The Speechwriter's Room

Mary Robbins
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The Speechwriter's Room is for people who like or write speeches and those who deliver them. Every other week, Mary Robbins does a deep dive into the craft, politics, and quirks of writing remarks for leaders of all stripes.

Episodes

  1. JAN 5

    MLK Day

    In advance of this year's MLK Day, Mary highlights the stories behind two of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches, starting with how gospel singer Mahalia Jackson influenced the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington and Clarence B. Jones' account of how the speechwriting process unfolded the night before the March. Then, Mary discusses how Dr. King used the tools of persuasion in his speech at the fourth annual AFL-CIO convention in 1961. The episode pulls excerpts from these two speeches to showcase Dr. King's gift for challenging people in power and inspiring people to join the struggle for civil rights. More about Mahalia Jackson's advice to Dr. King at the March on Washington: https://www.vox.com/2016/1/18/10785882/martin-luther-king-dream-mahalia-jackson and https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/opinion/mahalia-jackson-and-kings-rhetorical-improvisation.html Transcript of Dr. King's speech at the March on Washington: https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety Clarence B. Jones' story in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/14/AR2011011406266_pf.html Transcript of Dr. King's speech at the AFL-CIO Convention in 1961: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/address-delivered-fourth-constitutional-convention-afl-cio Recording of Dr. King's speech at the AFL-CIO Convention in 1961: https://laborhistorytoday.podbean.com/e/mlk-at-the-afl-cio-in-1961-encore/ Historian Michael B. Honey's book All Labor Has Dignity: https://www.beacon.org/All-Labor-Has-Dignity-P921.aspx To learn more about the host, Mary Robbins, visit storiedcommunications.com.

    17 min

  2. JAN 5

    Interview: Bob Lehrman and Eric Schnure

    Two speechwriting legends join The Speechwriter’s Room on this episode. In addition to authoring The Political Speechwriter’s Companion, Bob Lehrman and Eric Schnure both wrote for former-Vice President Al Gore in the White House and have penned remarks for dozens more elected leaders, celebrities, and business executives. They talk about writing conversationally and quickly, how the term “howdahells” came about, the pitfalls of writing jokes for politicians, and the credit that the author Kurt Vonnegut deserves for Bob Lehrman’s speechwriting career. They also discuss the techniques that make Oprah Winfrey’s speech at the 2018 Golden Globes so memorable.  Learn more about Bob Lehrman here.  Learn more about Eric Schnure here.  To find out more about the host, Mary Robbins, visit storiedcommunications.com.

    26 min

  3. JAN 5

    Stand-Up Comedy

    In this episode, Mary Robbins talks about what speechwriters can learn from joke writers. She shares clips from some of her favorite comedians and the techniques their punchlines share with speechwriting, like the primacy-recency effect, the rule of three, and callbacks. Mary cites research on callbacks from Duke University, which can be found here: https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-fuqua-insights/how-marketers-can-harness-power-of-callbacks To learn more about Mary Robbins, visit storiedcommunications.com

    18 min

  4. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Introducing The Speechwriter's Room

    Mary Robbins has been a speechwriter for 15 years, crafting remarks and narratives for leaders from the business world to the White House. Now, she's sharing some of what she's learned and inviting some of the best speechwriters in the business to discuss the techniques and quirky aspects of the speechwriting profession. Join us in The Speechwriter's Room. To learn more about Mary Robbins, visit storiedcommunications.com

    1 min

Trailer

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About

The Speechwriter's Room is for people who like or write speeches and those who deliver them. Every other week, Mary Robbins does a deep dive into the craft, politics, and quirks of writing remarks for leaders of all stripes.

Information

  • Creator
    Mary Robbins
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mary Robbins