Recently in Rhet/Comp Category

A recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer lamented the use of jargon and "nonsense language" frequently used in the business world and pointed out how three local business schools are trying to create better communicators by offering more writing instruction. 

In his recent article appearing in The Nation, Associate Professor of English at Yale University, William Deresiewicz, argues that the field of (English) literary studies -- and English Departments themselves -- is "slowly dying," "losing its will to live" as fewer students study or major in English literature.  He also points to the profession's lack of an emerging theoretical school in nearly 20 years as well as a dwindling job market.

Despite a poor job market, Deresiewicz notes that the number of "'service'" positions - Rhetoric & Composition, Creative Writing, Technical Writing, and Communications - seem to dominate the Modern Language Association Job Information List. 

Are English Departments becoming too oriented to the teaching of writing as opposed to the teaching of literature?

JSTOR, the electronic journal database, has added 40 new titles to its collection. Some of the highlights include:

Natural Language & Linguistic Theory published by Springer, including the first 21 volumes (1983-2003). The journal provides a forum for the discussion of theoretical research that pays close attention to natural language data, so as to provide a channel of communication between researchers of a variety of points of view. The journal actively seeks to bridge the gap between descriptive work and work of a highly theoretical, less empirically oriented nature.


Rhetoric Society Quarterly published by Taylor & Francis, including volumes 6-29 (1976-1999). The journal features original articles on all areas of rhetorical studies including theory, history, criticism, and pedagogy. The journal addresses an interdisciplinary audience of scholars and students of rhetoric who work in communication studies, English studies, philosophy, politics and other allied fields.



The Women's Review of Books published by Old City Publishing, Inc., including volumes 1-21 (1983-2003). The journal provides a unique perspective on today's literary landscape and feature essays and in-depth reviews of new books by and about women.

Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy recently released Issue 12.1, focusing on digital scholarship.

Kairos is a "refereed online journal exploring the intersections of rhetoric, technology, and pedagogy," publishing webtexts that focus on "large-scale issues related to special topics, individual and collaborative reviews of books and media", in addition to news and announcements.

CompPile has a (slightly) new look and three new features: (1) a blog, (2) a section devoted to New/Recent Books, and (3) a section for “CompReviews.”

The winner of the 2007 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest is Jim Gleeson, a 47-year-old media technician from Madison, Wisconsin, who penned the following for the international literary parody contest:

Gerald began -- but was interrupted by a piercing whistle which cost him ten percent of his hearing permanently, as it did everyone else in a ten-mile radius of the eruption, not that it mattered much because for them "permanently" meant the next ten minutes or so until buried by searing lava or suffocated by choking ash -- to pee.

Sponsored by the Department of English & Comparative Literature at San Jose State University and begun in 1982, the department asks writers to submit the worst opening sentence of the worst imaginary novel they can, well, imagine.

The contest is named after the Victorian novelist Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton, who penned a novel with the immortal opening line, "It was a dark and stormy night."

A recent Newsweek article analyzed the current bumper stickers for the 2008 presidential hopefuls, noting color(s), spacing, font style, and overall impact. John Edwards' use of green in his sticker seemed to cause a stir, perhaps denoting a nod to the environmental community.

Which sticker did Newsweek like? Giuliani's (solid like a brick wall).
Which sticker did Newsweek dislike? McCain's (too militaristic).

In his perhaps somewhat circumlocutory article appearing in The Globe and Mail, Ian Brown discusses the impasse between having a sophisticated vocabulary versus a more utilitarian vocabulary, noting the continued mistrust and yet awe people have of logophiles.

In his recent article appearing in City Journal (and adapted from a speech given at Ursinus College), John Leto laments the state of language and prose on college campuses and asks how we can restore the integrity of good English.

Noting that academics themselves can be the ultimate "masters of gobbledygook," Leto also finds the euphemistic, evasive, and ambiguous prose that permeates advertising, political campaigns, and social movements to be just as unbearable. All around us, Leto claims, is language and prose that "bullies" readers into submission without conveying meaning.

Leto's answer to this seeming conundrum is Strunk & White-esque: 1) write with "candor, clarity, and sincerity," and 2) avoid "cliches, idioms, and rhythms of other people."

Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy recently released Issue 11.3, focusing on classical rhetoric and digital communication.

The issue also marks the debut of two new Wiki-based projects: KairosWiki and PraxisWiki. Participation in both wikis is welcome.

Kairos is a "refereed online journal exploring the intersections of rhetoric, technology, and pedagogy," publishing webtexts that focus on "large-scale issues related to special topics, individual and collaborative reviews of books and media", in addition to news and announcements.