6.0404 Penn State Conference on Rhetoric/Composition (1/422)
Elaine Brennan (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Fri, 11 Dec 1992 15:10:40 EST
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0404. Friday, 11 Dec 1992.
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 11:41:15 EST
From: John T. Harwood <JTH@psuvm.psu.edu>
Subject: Penn State Conference on Rhetoric and Composition
The Penn State Conference on Rhetoric and Composition
July 7-10, 1993
The Penn State Conference on Rhetoric and Composition, now in its
12th year, is a four-day gathering of teachers and scholars. It
offers a generous mixture of plenary and special-interest sessions
in a relaxed atmosphere; a chance for learning, leisure, and
reflection on composition and rhetoric; and an extended opportunity
to discuss professional concerns with nationally known speakers and
interested colleagues.
Each year the conference features plenary sessions, concurrent
sessions, workshops, and roundtable discussions on topics of current
interest. In addition, three special sessions will be offered on
Saturday morning: (a) The Rhetorical Functions of Narrative in
Literary and Nonliterary Discourse, (b) Teaching the New Stylistics,
and (c) Advances in Computers and Writing.
Call for Papers
The program committee invites proposals for papers and workshops.
Submit a one-page description plus a 250-word abstract to appear in
the conference program (see below). Multiple submissions are
encouraged. Please identify each proposal as a:
-paper
-whole session
-workshop
On each proposal, please include (for each speaker)
-the presentation title
-speaker's name
-speaker's professional affiliation
-speaker's home address (current and after June 1)
-speaker's home phone number (current and after June 1)
-speaker's electronic mail (E-mail) address (if you have one)
If you are willing to chair a session, please let us know that, too.
Send your proposals by April 5 to Davida H. Charney, 117 Burrowes
Building, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802-6200;
phone (814) 865-9703 or (secretary) 863-3066; e-mail to IRJ at
PSUVM.PSU.EDU; fax to (814) 863-7285.
TO REQUEST A PRINTED CONFERENCE BROCHURE, INCLUDING HOUSING
AND REGISTRATION FORMS, CONTACT DAVIDA CHARNEY AS ABOVE.
Although we receive a great many proposals, we can accept only
about one hundred papers. We will announce this year's program in
early May.
Papers
You may propose a single 20-minute paper on subjects involving
rhetoric and composition. Especially welcome are extensions,
applications, and critiques of the work of our featured speakers.
Other possible topics include rhetorical theory; the composing
process; technical or business writing; advanced composition; ESL;
writing across the curriculum; the history of rhetoric; teaching
methods; writing and gender; collaborative learning; tutoring and
writing labs; multiculturalism; connections among reading, writing,
and speaking; computers and writing; legal, political, or religious
rhetoric; literacy; language and stylistics; basic writing; social
implications of writing; writing in the workplace; rhetorical
criticism; rhetoric and literature; testing and assessment; and the
administration of writing programs.
Preference will be given to proposals that not only motivate an
issue, but also indicate a substantive scholarly or research approach
and point to interesting conclusions and implications. Be sure to
include a 250-word abstract along with your one page description.
Whole-session Panels
You may propose an entire session, typically consisting of three or
four related papers, on any of the topics listed above. Proposals
should include 250-word abstracts and one-page descriptions for
each talk, plus a cover page briefly describing the relationships
among the papers.
Workshops
You may propose a 90- or 120-minute workshop on any of the topics
listed above. We especially welcome workshops on innovative
pedagogical techniques and on state-of-the-art applications of
educational computing. Strong preference will be given to workshop
proposals that clearly incorporate hands-on, interactive involvement
of the participants. In addition to a one-page description, include a
250-word abstract summarizing the goals and structure of the
workshop.
Saturday Morning Sessions
On Saturday morning, participants will have a special opportunity to
concentrate for an extended period on one of three important areas:
Rhetorical Functions of Narrative in Literary and Nonliterary
Discourse, Teaching the New Stylistics, and Advances in Computers
and Writing. You may submit a proposal for any of the following:
Rhetorical Functions of Narrative in Literary and Nonliterary
Discourse
Since Aristotle and Quintilian, narrative has stood in uneasy but
necessary relation to rhetoric, alternately enjoying ascendance and
falling out of favor as a focus for inquiry. Interest in narrative has
resurfaced in contemporary theories of rhetoric and composition
which treat scientific, poetic, political, and cultural texts. Two
current theorists of narrative and rhetoric, Don Bialostosky and
Debra Journet will be chair/respondents for this session. We invite
paper proposals on any aspect of the issue, including special
instances of narrative as a suasive tactic in literature, in political
texts, or in specific cultural sites; the historical links between
narrative and rhetoric; or the value of narrative theory for writing
and/or writing pedagogy. To propose a presentation for this session,
follow the guidelines under 'Call for Papers.' Give your proposal a
title and add the label: Saturday Morning--Narrative.
