Booth and Burns: Guys I Wouldn’t Mind To Drink a Beer With

As possibly the last person to post this week, I would like to agree that Dr. Burns was a most enjoyable presenter. I will return to him, but first I will dispense with Mr. Booth, as Dr. Burns referred to him. It appeared that Booth’s was very similar to Kinneavy in that, both were concerned with applying “rhetoric as a coordinating force for unity” within composition.

Dr. Burns began by focusing on Booth’s wish to “dust off the poor reputation of rhetoric.” This seemed to me a monumental undertaking. I am certainly not a person who was educated was a strong background in the history of rhetoric, and even I have an overtly negative connotation when the word is lightly tossed around. Booth goes about this face life by focusing defining rhetoric as a quest for effective communication, rather than persuasive speech or writing.

By far the most appealing concept that Dr. Burns presented about Booth was his text The Rhetoric of Fiction. The very idea is both obvious, and yet so rarely addressed. When one thinks of great rhetorical works, one usually thinks of nonfiction (yes, I used the pronoun one twice). However, it only seems logical that works of fiction would also contain elements that influence the reader’s view of the world. I thought this concept fit well with what Shaynee brought in regarding Bizzell; both theorists are concerned with connections between culture and rhetoric. It appears that they are both presenting that idea that one’s native discourse communities can be expanded without direct interaction.

While the Booth presentation was interesting, the real treats were the side stories and pop quizzes. Even though I was one of the people with my eyes down and my head ducked when he asked us about rhetoric and language arts, I felt I the experience was positive and enlightening. Dr. Burns’ stories regarding his technical work were also entertaining and provided a new angle to integrate into class discussions that begin with the question: “When am I going to need to know this?” As good as the discussion was, the people that went to dinner after class received the best look at an individual who has made composition his life’s work. I was pleased that a man who had clearly done so much could be so approachable and humorous. I hope he is able to travel to see us again before I am finished with the program.