I think Mark and Clarke's inaugural, introductory essay is superb. They've touched most, if not all, the important bases. (With Burke, I guess, you can never say anybody's touched ALL the bases, but let's not get picky.) The "benchmark" motif from the 1990 New Harmony conference sounds just the right opening note, along with, of course, the parlor conversation metaphor. This scholarly enterprise will begin with Burke, draw on his thoughts and inspiration, ripple out, we hope, in more applied and theoretical dimensions than we can now imagine, then double back for a "reality check" (loosely speaking) with the master. Interpersonal communication is one domain the authors cite that's been relatively fallow from a dramatistic standpoint. There are others.
Save the dates! KB in Ghent, "Rhetoric in a Precarious World"
Rhetoric in a Precarious World. Moving forward with and from Kenneth Burke
In partnership with the Rhetoric Society of Europe, the Kenneth Burke Society will return to Ghent University July 1–3, 2026! In this conference, we aim to explore how the study of rhetoric can respond to and engage with the contentious dynamics our our times, moving forward both with and from KB.