Teaching the New Stylistics
Recent composition theory has increasingly and unduly neglected
such formal elements of discourse as linguistic register, figurative
language, sentence style, and form. Rather than representing empty
formalisms or concerns that only enter the writing process in late
stages of revision, these elements can be studied and taught as
generative tools of imagination, invention, and discovery. This
session led by Marie Secor (Penn State) and Jeanne Fahnestock
(University of Maryland) will feature workshops and papers that will
illustrate new techniques of stylistic analysis and strategies for
using them in the writing classroom. To propose a paper or
workshop for this session, follow the guidelines under 'Call for
Papers.' Give your proposal a title and add the label: Saturday
Morning--Stylistics.
Advances in Computers and Writing
The most advanced work on computers and writing draws on and
contributes to current thoeries of the writing process, social and
cultural contexts, and writing pedagogy. Dave Kaufer will chair this
session that will feature hands-on demonstrations and talks on new
applications of computer technology for addressing issues in
writing. Proposals are welcome on technological approaches to such
topics as: collaborative writing, support of writing processes,
effects of hypertext, classroom applications, text analysis, and
multimedia. To propose a talk or demonstration, follow the
guidelines under 'Call for Papers.' Give your proposal a title and
add the label: Saturday Morning--Computers and Writing.
Plenary Session Speakers
Michael Leff, our keynote speaker, is professor of communication
studies at Northwestern University. A specialist in the history of
rhetoric, his recent work pursues the relationship between
traditional rhetoric and current problems in criticism, especially
tracing the influences of political texts on later writers. His recent
publications include the co-edited Texts in Context: Critical
Dialogues on Significant Episodes in American Political Rhetoric
(1989), 'Burke's Ciceronianism' in The Legacy of Kenneth Burke
(1989), and 'Things Made by Words: Reflections on Textual
Criticism' in Quarterly Journal of Speech. He has contributed
numerous chapters to books and collections such as The Rhetoric of
the Human Sciences (1987), Speech Communication in the Twentieth
Century (1985), and Medieval Eloquence: Studies in the Theory and
Practice of Medieval Rhetoric (1978). He is currently on the Board
of Directors for the Rhetoric Society of America and editor of
Rhetorica.
Don Bialostosky is Distinguished University Professor of English at
the University of Toledo. His research bridges literary and
rhetorical theory, particularly in the study of dialogics, such as in
his Making Tales: The Poetics of Wordsworth's Narrative
Experiments (1984) and Wordsworth, Dialogics, and the Practice of
Criticism (1992). He is currently working on a book on dialogics and
rhetoric and an annotated bibliography of Bakhtinian criticism. He
and Steven Mailloux (U Cal, Irvine) are working on a book-length
project which will map out a vision of English Studies and the
centrality of rhetoric within it. He has published numerous articles
and chapters on poetics and teaching, and is a contributing author to
the forthcoming Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and
Criticism. His professional activities include serving on the
editorial boards of The Bakhtin Newsletter and the Rhetoric Society
Quarterly and on the NCTE Commission on Literature.
Henry Giroux holds the Waterbury Chair Professorship in Secondary
Education at Penn State. His numerous publications have earned him
a reputation as one of the outstanding scholars in pedagogy today.
His Schooling and the Struggle for Public Life (1989), Teachers as
Intellectuals (1988), Education Under Siege (1986), and Theory and
Resistance in Education (1984) have been named by the American
Educational Studies Association as some of the most significant
books in education. His most recent book, Border Crossings: Cultural
Workers and the Politics of Education (1992), reflects his constant
concern with multiculturalism and politics in education. His major
works often focus on writing and critical thinking in social sciences
and the education of teachers. His articles on reading, writing,
literacy, and political discourse, appearing in such journals as
Journal of Education, College Literature, and Journal of Advanced
Composition, indicate his long-standing interest in writing pedagogy
and theory.
