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SPEAKERS BUREAU
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Roberta Mudge Humble
Little Rhody and the Other 49
This presentation touts Rhode Island but offers an eye and earful of the other 49 states, as well. You'll be entertained and informed. See Rhode Island as a state as big as the others in the very best of ways. The colorful pictures of the 50 states are outstanding. Presentation lasts approximately 35 minutes and needs screen, projector, and computer.
RhodeIslandese: An Informal Presentation of the Language of the Nation’s Smallest State
A fun program that focuses on the unique way in which some Rhode Islanders speak. What is so different and amusing about our particular regional language? We shorten words that are too long - 'cuz' for 'because'; 'deteriate' for 'deteriorate'. We drop consonants - ''cou'nt' for 'couldn't'; 'secaterry' for 'secretary'. We mispronounce words - 'Illinoise' for 'Illinois'; 'Pacific' for 'specific.' Audiences "learn" how to speak pure RhodeIslandese by end of the presentation. Flash cards are used.
The Right to Crow: A Look at Rhode Island’s Firsts, Bests, and Uniques
This presentation will explore some of the bests, firsts, and uniques of Rhode Island, including the uniqueness the author found in writing about the nation's smallest state. A quiz will be given to the audience to see how much they already know. Participation is requested in routing out more superlatives and stories about Little Rhody. The audience will reminisce, learn, and gather sufficient ammunition to combat those confused out-of-staters who believe Rhode Island is a part of New York. Presentation can be done with or without PowerPoint.
The Historic Armories of Rhode Island
The oldest of the standing armories in Rhode Island was built in 1835 and the newest in 1928. Brick and granite, wood and stone - these 18 armories have survived through times where lesser architecture would have failed - over half of the existing buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. Besides their military missions to safely store arms and to provide homes for military units, Rhode Island's armories have a close attachment to the state's citizenry. From dances and meetings to circuses with Tom Thumb, voting, polio clinics, car shows, State Inauguration Balls - and home to the fast break in basketball, the armories have welcomed the people of Rhode Island. This presentation includes a PowerPoint presentation of all 18 of Rhode Island's historic armories. Projector, screen, and laptop required.
Needs: can bring overhead projector and screen but would appreciatescreen (and projector) if you have them; need extension cord forprojector. Can bring copies of The Historic Armories of Rhode Island and The Right to Crow to sell
Note: Can bring copies of the books: The Historic Armories of Rhode Island, The Right to Crow, and Rhode Island's Friendly Faces to sell. Also, can bring Rhode Side, the colorful trivia game that tests familiarity with Rhode Island road-side sites.
Roberta Mudge Humble is Professor of English and Technical Communications at Community College of Rhode Island. She is author of numerous textbooks and three Rhode Islandbooks, including The Historic Armories of Rhode Island (2000) and The Right to Crow: A Look at Rhode Island's Firsts, Bests, and Uniques (2006), and Rhode Island's Friendly Faces (2007), in addition to two Rhode Island trivia games: Rhode Test (2009) and Rhode Side (2010). She is a writing consultant to business and industry and an active preservationist of Rhode Island's historic armories.