 2020
"Character is the primary element a speaker brings to the stage. Everything else can be learned," wrote our founder. Get his honest advice...
Read More ⟶December 2, 2019
Reading poetry out loud can help improve your timing, phrasing and expressiveness when presenting. Here's a poem to accomplish all that AND help you get the season started...
Read More ⟶November 1, 2019
Poet, novelist, and leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Jamaican-born Claude McKay is the source for our poem this month. Read his work out loud to improve your public speaking...
Read More ⟶October 14, 2019
Sure, most speakers know they should make eye contact. But are you getting the most out of it when you present? Here's what the best public speakers do...
Read More ⟶October 2, 2019
Was Robert Frost just pulling our leg with his famous poem about walking through autumn woods and making choices? No doubt, reading it aloud can help your public speaking while you contemplate...
Read More ⟶September 30, 2019
Verbal tic of a careless speaker? Or smart tactic to make audiences aware that something worth starring and remembering is coming their way? Behold, asterismos...
Read More ⟶September 16, 2019
What can we learn from a stump about business presentations? How about the power of connecting, the efficiency of creating a consistent message, and the beauty of knowing when to incorporate a twist...
Read More ⟶September 5, 2019
Eighty years after Great Britain's king overcame his stuttter to address the nation, his courage still provides inspiration to stammerers...and is helping them change perceptions about speaking in public.
Read More ⟶September 2, 2019
Tracking Hurricane Dorian this week led us to poet Amelia Josephine Burr--and some poems you can read aloud to improve your public speaking.
Read More ⟶August 29, 2019
What's in a name? Perhaps a lot more when you employ this rhetorical device in your public speaking. Here's how it's used for good and for evil...
Read More ⟶August 22, 2019
It's that quality we struggle to define, yet seems to sparkle in the best public speakers. At The Buckley School, we call it personal magnetism. Here's how you can develop yours...
Read More ⟶August 1, 2019
Though famous for giving us "Wuthering Heights," Emily Brontë also wrote 200 poems in her 30 short years. Read one of them out loud this month to improve your public speaking...
Read More ⟶July 29, 2019
What happens when you super-size your hyperbole? You might get a more memorable expression for your next presentation. A look at flying pigs, whistling crawfish and adynaton...
Read More ⟶July 4, 2019
On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass believed his well-timed remarks would get noticed. It's become one of the most important speeches in American history.
Read More ⟶July 1, 2019
When you tire of hearing America shoot off its July 4th fireworks, improve your public speaking (and soothe your jangled nerves) with these lines from one of America's most influential poets.
Read More ⟶June 27, 2019
Un-friggin-doubtedly, you’ve used this one before. Here’s why that’s probably a fan-blooming-tastic thing…
Read More ⟶June 21, 2019
What can we learn from a well-designed poster? There's a movement afoot to change how scientists use poster presentations to communicate. The same techniques can work in your presentations...
Read More ⟶June 10, 2019
Can a story help at-risk teens learn to make better choices? One former L.A. gang member thinks so. Here's how our Buckley coach helped him use his stories to teach and how the same ideas can work for your presentations...
Read More ⟶June 5, 2019
On this day, Gen. Dwight Eisenhower recorded a message for D-day troops. Learn more about how this speech came together and the edits that made his words more powerful...
Read More ⟶June 2, 2019
"Yet do I marvel at this curious thing: To make a poet black, and bid him sing!" Let those famous lines and others from Countee Cullen inspire your public speaking, with this month's poem to read aloud.
Read More ⟶May 30, 2019
Want to contrive to sound more spontaneous in a speech?To make a harsh point without having the audience dislike--nay, kill the messenger? Consider using the "backspace" of rhetorical devices...
Read More ⟶May 14, 2019
If public speaking is stressful, why should you look for every opportunity to present? Yes, practice makes perfect--but there are other good reasons you may not have considered yet...
Read More ⟶May 7, 2019
How do you convince leaders to take action before a crisis comes to town? Economic developer Crystal Morphis says public speaking is one of her most important skills for helping communities stay open for business...
Read More ⟶May 1, 2019
The author of "The Jungle Book" and "Kim" is also the poet whose lines you'll hear at many a graduation ceremony. Even if you're not giving a commencement address, try reading these stanzas aloud to help your public speaking...
Read More ⟶April 25, 2019
It can bring delight. It can make you wince. You can reject it, even return it. See how this rhetorical device "gooses the English language" as we gift you a look at anthimeria...
Read More ⟶April 12, 2019
The speech he gave on this day is considered one of the top 10 American speeches of the 20th century. Here's what we can learn from Malcolm X and "The Ballot or the Bullet."
