Homer Hickam I attended a speech on Monday, October 11th at 7:00pm. The speaker was Homer Hickam, a West Virginia native and author of the Rocket Boys. The audience consisted of people in different age groups and backgrounds. It was also a large, voluntary audience, so most people seemed to enjoy the speech. Homer Hickam mostly talked about his book Rocket Boys from which the movie October Sky was taken. He also explained how he came to write the book and how West Virginia made an impact on his life. Before hearing the speech, I had read Rocket Boys so I was very familiar with the events he had mentioned in his presentation. Hickam had the necessary qualifications to present the speech because it was his book and he knew all the facts. My initial impression of the speaker was a positive one. I enjoyed his book and I respected him as a person as well as a speaker. Homer Hickam also had great ethos because he focused on how West Virginia helped him to survive as a writer as well as an individual. This pleased the audience very much because most of them are residents in West Virginia. The speaker did gain attention effectively. His presence captivated the audience when he walked into the auditorium. Everyone just became silent and listened. Hickam really did not state a thesis. He just greeted the audience and began reflecting on his life. Hickam did, however, make an attempt to dispose the audience favorably toward the speaker and topic. He stressed the fact that he was from West Virginia and how his book had been developed into a movie. The speaker did not clearly preview the main points in the introduction. As I mentioned before, he just began telling stories about his life without really setting up a structure for the audience to follow. The main points of the speech were as follows: his childhood in West Virginia, how he got the idea for his book, how his book became a movie and finally, how he became a NASA engineer. The speaker used chronological order as his organizational pattern. He talked about his childhood in West Virginia first, then he preceded to tell about the rest of his life. Hickam used examples and testimonies of the other "Rocket Boys" who were present at the speech. This was a very effective technique because the audience responded to it. The support was relevant and adequate. Hickam did use good transitions between his main points. The speech did expand my knowledge on the topic because Homer Hickam shared more intimate facts about his life and how
The very first sentence goes right into the speech with no holding back and it lays out the thesis tha...
of a Marine.’ Etc. & etc. At the time it seemed to me a very good speech,
The author had many historical facts brought into his speech for backing up his facts, making a strong
discusses his life as a kid, and how he was accidentally placed in a vocational program in his
He finished his doctorate, started concentrating on identity. It is said that he was the first teacher to instruct a school level course on identity hypothesis, a course that today is required by about all undergrad brain science majors.
to tell a story, get sidetracked, argue all of his points, and then go on to the story again.
the main events of his educational and philosophical growth. He then had the clear articulation of
For Mr. Gregory that was his entire speech. One of the reasons why his speech was so outstanding was due to the fact that he use satire to connect with the audience. He used humor to point out important details to the audience. He said “Prices were so low, his cousins didn’t have to shoplift” Bringing up economic issues. “Water cost more than gas, if he could have a best buy mobile card for water.” Finally exposing the fact that they take house away when times were good and his ways of trying to get loans to open up black’s business. Such a black airline that don’t serve alcohol but allows you to bring your one. Also one that won’t lose your luggage because you can’t bring any. Those lines were hilarious but also point out specific
He played many roles throughout his life, with the writing being more of a stronger topic for him.
his life where it has influences of his writing and how it did impact many people.
how to read and interpret his audience, and thus he was able to promote the civil
who they are. As an author he is very good at this as he is seen as a
I will start with George Bush’s speech at Maxwell Air Force Base. Bush starts by thanking the men and women who participated
a clever way so he was able to express his ideas fully. One way was
...ass levels, interactions between characters and stronger meaning behind the plot. His subtle use of references to the performing arts allows the reader to leave interpretation to those scenes and what each character could possibly represent in that situation.