In a Manner of Speaking

Gideon Burton For the November 2022 episode of the podcast, Paul welcomes Gideon Burton, professor in the English Department at Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, Utah, and creator of the website Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric. Paul and Gideon discuss Shakespeare’s use of rhetoric, in addition to rhetoric in general, which is often defined as the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing. Gideon Burton has taught courses in rhetoric, Renaissance literature, and digital media since 1994 at Brigham Young. His Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric website has introduced countless online visitors to the basic concepts and terms of rhetoric since 1996. An avid skier,  Gideon lives in Salt Lake City. Dr. Burton’s faculty biography, with a list of his publications, is available here. Paul Meier’s Voicing Shakespeare, with a chapter on Rhetoric, is available here. Click here for more Guess that Accent quizzes on IDEA. Paul’s free ebook, The Original Pronunciation of Shakespeare’s Pronunciation, and other material on the topic, is available here. And for further related topics, see episodes 15 and 36 of this podcast. Hear Alex Waldman, a Royal Shakespeare Company actor, explore the same speeches as Paul and Gideon do in this month’s podcast: The speeches discussed in this podcast, from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, 3:2: Brutus: Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say, that Brutus’ love to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: –Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered death. Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this I depart,–that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.   Marc Antony: Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest– For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men– Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And, sure, he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him? O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.   (Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) is courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)  The post Episode 58 (Shakespeare’s Rhetoric) first appeared on Paul Meier Dialect Services.

Jenny Saffran How do babies learn to talk? That’s the topic of the October 2022 episode of Paul’s podcast. And to help answer that question, Paul welcomes Jenny Saffran, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an expert in language acquisition and cognitive and linguistic sciences. Jenny received her A.B. in cognitive and linguistic sciences from Brown University and her Ph.D in brain and cognitive sciences and linguistics from the University of Rochester. Since 1997, she has been on the faculty at UW-Madison, where she directs two labs. The Infant Learning Lab focuses on the learning abilities of infants and toddlers, with a primary focus on language, while the Little Listeners Lab focuses on understanding early-language comprehension and learning in autistic toddlers. Professor Saffran has received many honors and awards for her research and teaching, including election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and, most recently, the inaugural Jeffrey Elman Prize from the Cognitive Science Society. Visit https://infantlearning.waisman.wisc.edu to learn about Dr. Saffran’s Infant Learning Lab at the University of Wisconsin. And for the publications of that lab, go to https://infantlearning.waisman.wisc.edu/publications/. Her work is featured in the Netflix documentary Babies. The episode is available to the public on Netflix’s YouTube educational channel: The entire video of the twin babies babbling, which Paul and Jenny refer to in the podcast, can be found on YouTube, and below: Lastly, for more information on Professor Saffran, visit her Wikipedia page. (Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) is courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)The post Episode 57 (How We Learn to Talk) first appeared on Paul Meier Dialect Services.

David Crystal For the September 2022 episode of In a Manner of Speaking, Paul welcomes back renowned linguist and author David Crystal for his fourth appearance on the podcast. They discuss various topics related to David’s 2018 book, Sounds Appealing, including pronunciation, phonetics, phoneticians, speech melody, intonation, and stress patterning. David ( a native of Liverpool, England, and North Wales) has authored more than 100 books in the field of language, including several Penguin books, but is perhaps best known for his two encyclopedias for Cambridge University Press, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language and The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. His books on English phonetics and phonology include Prosodic Systems and Intonation in English and The English Tone of Voice. He was founder-editor of the Journal of Child Language (1973-85), Child Language Teaching and Therapy (1985-96), and Linguistics Abstracts (1985-96), and associate editor of the Journal of Linguistics (1970-73). In addition, he has been a consultant, contributor, or presenter on several radio and television programs and series. David is currently patron of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) and the Association for Language Learning (ALL); president of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, the UK National Literacy Association, and the Johnson Society of London; and an honorary vice president of the Institute of Linguists and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. David is also a renowned Shakespeare and Original Pronunciation (OP) scholar. For more on his work with the Bard, visit ShakespearesWords.com. For a full biography and more information on David, visit his website, DavidCrystal.com. Go here for a list of all of David’s published works and here to purchase them. Visit David’s YouTube channel for more information relevant to this podcast. We present here just two of his many videos. Lastly, for a discussion of English long and short vowels, one of the topics that David and Paul discuss on this podcast, go here. (Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) is courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)The post Episode 56 (Sounds Appealing) first appeared on Paul Meier Dialect Services.

