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.
Call for Submissions! Rhetoric in a precarious world. Moving forward with and from Kenneth Burke
Following the Kenneth Burke Conference at the University of Ghent, July 1–3, 2026, we are inviting paper submissions for a related special issue of the KB Journal entitled Rhetoric in a Precarious World: Moving Forward with and from Kenneth Burke. The guest editors are Kris Rutten (Ghent University, Belgium; kris.rutten@ugent.be) and Amanda Adam (Ghent University, Belgium; amanda.adam@ugent.be). The submission deadline is August 15, 2026. Read the full description and submission guidelines here.
Submit to KB Journal
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KB Journal is in the process of migrating to a new Drupal 11 website and is temporarily closing the Submittable review system until December 2026. Please check back then!
KB: A Conversation (Video)
Find out about Harry Chapin's video interview of Kenneth Burke and how you can get a copy.