Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 344
•
Trim: 7⅜ x 10⅜
978-1-4422-5271-4 • Hardback • April 2016 • $130.00 • (£100.00)
978-1-4422-5272-1 • Paperback • April 2016 • $61.00 • (£47.00)
978-1-4422-5273-8 • eBook • April 2016 • $58.00 • (£45.00)
Jim A. Kuypers is professor of communication at Virginia Tech. His many publications include Twentieth Century Roots of Rhetorical Studies, Bush’s War, and Partisan Journalism (a 2014 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title). He has been honored with the American Communication Association’s Outstanding Contribution to Communication Scholarship Award, the Southern States Communication Association’s Janice Hocker Rushing Early Career Research Award, and Dartmouth College’s Distinguished Lecturer Award.
- Elements of Rhetorical Criticism: The Big Picture
Jim A. KuypersPart I. OVERVIEW OF RHETORICAL CRITICISM- What is Rhetoric?
Jim A. Kuypers and Andrew King- Rhetorical Criticism as Art
Jim A. Kuypers- Understanding Rhetorical Situations
Marilyn Young and Kathleen Farrell- Generic Elements in Rhetoric
Bill Benoit- On Objectivity and Politics in Criticism
Edwin BlackPart II. PERSPECTIVES ON CRITICISM- The Traditional Perspective
Forbes I. Hill- Close Textual Analysis: Approaches and Applications
Stephen H. Browne - Criticism of Metaphor
David Henry and Thomas R. Burkholder- The Narrative Perspective
Robert Rowland- Dramatism and Kenneth Burke’s Pentadic Criticism
Ryan McGeough and Andrew King- The Fantasy Theme Perspective
Thomas St. Antoine, Matthew Althouse, and Moya Ball- Feminist Criticism
Donna Nudd and Kristina L. Whalen- Ideographical Criticism
Ronald Lee and Adam BloodPart III. EXPANDING OUR CRITICAL HORIZONS- Eclectic Criticism: Combining Perspectives for Insights
Jim A. Kuypers- Critical Rhetoric: An Orientation Toward Criticism
Raymie McKerrow- Criticism of Popular Culture and Social Media
Kristen HoerlAppendix A: Writing Criticism: Getting StartedAppendix B: Additional Rhetorical PerspectivesAppendix C: Glossary of Terms
In this updated work, Kuypers brings together many of the most articulate and insightful rhetorical scholars to illuminate a wide variety of critical perspectives. This impressive, user-friendly collection covers basic concepts, models their use, and addresses both the potentials and pitfalls of each approach. The result offers a range of insights to illuminate the power of rhetorical criticism. A must-have!
— Kathleen J. Turner, past president, National Communication Association
Like its predecessor, the second edition of Rhetorical Criticism: Perspectives in Action offers up a plethora of riches. Not only does it include landmark essays from well-known critics, but those critics then reflect on the method that led to their essay as well as set forth the promises and pitfalls of their particular perspective. An invaluable resource for both established scholars and aspiring critics.
— Thomas Frentz, University of Arkansas Fayetteville
Jim Kuypers has brought together an impressive cast of well-published rhetorical critics to create a one-of-a-kind textbook. Covering a broad range of critical perspectives, the volume combines theoretical discussions, critical exemplars, and personal reflections to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of the possibilities and pitfalls of each critical method. Sophisticated yet accessible, the volume would make an excellent textbook for advanced undergraduate courses in rhetorical criticism and should be required reading for graduate students in the field.
— J. Michael Hogan, Penn State
Providing a broad foundation for studying rhetoric, Kuypers emphasizes the role of creativity in the production of rhetorical criticism through both his introductory chapters and his curation of contributed chapters, featuring a wide range of perspectives and interpretations of rhetorical theory. Three unique features make this volume especially accessible: First, the essays offer digestible examples of criticism because they were written for this volume and with an audience of novice critics in mind. Second, each chapter includes a list of ‘top picks’—published scholarly works that exemplify good criticism using the approach featured in the chapter—annotated to position the recommended reading in a larger conversation and to reveal important aspects of it. Finally, the glossary presents a quick reference guide that students will appreciate.
— Samantha Senda-Cook, Creighton University
Kuypers has assembled an all-star cast of rhetoricians to explore critical lenses in which they are most expert and, in some cases, of which they are the actual generative voice. The contributors provide students with theoretical underpinnings of differing 'schools' of criticism, steps to follow when writing within a particular critical perspective, examples of criticism specific to the critical lens, and some professional and personal perspectives on the use of the method under investigation. No other text combines the theoretical with the applied and personal in such a way. Kuypers's volume makes criticism come alive as a public craft and as a personal endeavor.
— Jason Black, University of Alabama
Professor Kuypers has assembled an excellent chorus of voices to introduce the art and criticism of public persuasion. In accessible and empowering ways, leading scholars survey a representative range of theories and methods in rhetorical criticism, such as traditional approaches to public speech as well as contemporary approaches to persuasion in popular culture.
— M. Lane Bruner, Georgia State University
Individual chapters focus on major forms of criticism from traditional to cutting edge
Explains techniques in enough detail that students can understand and apply them effectively
In each chapter, authors comment on his or her writing process to demonstrate the personal nature of criticism, allowing students to appreciate that writing criticism is not a simple formulaic process
“Potentials and Pitfalls” section highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the rhetorical perspective being discussed
New features
A completely new introduction explores broad trends in rhetorical criticism and further positions the chapters that follow, highlighting links and contrasts among the approaches
Improved organization—distinct parts more clearly group the contributions, helping students to better understand how different techniques of criticism relate to one another
New chapters on critical approaches to criticism, popular culture, and social media
New appendix on the elements of a critical essay provide basic how-to details for students with limited experience in rhetorical criticism
New appendix on the diversity of critical approaches highlights more recent developments in criticism
A glossary of terms serves as a pedagogical aid