Page 263 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

230 Part 3 Putting Theory Into Practice

Exhibit 9.3
Theme
Spiral Pattern
reaches
Each point in a spiral climax
pattern repeats the theme
with greater intensity.

Theme
begins

Exhibit 9.4
Quotation
Star Pattern
In a star pattern all points
grow from a central idea.

Anecdote Story

Central
idea

Example Story

together. When actor Edward James Olmos spoke at our university several years
ago the speech seemed like a random list of stories and anecdotes to some in the
audience. But a more careful analysis shows that each of his stories was really a
point on a star, with the central message being “we are all one gang.” Exhibit 9.4
illustrates the star pattern.
As a speaker, carefully consider both the audience’s cultural background as
it affects their organizational preferences and your own cultural affi nity for cer-
tain patterns of organization. Although cultural diversity provides the opportu-