Interpretive Reading Project # 2: Poetry (Instructions for A Bad Day)

The Interpretive Reading manual is part of the advanced communication series. The challenge with interpretive reading is that the reader must do his or her best to convey the author's thoughts and words (including intent and message) to the audience. Projects in this manual include reading stories, poetry, mono dramas, plays and famous speeches.

Last Thursday, for Project #2: Poetry, I decided to read Shane Koyczan's poem -- Instructions for a Bad Day. I'm a big fan of spoken word poetry, and I found this poem while randomly clicking on youtube links one afternoon long ago. I've been a fan of Shane ever since.

I felt that this poem would be interesting to perform. I found his words beautiful and powerful. I could relate to the topic, and during the performance, I felt that my audience related to it as well.

**For more information on Shane Koyczan, click here.

Presenting An Award

Here's the speech I delivered last June 4 (Saturday) at our Toastmasters meeting. Project is from the "Special Occasion Speeches" manual. Speech project was "Presenting an Award".

INTRO by TM of the PM:

It is September 2014… Another Toastmasters year has passed. It is the Toastmasters International Convention in Paris, France, and District 75, the Philippines, is Number 1 in the world.

Presenting the award for DISTRICT GOVERNOR of the YEAR, also from District 75, is TM Sheila dela Cruz.

THE TOAST

By: Sheila dela Cruz

Good evening, everyone! I’d like to thank you for sharing this special occasion with us. In this day and age when everything is instant, marriages that last beyond 20 years are rare. What more, 40 years?! Truly, 40 years of wedded bliss is reason to celebrate.

More than a celebration of the number of years that my parents have been together, I want to celebrate the fact that theirs is a truly happy marriage.

THE ROAST

THE ROAST

By: Sheila dela Cruz

What can you say about a man who is admired, revered, and loved by everyone? I can start by saying he’s not the subject of my roasting tonight.

In the reality show, “Last Comic Standing”, they said that “You only roast the ones you love”. But in this case, the opposite is true. I'm particularly happy to be delivering this speech because I can now say in public all the things I've been saying behind his back.

It’s payback time, and the object of my wrath is none other than Enrique Salvador Eleazar San Agustin otherwise known as (to the audience) — SAY IT WITH ME-- Boom tarat tarat Boom tarat tarat = tararat tararat BOOM BOOM BOOM!