Read More ⟶April 3, 2019
The final oration from an inspiring leader and one of the greatest speakers of all time: A look at Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Mountaintop" speech in Memphis.
Read More ⟶April 1, 2019
Yes, "singing and singing, out of the lips of silence," we're convinced reading poems out loud improves your public speaking. This month, verse from a writer beloved and revered for her novels...
Read More ⟶March 21, 2019
Patrick Henry's best-known speech makes the case for passion, parallel structure, and the power of simple words. But did he really say his most famous line? Or did he ad lib something else?
Read More ⟶March 18, 2019
March Madness fans are arriving in our neighborhood, hoping to see Zion Williamson, perhaps unaware they could improve their presentation skills while watching the big games...
Read More ⟶March 13, 2019
What public speaking technique can bring a certain fullness, roundness, or tension to help your message take off? Try this month's rhetorical device...
Read More ⟶March 4, 2019
Asking questions, introducing panelists, sure--but the real job of the moderator is to represent the audience and work on their behalf. What would Oprah do?
Read More ⟶March 1, 2019
The first African American woman to have her play produced publicly, Angelina Weld Grimké also wrote more than 170 poems, including this month's lines for you to read aloud...
Read More ⟶February 23, 2019
"Be sure to put your feet in the right place, then stand firm," said Abraham Lincoln--great advice for public speaking that we take quite literally. Here's why you should, too...
Read More ⟶February 20, 2019
Why are we pro-antithesis? Here's how this artful juxtaposition can sharpen your point, challenge injustice, or make hearts soar--and make your words more memorable.
Read More ⟶February 6, 2019
You've agreed to take part in a panel discussion. Now what? Dear panelist, here's how to make the most of it...
Read More ⟶February 1, 2019
Poet, civil rights leader, teacher, diplomat - the incredible James Weldon Johnson even won a prize for oratory as a college student. This month, we offer one of his poems to help your public speaking...
Read More ⟶January 21, 2019
Should you give the audience your PowerPoint deck before you present it? Why we question that advice on handouts and what you can do instead...
Read More ⟶January 11, 2019
No ands or buts, if you use this rhetorical device you can improve the odds that your speech will pack some punch.
Read More ⟶January 5, 2019
We all know Helen Keller as a remarkable person--but how much do you know about her career as a public speaker? On January 5, 1916, 35-year-old Keller spoke at Carnegie Hall...
Read More ⟶January 3, 2019
What makes the best panel discussion? What do moderators and panelists need to know to succeed? We're sharing tips from our experiences, starting with the most obvious and overlooked question: Why?
Read More ⟶January 1, 2019
"Miniver cursed the commonplace/And eyed a khaki suit with loathing." Add more color to your public speaking with these lines to read aloud from Edwin Arlington Robinson...
Read More ⟶December 21, 2018
Their public speaking has awed and inspired. Will their life stories give clues to what made their speeches so powerful? We're eager to read two of the hottest books in stores right now...
Read More ⟶December 1, 2018
Most famous for the poem "Trees," Joyce Kilmer did much more in his short life, including writing the poem we're featuring this month for your read aloud practice...
Read More ⟶November 28, 2018
As the main character changes, so does his public speaking style. What can we learn about persuasive speaking from a novel? Plenty if it's "All the King's Men."
Read More ⟶November 1, 2018
She was a Pulitzer Prize winner and one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. She's also helping you improve your presentation skills with this month's poem to read aloud...
Read More ⟶October 30, 2018
That queasy feeling you get when you hear a corny pun in a speech? Our rhetorical device of the month diagnosis: Looks like a case of paranomasia.
Read More ⟶October 17, 2018
Presenting to the C-Suite or a promising new client is the opportunity you've been working for. Avoid these common mistakes when you make your pitch...
Read More ⟶October 16, 2018
Walk around the room to connect with the audience? Yeah, we've heard that one, too. Before you step in it bigtime, consider our take...
Read More ⟶October 16, 2018
It's a simple technique for engaging audiences, yet many speakers don't make the most of it in presentations. Here's how to ask rhetorical questions that get you somewhere...
Read More ⟶October 15, 2018
Understanding your presentation style and making the most of it - The Buckley School's founder on why that's the single most important thing a speaker can do...
Read More ⟶October 2, 2018
Reading poems out loud can bring more color and drama to your public speaking. Try these lines from a master of creating that certain mood...
Read More ⟶September 26, 2018
If a euphemism is a substitution that softens an expression, then the opposite of that would be...our latest rhetorical device of the month.
