Paw Prints TidBits for April

Have you ever had to give a presentation in front of a large audience? Were you rattled by the audience's reactions to something you said? This month's anecdote relates John Erskine's view about audience reaction to his presentations. Perhaps it will help put you at ease. The sidebar contains some loony laws on the books in the U.S. Take care that you haven't already broken one of them! We also invite you to visit our website, where you will find a slideshow featuring the glorious California Poppy...one of my favorite California wild flowers.

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Anecdote of the Month

John Erskine (1879–1951)

A n e c d o t e . . .

Erskine was once asked if he found it disconcerting to see members of the audience looking at their watches during a long lecture.

"No," replied Erskine, "not until they start shaking them."

Read another anecdote about this U.S. educator and writer on our website.

B i o g r a p h i c a l . N o t e . . .

U.S. educator, writer, and musician, professor of English at Columbia University (1909-37). His works include The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent (1915) and The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1925). An accomplished composer and musician, Erskine served as the first president of the Juilliard School of Music from 1928 to 1937, was a director of the Metropolitan Opera Association, and wrote several books on music.

M o r e . I n f o r m a t i o n . . .

READ more about John Erskine and his influence on U.S. education.

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