Nick Enfield Paul’s podcast guest for August 2022 is Nick Enfield, professor of linguistics at the University of Sydney. Inspired by Nick’s 2022 book, Language Vs. Reality: Why Language Is Good for Lawyers and Bad for Scientists, Paul and Nick discuss how language is not always the best tool for conveying and representing reality. Over the last three decades, Nick has conducted fieldwork on language, culture, mind, and society in mainland Southeast Asia, especially Laos. He won an Ig Nobel Prize for his role in discovering that “huh?” is a universal word in the languages of the world. He has published numerous books in linguistics and anthropology, including Roots of Human Sociality, The Utility of Meaning, The Languages of Mainland Southeast Asia, and How We Talk: The Inner Workings of Conversation. For a complete list of references that informed Professor Enfield’s Language Vs. Reality, consult this PDF. And check out these other podcasts on which Nick has been a guest: Sean Carroll’s Mindscape, July 11, 2022 The Neutral Ground, May 12, 2022 Word of Mouth with Michael Rosen, BBC Radio 4, May 10,  2022 The Armen Show, May 19, 2022 Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps, April 28, 2022 Many Minds, April 13, 2022 You can find some of Nick’s speeches and interviews on YouTube, such as “The Chronicle of Evolution” from 2017 and “Natural Causes of Language” from 2014. For more information, please visit Nick’s website, especially this page, which lists all of his publications. (Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) is courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)The post Episode 55 (Language Versus Reality) first appeared on Paul Meier Dialect Services.

Patsy Rodenburg Welcome to the July 2022 episode of Paul Meier’s In a Manner of Speaking podcast, which features Patsy Rodenburg, who is often regarded as the world’s leading voice teacher and coach. Paul and Patsy discuss a range of topics related to Patsy’s forthcoming book, The Woman’s Voice. Over the past 45 years, Professor Rodenburg, OBE, has become a world expert on teaching voice, speech, and presentation skills to individuals and companies across both corporate and creative industries. She has also had an incredible career working with actors in theatre, film, and television, changing the way actors speak on stage and screen. Patsy originally trained as an actor but moved into voice coaching, fast becoming an associate of the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She eventually went on to work as head of voice at the Royal National Theatre for 16 years. Patsy is currently professor of text and poetry at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, after serving as head of voice from 1981 to 2016. Over the past 40 years, Patsy has been pioneering the only existing MA in Training Actors (Voice) and has sat on the board of directors with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her books include The Right to Speak, The Need for Words, The Actor Speaks, and Speaking Shakespeare. She has worked extensively with actors (including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Jackman, and Natalie Portman), directors (Trevor Nunn, Richard Eyre, Franco Zeffirelli, and Tim Burton) and playwrights (Arthur Miller, Harold Pinter, and Samuel Beckett). For more information, see PatsyRodenburg.co.uk. (Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) is courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)The post Episode 54 (The Woman’s Voice) first appeared on Paul Meier Dialect Services.

Kevan Manwaring For the June 2022 edition of his In a Manner of Speaking  podcast, Paul Meier welcomes the “Bard of Bath,” Kevan Manwaring. The two discuss the ancient Bardic Tradition and how it is still relevant and powerful today. Dr. Manwaring, senior lecturer in creative writing at Arts University Bournemouth, in England, is the author of more than two dozen books (both novels and non-fiction) but is probably best known as the author of The Bardic Handbook: the Complete Manual for the 21st Century Bard (Gothic Image, 2006). Since becoming “Bard of Bath” in 1998 (when he won the competition for the best storyteller, poet, or singer in the city), he has made the Bardic Tradition one of his research specialisms. His additional books have explored both the theory and practice of being a modern-day bard. And thanks to his organizing and hosting of countless open-mic nights, spoken-word showcases, symposia, festivals, workshops, and courses (plus his numerous media appearances, such as live storytelling on BBC Breakfast TV, academic consultant for BBC 4’s The Secret Life of Books, and panel guest on BBC Radio 3’s Free Thinking), he has forged a distinctive approach over the last two decades and more. His current focus is primarily within higher education, empowering future wordsmiths alongside his own creative-critical practice. He blogs and tweets as the “Bardic Academic.” For more information on Kevan, visit http://kevanmanwaring.co.uk/. (Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) is courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)The post Episode 53 (The Bard of Bath) first appeared on Paul Meier Dialect Services.

