Issue #32: How to give a (great) speech or toast

Everything I've learned from eight years of public speaking

My favorite part of any gathering is, unexpectedly, the speeches or toasts. It’s a rare chance for both the speaker and their listeners to pause, reflect, and experience a moment together — when the room’s collective guard falls down.

There are snippets of speeches that run through my head on a weekly basis: Sam’s friend Rozy telling her husband Julian d…