Thursday, October 2, 2014

His Words and Voice Echo Still


       Watching and listening to the Ken Burns work on the Roosevelts, I certainly recalled those twelve years of Franklin Roosevelt's presidency from 1933 to FDR's death in 1945.  Well, I was three when he became president, 15 when he died.

       It was a period when somebody who found he was interested in speech could hear good speeches--Roosevelt, Churchill--and hear them well spoken.  And somebody interested in radio could hear in Roosevelt's fireside chats a man who knew that radio spoke to one or two, not millions.

       And with FDR--that cultured, Eastern accent, just natural to him, and clear and self-confident and full of noblesse oblige as any average Midwesterner might take pleasure in looking up to--the whole image of a President, the only one you'd ever known, was there complete.

1 comment:

  1. one of the most calming, melodic and entertaining voices is that of the author of this blog - don salper. his you tube performance of e.e. cummings still can soothe my overstimulated brain. the other voice which bore a melody embedded with love was that of my father, peter gartlan. a gentle irish brogue, delivering little tidbits of irish humor, sage advice and above all, fatherly advice. in my dreams, that brogue visits me. in current life, I am blessed with don's glorious voice speaking in a calm, deliberate tone - like a warm hug on a cold winter's day. xxoo

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