This textbook provides an accessible and student-friendly introduction to rhetoric and rhetorical criticism. The volume grounds the key concepts in rhetorical studies in case studies from American political life in the 20th and 21st centuries, such as Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter From A Birmingham Jail" and the “Birds Aren’t Real” satirical social movement. Each chapter traces the genealogy of one key concept within the discipline, details how the key concept can help justify a rhetoric student’s specific site of inquiry, and discusses how the key concept can be used to analyze the invention and reception of our most important public arguments. Each chapter concludes by discussing the ethical considerations highlighted by applying the key concept to the rhetorical dimensions of our student’s daily lives. The book includes pedagogical features such as learning objectives, glossary terms, and discussion questions.
Luke Winslow (Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin) is an associate professor of rhetorical studies in the Department of Communication at Baylor University. He joined the faculty at Baylor in 2020 after teaching for six years in the School of Communication at San Diego State University. His teaching and research interests include political rhetoric, rhetorical criticism, and rhetoric and religion. He is the author of more than 30 journal articles and five books, including Oligarchy in America: Power, Justice, and the Rule of the Few. He lives in Waco, Texas, with his wife, Addie, and three children.