Read More ⟶September 20, 2018
"Joy just oozes from this book," writes the Buckley alum who recommends it. You'll also find lots of help for using your stories and voice to bring more life (and humor) to speeches and presentations.
Read More ⟶September 7, 2018
Simple formatting changes can make it much easier to give a speech from a written text. Here's what you can do to see almost instant results:
Read More ⟶September 6, 2018
Maybe you've heard this tip for handling Q&A sessions after a speech or presentation: Always repeat the question before you answer it. But it's not that simple...
Read More ⟶September 1, 2018
Like a late-night espresso to awaken even the laziest enunciation, we serve up these lines from poet Sara Teasdale to read aloud...
Read More ⟶August 27, 2018
A rhetorical device put to good use by Yoda, Shakespeare, Malcolm X, and Jay-Z: Here's another way to build a powerful statement through repetition...
Read More ⟶August 19, 2018
A too-casual style can send unintended messages, says our founder. His tips for starting well and standing tall in your next presentation...
Read More ⟶August 17, 2018
"Funny, instructive, and it promotes all the same things we promote...how important language is...not just for writers but for all of us." Buckley director Karen Kalutz makes this book recommendation...
Read More ⟶August 10, 2018
Personal stories can bring a presentation to life. Apply these easy-to-use writing workshop tips to bring more life to your stories...
Read More ⟶August 7, 2018
When well-meaning public speaking advice goes wrong: Why you might not want to open that can of jokes.
Read More ⟶August 1, 2018
Delight Potter fans, bee enthusiasts--and improve your public speaking through attention to cadence and timing--with a little help from Thomas Hardy and this month's poem to read aloud.
Read More ⟶July 27, 2018
With hyperbole the likes of which the world has never seen and "double negative" trending, it's not a bad time to explore understatement and the potential of this rhetorical device for your public speaking...
Read More ⟶July 11, 2018
Heard some public speaking advice that made you wonder? Us, too. Here's another take on the old "speak from the heart" tip...
Read More ⟶July 5, 2018
His poems were made wildly popular by his spellbinding delivery. Who better to provide this month's poem to real aloud?
Read More ⟶July 2, 2018
The public speaking techniques used by Patrick Henry & Co. are remarkably similar to the ones that can work for you today....
Read More ⟶June 28, 2018
A lectern can be a great home base for a speaker, when used well. Reid Buckley provides a professional speaker's tips and perspective from the podium...
Read More ⟶June 19, 2018
The rhetorical device we all love using, whether we know it or not: Here's to more colorful public speaking by way of synecdoche!
Read More ⟶June 4, 2018
Her most famous lines are forever connected to the Statue of Liberty. This month's poem to read aloud comes from Emma Lazarus...
Read More ⟶May 9, 2018
Even if you ultimately speak from bullet points, writing presentations benefits speakers--because it forces you to work out the very problems this book helps you solve!
Read More ⟶May 1, 2018
Reading poetry out loud is can improve your public speaking. To help your cadence and timing, try these lines from Millay, a poet also known for her dramatic performances...
Read More ⟶April 20, 2018
Some people read cookbooks for fun. Buckley coaches read anthologies of speeches. Here's one we think you'll enjoy....
Read More ⟶April 5, 2018
Thirty years ago, The Buckley School launched its flagship program and founder Reid Buckley published his first book on public speaking. From Chapter 9, here's his multi-syllabled advice for using the simple word...
Read More ⟶April 2, 2018
Reading poetry out loud is one of our favorite ways to improve phrasing, timing and vocal variation. From writer Langston Hughes, some perfect lines for this month....
Read More ⟶March 31, 2018
One of our favorite guides--smart, easy to follow, and full of fun (yes, really) without any of the harmful side effects that caused you to doze off in middle school...
Read More ⟶March 23, 2018
Should you ignore the rules of grammar in order to make a memorable statement in your next business presentation? Our rhetorical device of the month says it ain't such a bad idea....
Read More ⟶March 9, 2018
When a hospital administrator wanted to give her career a boost, she had to overcome her fear of public speaking. So she took on an even scarier challenge. Should you?
Read More ⟶March 1, 2018
She was better known then as the fired-up, justice-seeking poet Speranza...and better known now as Oscar Wilde's mother. Improve your cadence and vocal projection with these lines from Lady Jane Wilde...
Read More ⟶February 2, 2018
Oprah's speech at The Golden Globes has our students asking "How did she do that?" Peggy Noonan's excellent book offers some insight...
