Rhetoric professor named Kenneth Burke Scholar of the Year

Mari Boor Tonn, associate professor of rhetoric and communication studies, will be honored as the Kenneth Burke Scholar of the Year at the Southern States Communication Conference in a spotlight session on April 12 in San Antonio, Texas.  

Kenneth Burke was a 20th century rhetorical scholar who engaged with the intersection of language, philosophy, and culture. Tonn’s research as a rhetorical critic using Burke’s theories include her essay illuminating the controversy surrounding the accidental killing of a woman in Maine by a deerhunter on her own property. This work that has been anthologized multiple times, become a staple in undergraduate and graduate courses investigating and utilizing Burke theories, and frequently cited and addressed in essays, books, and textbooks treating Burke’s insights. 

Previously, Tonn has chaired the Kenneth Burke Interest Group of the Eastern Communication Association, served as invited editorial board member inaugurating the interdisciplinary KB journal, and has led a special invited seminar at the interdisciplinary national Kenneth Burke conference. 

During her session, Tonn will engage with a moderator and audience members on issues such as how Burke’s ideas advance or compete with feminist and cultural and critical perspectives. 

In addition, Tonn has been invited as the introductory speaker for a special double-session on civility in public discourse featuring several nationally-recognized rhetorical scholars. The session will explore Texas Governor Ann Richards' speech during the 1988 Democratic National Convention for what it might illuminate about current levels of civility in political discourse. Tonn co-authored a widely-cited 1993 essay in the Quarterly Journal of Speech, "'Feminine Style' and Political Judgment in the Rhetoric of Ann Richards."