RSA 2010 Conference Volume Published

RSA 2010 Conference Volume Published

If you attended the 2010 RSA Conference in Minneapolis, you should soon receive your copy of the collection of papers that emerged from the conference. Rhetoric: Concord and Controversy, edited by Antonio de Velasco and Melody Lehn, comes to each conference participant for free, paid for by conference registration fees.

The book offers thirty-two essays focused on rhetoric’s dwelling at the nexus of identification and division, conflict and consensus. A meeting point for multiple perspectives on rhetoric’s Janus-like character, Rhetoric: Concord and Controversy reveals a landscape that is vivid as well as varied, apparent as well as dense. Where do diversity and sameness meet on the human tongue and in the human condition? What are the limits of rhetorical concord? What role does race and gender play in the give-and-take of unity and difference? Is there a viable alternative to agreeing to disagree? How can rhetorical pedagogy respond to the political controversies of today? Taking up such questions and many more, contributors delve into topics ranging from the nature of rhetorical freedom to the intricacies of translation, from contemporary protest tactics to ancient questions about the relation of rhetoric to dialectic. Highlights include Sharon Crowley’s keynote talk on the politics of whiteness and Jack Selzer’s plenary lecture on the controversies that surrounded Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” oration.

If you did not have a chance to attend the Minneapolis event, you can still obtain a copy at the RSA members' price (20% off the list price). To get a detailed look at the contents, go to http://www.waveland.com/Titles/de-Velasco-Lehn.htm. You will also find information on how to obtain your RSA member discount.