
0036: Anecdote of Carlina
From Improve Something Today by Brian Kerr
February 4, 2026 · 4 min · Episode 36
About this episode
This episode features readings from historical texts on public speaking and the sad clown paradox.
A reading of two short passages, one from The Art of Public Speaking, by John Rippingham (1814), and the other from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ‘The Comic’ (1875). By way of Wikipedia on the ‘sad clown paradox’ as shared on Mastodon by John Overholt .
People in this episode
Host: Brian Kerr
Topics covered
- public speaking
- literature
- sad clown paradox
- anecdotes
- historical texts
Keywords
- public speaking
- John Rippingham
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- sad clown paradox
- literature
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Art of Public Speaking, The Comic
More episodes of Improve Something Today
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- 0038: 5 ways to approach goal-setting · February 18, 2026 · 11 min
- 0037: The wooden chair · February 11, 2026 · 6 min
- 0035: Premortem · January 28, 2026 · 9 min
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