Was thrilled to feature on Richard Fidler’s ABC Conversations show on 4th May 2020. I know Richard from long ago. He was the host of a show called Race Around the World and I was one of the globetrotting, camera wielding contestants who travelled solo to ten countries in one hundred days to shoot a mini documentary in each for national broadcast.
But this was a chat about Speakola. Here are the speeches we talked about.
Eulogy for Chris Daffey,’I’m not ready for goodbyes when the jokes have run out’, January 2014
This site wouldn't have happened without this speech, as Richard and I discussed. Daff was the funniest, most generous, most caring person I knew. I remember the tears pouring onto the keyboard as I wrote this. I miss him a great deal.
"The gift I mentioned on facebook this week is probably the one that means the most to us. When Tam was pregnant with our first, Daff barracked so hard for Polly to be born on his birthday, and when she was, he went around the streets of Melbourne, taking photos to give her so she could know what her city looked like that day. He also gave her newspaper front pages. They were the 24th of January twins, separated 35 years to the day. He even photoshopped his own head on to a baby’s body to put it in his ‘Daff box’. When’s going to be the right day to give her that box, Daff? I can’t believe this is happening."
Jacinda Adern: ‘You may have chosen us, but we utterly reject and condemn you;’ Christchurch attack press conference, 2019.
She has the knack. For sincerity, economy of words, strong messaging, simple clear sentences, and empathy. In this speech she manages to sound strong in the response to the outrage, and sympathetic to the plight of victims. Her speeches in parliament and at the memorial are fantastic too.
"We are a proud nation of more than 200 ethnicities, 160 languages. And amongst that diversity we share common values. And the one that we place the currency on right now -- and tonight -- is our compassion and support for the community of those directly affected by this tragedy. "
Leonard Cohen, ‘How I found my song’, Prince of Asturias Awards, 2012
A beautiful speech about a great artist finding his voice, and then his song. Cohen talks about a Spanish busker /guitarist in Montreal and the impact he had on his musicianship and his life. Just beautiful, with notes of tragedy throughout.
" I inhaled the fragrance of cedar as fresh as the first day that I acquired the guitar. And a voice seemed to say to me, "You are an old man and you have not said thank you; you have not brought your gratitude back to the soil from which this fragrance arose." And so I come here tonight to thank the soil and the soul of this people that has given me so much -- because I know just as an identity card is not a man, a credit rating is not a country. "
Jon Stewart, ‘They responded in five seconds’, Address to Congress on behalf of First Responders, 2019
Richard likes this speech, and let's face it, it's basically perfect. We made it best speech of 2019. It's amazing, from beginning to end. The shaming of Congress, the tears as he mentions the prayer cards instead of business cards. This is an evisceration of politics as usual. 10 billion dollars was committed within three months.
" Al Qaeda didn't shout ‘death to Tribecca!’. They attacked America, and these men and women, and their response to it is what brought our country back, it's what gave a reeling nation a solid foundation to stand back upon, to remind us of why this country is great, of why this country is worth fighting for, and you are ignoring them. "
Robert de Niro, ‘You made it, and now you’re f*cked’, commencement to TISCH school, 2015
There;s a swagger to this one, as Richard points out, the first thing he does when he gets onto stage is blow his nose! But it's fun to hear the stories of the great artists doing it hard early, and then triumphing. Brilliant stories, and delivery.
"Thank you for inviting me to celebrate with you today. TISCH graduates, you made it! And you’re fucked. Think about that. The graduates from the college of nursing, they all have jobs. The graduates from the college of dentistry, fullyemployed. The Leonard M Stern School of Business graduates, they’re covered. The School of Medicine graduates, each one will get a job. The proud graduates of the NY School of Law, they’re covered, and if they’re not, who cares? They’re lawyers. The English majors are not a factor. They’ll be home writing their novels. Teachers, they’ll all be working. Shitty jobs, lousy pay, but still working. The graduates in accounting they all have jobs. Where does that leave you? Envious of those accountants, I doubt that. They had a choice. Maybe they were passionate about accounting, but I think it’s more likely that they used reason and logic and common sense to reach for a career that could give them the expectation of success and stability. Reason, logic, common sense? At the TISCH School of Arts? Are you kidding me?"
Zadie Smith, ‘Many Hands’, The Nw School, 2014
An ode to community. The great British novellist Zadie Smith articulatea the selfishness she felt at the end of her degree, her thinking that had been swayed by an era of individualism and exceptionalism. This is a speech to exalt the glory of the many,. I love it. One of my favourites on Speakola and Richard loved it too. Good one for COVID isolation actually.
" Walk down these crowded streets with a smile on your face. Be thankful you get to walk so close to other humans. It's a privilege. Don't let your fellow humans be alien to you, and as you get older and perhaps a little less open than you are now, don’t assume that exclusive always and everywhere means better. It may only mean lonelier. There will always be folks hard selling you the life of the few: the private schools, private planes, private islands, private life. They are trying to convince you that hell is other people. Don't believe it. We are far more frequently each other's shelter and correction, the antidote to solipsism, and so many windows on this world. "
They were the main featured speeches. You can find the whole episode here.
Speakola has launched its own podcast this week with an episode about eulogies. Please subscribe.
For a laugh, here is me introducing myself on the show Richard Fidler hosted in 1998, Race Around the World. It was travel documentary show where twenty something travelled to 10 countries in 100 days.