Read More ⟶February 1, 2018
Here to help you enhance those dulcet vocal tones, just in time for Valentine's Day: Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Read More ⟶January 18, 2018
Should public speakers and presenters try to reduce their accents? As "The World In Words" podcast discovers, it's complicated...
Read More ⟶January 5, 2018
Reid Buckley launched our school with the Executive Seminar and his first book on speaking. As we mark our 30th anniversary, we're publishing excerpts from "Speaking in Public" each month, starting with his infamous guide to color-coding....
Read More ⟶January 3, 2018
PowerPoint. Love it? This book's for you. Hate it? This book is REALLY for you.
Read More ⟶January 1, 2018
His poems about naughty children make us laugh, but for January's read-aloud, we're going with "January."
Read More ⟶November 16, 2017
After hearing some crazy stories from employers, we turned to our resident interview expert for help...
Read More ⟶November 1, 2017
She wrote more than 1,800 poems. Here's one from Emily Dickinson to read aloud.
Read More ⟶October 1, 2017
A few lines to help you develop those all-important spooky vocal tones, just in time for Halloween...
Read More ⟶August 14, 2017
When our faculty Jenny Maxwell heard an NPR feature about teaching science, the discoveries sounded a lot like a Buckley primer for good public speaking....
Read More ⟶August 1, 2017
In August 1761, seven-year-old Phillis Wheatley was purchased as a slave in Boston. She became one of the most renowned poets of her time. Her "Hymn to the Evening" is this month's read aloud.
Read More ⟶July 27, 2017
"I know from my own experience," says Buckley coach Jenny Maxwell, "that the more you stand up and practice answering questions, the better you get at it." Here are some tips for your next presentation, drawn from our onsite training with companies...
Read More ⟶July 1, 2017
For your poetry practice, we offer lines from Robert Louis Stevenson that remind us of a summer week we spent leading a workshop in Anchorage, Alaska. (And we like this portrait of RLS, painted by John Singer Sargent.)
Read More ⟶July 1, 2017
Analyzing how The Declaration of Independence is organized can aid your pursuit of happiness as a speaker...
Read More ⟶June 22, 2017
Inspired by American University's "audience dogs," our Buckley staff evaluate the benefits of practicing speeches with their canines.
Read More ⟶June 1, 2017
She smoked cigars, won the Pulitzer Prize, and took issue with South Carolina's "obscene" shades of magenta: Amy Lowell is the poet for this month's verse to read out loud.
Read More ⟶May 1, 2017
"Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May," writes William Shakespeare in Sonnet 18. It's our selection for your May read aloud.
Read More ⟶April 11, 2017
Years before there was National Poetry Month, The Buckley School was encouraging students of speaking to read poems aloud. Here's a little more about how you should and--with some help from Bill Murray--why it can even be fun.
Read More ⟶April 3, 2017
Our memories of Winston Churchill, the leader, are tied to those of Churchill, the speaker. While April 9 is his "day," Buckley director Karen Kalutz says there are lessons to use from his speaking all the time.
Read More ⟶April 1, 2017
Reading poetry out loud can improve your speaking--and when the poet is Ogden Nash, it's also just plain fun. Take a whirl with one of our Nash favorites.
Read More ⟶March 17, 2017
The Buckley School has long encouraged speakers to improve their speaking skills by reading poetry out loud. This month, perhaps you'd like to read this poem from Irish poet W.B. Yeats.
Read More ⟶March 16, 2017
What do a great orator of Ancient Greece and the queen of popular music have in common? And how can they help you improve your public speaking? Learning expert Eduardo Briceño says it's all about the power of deliberate practice.
Read More ⟶February 17, 2017
It’s rare, but every once in a while we do work with someone who brings along a copy of The Columbian Orator. Frederick Douglass began developing his skills as a speaker by reading this popular 19th century textbook. He bought the book while he was still enslaved, a boy of 12 or 13. It was the first book he'd ever owned.
Read More ⟶February 6, 2017
Lord Cornwallis occupied the space during the Revolutionary War. Union troops occupied it during the Civil War. Now, it’s a Buckley School tradition to occupy the Kershaw-Cornwallis house for a Thursday night banquet during our Executive Seminars.
Read More ⟶January 9, 2017
We know audiences read body language. But what signals are you sending yourself with how you use your body? In one of the most popular TED talks of all time, Amy Cuddy explores how you can change your mindset by making yourself bigger.
Read More ⟶December 1, 2016
Ummo is an iPhone app released by a team of MIT and Harvard students. It promises to track your ums, likes and you knows, to help you get rid of them. At The Buckley School, we’ve long had an app for that, and if you've attended our Executive Seminar, you may, um, know what we mean.
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