Is it true that, in this era of digitization and mass media, reading and writing are on the decline? In a thought-provoking collection of essays and profiles, 30 contributors explore what may instead be a rise in rhetorical activity, an upsurge due in part to the sudden blurring of the traditional roles of creator and audience in participatory media. This collection explores topics too often overlooked by traditional academic scholarship, though critical to an exploration of rhetoric and popular culture, including fan fiction, reality television, blogging, online role-playing games, and Fantasy Football.

African American Literacies is a study of literacy and rhetoric & composition from the perspective of African American experiences. Richardson argues for an expanded conception of African American Vernacular English, which recognizes not only respect for surface elements but also its Standards, its ideologies and rhetorical practices that all contribute to the universe of Black discourse, and its role in the enrichment of American rhetorics, discourses and literacies. Richardson argues that implementing this view of literacy education will not only improve the literacy achievement of African American students, but rhetorical education for all.

This introduction to the art of rhetoric analyzes rhetorical concepts, problems, and methods and teaches practical inquiry through a series of classic rhetorical texts.