The Alumni Philodemica Book Club met on Saturday, June 10th at Kramers in Dupont Circle to discuss Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History by Jeff Nussbaum. An anthology of speeches from throughout the last two centuries, Undelivered takes great care to explore not only the words not delivered, but the historical contexts in which they were drafted and the rhetorical tools one might ascertain in their prose. While Nussbaum’s work meanders at times from the past to the near-present, from first-hand observations to third-hand history, from historical fact to theorized alternative histories, it serves as an excellent primer for any Philodemician, young and old, to examine more thoroughly the impact of and the tools available for forumulating our words and speeches.
Undelivered is generally organized by providing a glimpse into the purpose of a given speech along with some excepts, then the historical context it was prepared in and the development process for the speech, and interwoven throughout is discussion of key rhetorical tips. The rhetorical devices discussed range from fundamental topics such as the distinction between logos, pathos, and ethos, to discussions on how to use anaphora and epistrophe, and examples of how to effectively incorporate stories into a speech.
These techniques are more fully appreciated by the reader because they are introduced and analyzed in tandem with a speech that powerfully demonstrates them. Indeed, while at times Undelivered can feel disjointed to someone looking for a historical or topical through-line, an astute reader can appreciate that the speeches are grouped so as to effectively provide lessons about the art of rhetoric. As one might expect, our Book Club discussion lingered on these rhetorical tools for a while before turning to other topics, notably the question of ownership over words written versus spoken into life.
After trading thoughts on our favorite speeches and lessons in Undelivered, our discussion turned to the question of ownership of a speech, a topic touched on throughout the book. Speechwriters are tasked with molding their work to accurately reflect the tone and tenor of the speakers for whom they write. A key extract our book club members reflected on was that of Nixon speechwriter Ray Price, who was tasked with preparing a speech declaring that President Nixon would stay in office and fight out an impeachment trial in the Senate if, as was expected, he were to be impeached.
Price undertook his task while, at the same time, he drafted a separate resignation speech to try to persuade Nixon to reconsider and resign. Although much of Price’s draft of Nixon’s resignation was not used, both the final draft and the ultimate act of resignation were largely shaped by his words. How much of our own words are our own words — and our actions our actions — is a challenging question to navigate, but in the end our members agreed that the answer is best understood as on a spectrum. Similarly, we resolved that while the ultimate owner of a speech is the speaker, the speaker is speaking — to borrow a quote — while “standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Undelivered is an excellent resource for any person interested in better understanding the art and practice of rhetoric. It powerfully presents several techniques and lessons in a way that is both approachable and enjoyable for new students of rhetoric while at the same time not being so fundamental as to bore those long engaged in the study. The most interesting thought Nussbaum leaves the reader pondering is one to which we cannot possibly know the answer — how might our speeches, delivered or not, change the world at hand or leave a mark on the annals of history? Armed with a love and knowledge of the Truth and a desire to cultivate Eloquence in the Defense of Liberty — a dear and lifelong endeavor — we are well prepared to ensure that our words contribute to making a better world.
Comments