Edda Sharpe Paul’s guests for May 2022 are Edda Sharpe and Jan Haydn Rowles, authors of How To Do Accents and leading figures in the world of voice, speech, and dialects. The three discuss dialects in the English National Opera revival of My Fair Lady (which is coached by Edda) and the film Belfast (coached by Jan). They also engage in a larger discussion of dialects and accents, including the ones featured in those productions: Received Pronunciation (RP), Northern Irish, and Cockney. As well as looking after a busy independent client list, Edda Sharpe is visiting dialect coach for the Royal Shakespeare Company and head of voice at Canada’s Shaw Festival Theatre, where she has coached accents for more than 100 productions. She is also a senior voice and communications coach in the public and private sector.  As a coach, teacher, and trainer, Edda strives to liberate, educate, and inspire individuals to unlock their personal talent and develop their unique potential. Edda is also an accredited NLP Master Practitioner. Jan Haydn Rowles Jan Haydn Rowles has been working across the creative industries at the highest professional level as a dialogue and dialect coach for the past 23 years.  As head of voice at Shakepeare’s Globe (2007-2010), Jan coached more than 20 plays and worked with more than 200 actors.  You may well have seen and heard her work at the RSC, the Almeida, the Donmar, and the Royal Court. On film and TV, her credits include the aforementioned Belfast (Kenneth Branagh), Pistols (Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols biopic), This Sceptered Isle (Kenneth Branagh), Game of Thrones, and House of The Dragons. All audio clips are excerpted from YouTube under fair use. The clip from Belfast (written, directed, and produced by Kenneth Branagh) is copyright 2021 TKBC. (Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)The post Episode 52 (How To Do Accents) first appeared on Paul Meier Dialect Services.

The April 2022 episode is a celebration of the first 50 episodes of In a Manner of Speaking, the podcast Paul began in February 2018. Reminisce with Paul about some of his favorite episodes and join him in thanking all his guests — and YOU for listening. Click here for the full YouTube clip of James Earl Jones’ performance in August Wilson’s Fences from 1987. (Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)The post Episode 51 (Celebrating the First 50) first appeared on Paul Meier Dialect Services.

Denise Woods Paul’s guest for March 2022 is Denise Woods, successful Hollywood dialect coach, theatre professor at the California Institute of the Arts, and author of the recent book The Power of Voice, published by HarperCollins. In addition to the two dialect coaches discussing the finer points of their profession, Paul and Denise talk about the contentious terms “accent reduction/modification” and how to help clients who believe their accent is holding them back socially or professionally. They also discuss coaching Black actors and delve into the changing landscape of audiobooks and how a single narrator can respectfully voice scores of characters who differ in age, gender, dialect, nationality, and ethnicity. A native of New York City’s Lower East Side and a graduate and former faculty member of the Juilliard School, Denise has coached Queen Latifah, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Jessica Chastain, Amber Heard, Anthony Mackie, Phylicia Rashad, Ellen Burstyn, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Soledad O’Brien, Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Paul Rodriguez, David Alan Grier, Victoria Rowell, Kellan Lutz, Ray Liotta, Portia De Rossi, Rachel Weisz, Mekhi Phifer, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeffrey Wright, Mike Myers, and many others. She was recently the dialect coach for the Netflix film The Harder They Fall, starring Idris Elba and Regina King, and she coached Don Cheadle in the critically acclaimed Showtime series, Black Monday. For more information about Denise, visit her website, SpeakItClearly.com. (Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)The post Episode 50 (The Power of Voice) first appeared on Paul Meier Dialect Services.

Lane Greene Paul’s guest for February 2022 is Lane Greene, language columnist and Spain correspondent for The Economist. This month’s episode takes its title from one of Lane’s books, You Are What You Speak (2011), and Paul and Lane tackle a variety of topics related to linguistics, accents, and the myths, fears, hopes, history, and politics surrounding language. Before Lane moved into his current role at The Economist, he covered digital news, books and culture, European business, law, energy, the environment, and American politics for the publication. He is based in Madrid, after living in London, Berlin, and New York City. In addition to the aforementioned book, Greene is the author of Talk on the Wild Side (2018) and the winner of the journalism award from the Linguistic Society of America in 2017. He is a former adjunct assistant professor in Global Affairs at New York University and a consultant to Freedom House, a non-governmental organization. He received an M.Phil. from Oxford in European politics and a B.A. with honors from Tulane in international relations and history. Lane, who speaks nine languages, was born in Johnson City, Tennessee, and grew up in Marietta, Georgia. For more information on Lane, visit LaneGreene.com.The post Episode 49 (You Are What You Speak) first appeared on Paul Meier Dialect Services.