He thinks that a catchy title is crucial.
I've decided that my title is super-boring
Maier Zunder: A leading Citizen of Nineteenth Century New Haven
There are a lot of ways I can go with this talk. I'm situated in a race/ethnicity session. Nope, the Jews aren't white. I can frame Maier where he really was. An outsider. An immigrant. A foreigner. A Jew. A German. I remember when I first pitched this to professor in my certificate program. He said "You could talk about antisemitism in New England." Even early on, I knew this narrative didn't fit. Zunder's story was about accomplishment in his new home. Building a business and a family. Founding organizations; the Board of Education.
Agency is his story. As I often have to remind myself, I don't really know this man. But for him, I don't think he hesitated, I don't think he believed he couldn't do something. He just went out and did it. His many talents and insights helped him to do it.
That word Citizen also defines the arc of his life. He was committed to New Haven, his city. He was not a stranger. This was his city.
I can also bring the scrapbooks in. Actually I can do whatever I want.
OK, back to where I started. The public speaking book. It's humorous and engaging. About preparation (Practice!), the lighting (chandeliers? yuck!) and how to manage your audience. He brings up the situation of a very large room with very few people. How that drains all of the energy. He strongly suggests getting people to move closer, nearer to each other. He points out that the audience members may feel like losers for coming to your talk. He suggests converting them to 'losers with friends,.' He also points out that they are now your losers so you need to do something with them.
Please let me know if you can think of a better title.
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