History of rhetoric; classical rhetoric; British rhetorical theory; composition theory and pedagogy; rhetoric and philosophy; history of English studies

My work in the history of rhetoric begins with the assumption that rhetorical theories inevitably maintain a reciprocal relationship with the cultures from which they emerge. Although rhetorical theories demonstrate common areas of concern across time, they also reflect the perspectives of specific times and places. I am convinced that cultivating a sensitive understanding of history can not only enhance our understanding of past thought, but can also sharpen our critical awareness of the contemporary challenges that continue to shape rhetoric's development.

I am interested in exploring ways in which assumptions about rhetoric's civic function change in response to particular social concerns. This interest is reflected in my current work on a book-length manuscript that examines the influence of Stoic ethics on British rhetorical theory across several centuries. In this manuscript, I argue that British appropriations of the Stoic ideal of sensus communis reflect an ongoing effort to create social stability and to resolve the tension between goals of individual self-interest and the public welfare.

I am also continuing my study of nineteenth-century British rhetorical theory, with the goal of considering how social and political changes in the middle of the century bring about a change in the vocabulary by which rhetoric is defined--without eliminating the importance of rhetoric in British society.

Thomas De Quincey: British Rhetoric’s Romantic Turn, Rhetoric in the Modern Era Series, co-edited by Arthur E. Walzer and Edward Schiappa, Southern Illinois University Press, 2012.

“Outward, Visible Propriety”: Stoic Philosophy and Eighteenth-Century British Rhetorics. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2008.

“Rhetorical History and the Octalogs: A Retrospective.” Introduction and Editor. Rhetoric Review 30.3 (2011): 237-57.

“Octalog III: The Politics of Historiography in 2010.” Article co-edited and introduction co-authored with Laurie Gries and Zosha Stuckey. Rhetoric Review 30.2 (2011) 109-34.

“Rhetoric, Ethos, & Unease: Re-negotiation of the ‘Normal’ in the Classroom & on the Quad.” Co-authored with Zosha Stuckey. Open Words 5.1 (Spring, 2011): 15-27.

“Teaching Propriety: Unlocking the Mysteries of ‘Political Correctness.’” College Composition and Communication 60.4 (2009): 746-64.

“‘The Day Belongs to the Students’: Expanding Epideictic’s Civic Function.” Rhetoric Review 27.2 (2008): 147-64.