Featured Speakers
Debra Brandt is associate professor of English at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. She studies literacy and its relationship to
epistemology, reading and writing, sociology, and testing
methodology. These combined interests are central in her recent
Written Communication article 'The Cognitive as the Social: An
Ethnomethodological Approach to Writing Process Research.' Her
work on literacy and its many aspects has appeared in The Right to
Literacy (1990), Responding to Writing (1989), and College English
and her book, Literacy as Involvement: The Acts of Writers, Readers,
and Texts (1990).
Nan Johnson is professor of English at Ohio State University. Her
research centers on the popularization of rhetoric in America and
the history of cultural attitudes toward rhetorical performance by
women, culminating in her book, 19th Century Rhetoric in North
America (1991). Her work on these issues has also appeared in
chapters such as 'Ethos and the Aims of Rhetoric' in Essays on
Classical Rhetoric and Modern Discourse (1984) and articles such as
'Rhetoric and Belles Lettres in Canada' in College English. Other
articles and reviews on rhetoric and composition studies have
appeared in Rhetorica, Rhetoric Review, Quarterly Journal of Speech,
ADE Bulletin, English Quarterly, and in the anthology edited by James
Murphy, The Rhetorical Tradition and Modern Writing (1982).
Debra Journet, professor of English at the University of Louisville,
studies narrative as an outlet for scientists to describe work that
other genres do not accommodate. Her fruitful conjunction of
technical discourse and literary theory has appeared in such journals
as Technical Communication Quarterly, Written Communication, and
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication. Her co-edited
volume, Research in Technical Communication (1985), won an NCTE
Award for Excellence. She has served as director of undergraduate,
graduate, and technical writing programs and is currently serving
on national technical communications committees in the NCTE and
Association of Teachers of Technical Writing.
David Kaufer, associate professor and associate head of the English
Department at Carnegie Mellon University, specializes in the various
facets of argumentation, both theoretical and pedagogical. His
forthcoming book, Communication at a Distance: The Influence of
Print on Socio-Cultural Organization and Change, and articles in
journals such as Philosophy and Rhetoric and Journal of Advanced
Composition explore academic argumentation and advance our
theories about why certain arguments prevail. To help writers learn
to argue and collaborate in their own writing, he has co-developed a
range of computer tools and has co-authored the textbook Arguing
>From Sources (1989) .
Martin Nystrand, professor of English at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, researches composition theory and history and
instructional methodology. His book Structure of Written
Communication: Studies in Reciprocity between Writers and Readers
(1986) and edited collection What Writers Know: The Language,
Process, and Structure of Written Discourse (1982) have been
recognized as significant contributions to the understanding of the
relationship between readers and writers. His forthcoming
publications include 'From Discourse Communities to Interpretive
Communities' in Exploring Texts and 'Social Interactionism versus
Social Constructionism' in Language, Thought, and Human
Communication. He begins editorship of Written Communication in
1993.
Social Events
In addition to good papers and good talk, the Penn State Conference
offers various occasions for participants to relax, eat, and get to
know each other. On Wednesday evening, July 7, you are invited to a
dessert reception on campus. An outdoor barbecue dinner is planned
for Thursday, July 8, at a rustic retreat not far from State College,
where you can hike, pitch horseshoes, play volleyball, and enjoy the
music of the Allegheny Mountain String Band (square dancing is
encouraged). A wine and cheese party will be held after the
concluding plenary session on Friday.
The conference is held concurrently with the Central Pennsylvania
Festival of the Arts, one of the largest events of its kind in the
country. More than four hundred jury-selected exhibitions--
paintings, ceramics, etchings, leather work, textiles, photographs,
sculpture, jewelry, and more--line the streets of State College and
the sidewalks of campus. Jazz bands, rock groups, mime troupes,
fiddlers, and string quartets perform on outdoor stages; indoors are
films, plays, and special art exhibits.
Leisure Activities
The Penn State campus and surrounding Nittany Valley offer
facilities for camping, swimming, fishing, hiking, tennis, and golf.
Within an hour's drive of State College are boating at Stone Valley,
swimming at Whipple Dam State Park, fishing at Black Moshannon
State Park, and hiking at Alan Seeger State Forest. History buffs
will enjoy nearby Bellefonte, a town of fine nineteenth- century
stores and houses, and Curtin Village, a reconstruction of an iron
foundry, master's mansion, and workers' cottages. Additional
information about these and other local activities is included in the
conference registration packet, or is available upon request.
Time and Location
This conference will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 7 and
will end at noon on Saturday, July 10. It will be held on Penn State's
University Park Campus in State College, Pennsylvania.
The campus is located in the center of Pennsylvania on Routes 26
and 322, south of Interstate 80. It is on the main east-west route of
both the Greyhound and Fullington Trailways bus lines. USAir Express
and United Express serve the University Park Airport, located five
miles from campus; rental cars, limousines, and taxi service
between the campus and the airport are available. You may qualify
for special airfares by staying in town Saturday night.
Accommodations
You may arrange for housing in one of three ways:
1. You may stay in a University residence hall Wednesday through
Friday nights or Tuesday through Saturday nights. If you stay
Wednesday through Friday nights (three nights), the total cost is
$41.25 (double occupancy). Family members are welcome to stay in
the residence hall at the same $41.25 rate. No charge is made for
infants if you provide bedding. You may list a preferred roommate on
the registration form; otherwise, roommates will be assigned. A
limited number of single rooms are available at $57 (three nights).
If you request a single but one is not available when your application
arrives, you will be assigned a double room.
If you stay Tuesday through Saturday nights (five nights), the total
cost is $68.75 (double occupancy) or $95 (single occupancy). The
rules and procedures listed above also apply to those staying for
five nights.
Please note: We regret that we cannot offer daily rates for
University housing. Fees remain the same for all or any part of the
conference.
To register for housing in a University residence hall, complete and
return the attached registration form by June 21. Space may not be
available after the June 21 deadline, so please register early. You
can pay for your room in advance by check, money order, VISA,
MasterCard or request to bill employer (accompanied by a letter of
authorization). Or you may pay by check or with cash when you
arrive. You may purchase meals at the residence hall cafeteria or at
local restaurants both on and off campus.
2. You may stay at one of the following State College hotels/motels
at special conference rates. To reserve a room, call the hotel/motel
directly and identify yourself as a Rhetoric and Composition
Conference participant. The rates below do not include the 6% sales
tax. Reserve as early as possible--a limited number of rooms has
been set aside. Rooms and conference rates may not be available
after June 5.
Days Inn Penn State. 240 South Pugh Street. (800) 258-3297 or
(814) 238-8454. Rates: single $67-$125; double $77-$135. The
lower rates apply to July 6-8, higher rates to 'peak' Arts Festival
dates July 9-10, with a two-day minimum stay. (Within walking
distance to campus.)
Holiday Inn Penn State. 1450 South Atherton Street. (814) 238-
3001. Rates: $60 per room per night for one to four persons. (Not
within walking distance to campus.)
3. You may arrange your own housing. A list of local hotels and
motels will be sent along with your registration acknowledgment.
Call early; the number of rooms is limited and the Central
Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts brings many visitors. Rates for
the festival weekend may be higher than usual.
Fee and Registration
The $110 fee ($90 for graduate students, lecturers, and retired
faculty) covers registration, materials, and three social events. It
may be paid by check, money order, VISA, MasterCard, or request to
bill employer (accompanied by a letter of authorization). We regret
that we cannot offer daily rates for conference registration. Fees
remain the same for all or any part of the conference. To register,
complete the attached form and return it to Penn State by June 21.
Those who register in advance will be notified of program changes.
Registrations will be acknowledged by mail.
Vehicles parked on campus must exhibit valid parking permits. To
receive a parking permit, check the appropriate space on the
registration form and add the amount shown to your fee payment.
Refunds will be made for cancellations received by June 21. After
that, the individual or organization will be held responsible for the
fee. Anyone who is registered but cannot attend may send a
substitute.
University Policies
Cancellation--The University may cancel or postpone any course or
activity because of insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen
circumstances. If a program is canceled or postponed, the
University will refund registration fees but cannot be held
responsible for other costs, charges, or expenses, including
cancellation/change charges assessed by airlines or travel agencies.
Smoking--Penn State has adopted a policy of no smoking in its
buildings, offices, classrooms, and conference facilities (including
Keller Conference Center).
For More Information
About program content:
Davida Charney
117 Burrowes Building
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802-6200
phone (814) 865-9703
secretary (814) 863-3066
FAX (814) 863-7285
E-mail to IRJ at PSUVM.PSU.EDU
About registration and housing:
Roger Maclean
409 Keller Conference Center
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802-1304
phone (814) 863-6106
FAX (814) 865-3749