The editors of Enculturation seek papers for a second posting of this special issue on "Rhetoric and Composition."

We encourage short 800-1000 word responses to texts posted here or to the issues raised in our initial call for papers (see below).

We also welcome the submission of longer articles that relate to ANY aspect of rhetoric and composition. First consideration will be given to articles that explicitly indicate a relationship to the texts published in this initial posting and to texts that speak to issues in our first call that have not already been substantively addressed.

In addition to academic projects/papers, we are interested in reviews or original web-sites/projects, recently published books, print or e-journals, and ESPECIALLY hypertext/web-ready submissions that use hypertext for rhetorical ends.

All responses and general submissions will be due by March 31, 2004. Please send submissions to:

Where's the rhetoric? Was the "rhetorical turn" in composition just a phase? Did rhetoric serve merely as an historical grounding for establishing the new discipline of Composition Studies? Are we "over" rhetoric? We are interested in commentaries, articles, program reviews, book reviews that explore the current and/or historical relationship(s) between rhetoric and composition. Hyper- and linear-texts accepted.

The editors of Enculturation seek papers for a special issue on "rhetoric and composition." The turn toward rhetoric has been credited with the creation of composition studies as a discipline. Indeed, those on the rhetoric side of the rhet/comp slash might argue that without rhetoric, most of the gains composition has made in the past 20 years would have been impossible. The editors of this special issue are interested in articles that explore the nature of this relationship represented by the slash. While in the 80s our journals and conferences discussed rhetorical issues and their function as composition's disciplinary basis, our focus has shifted, most often in the direction of cultural studies. What is at stake in this shift?

Papers may address but are not limited to the topics and questions below:

* History of the relationship between rhetoric and composition. What have been the points of contact and conflict between rhetoric and composition studies? Between rhetoricians and compositionists? How are these points of contact and conflict situated vis-a-vis modernist and postmodernist rhetorics? What role have institutional and departmental missions played in creating these points of contact and conflict? How has the slash between rhet/comp come to be and to mean?

* Composition studies as a rhetorical activity. How does this practice of composition invite power/politics, gender issues, psychoanalytics, subject formation, economics, religious teachings, and educational paradigms (and the theories and ideologies that inform them) into the writing classroom? How do resulting discussions and the papers they elicit change the purpose and goals of the writing classroom? How might different pedagogies--ranging from service learning to teaching for social change--affect the conceptualization and practice of composition as rhetorical activity?

* The future relationship between rhetoric and composition studies. How will the shift to visual rhetorics and electronic technologies affect this relationship? What role will further (continued? additional?) linking across disciplinary boundaries and border crossings play in terms of composition as a discipline (as distinct from or allied with cultural studies, media studies, etc)? Will the slash between rhet/comp persist? Will one member of the pair disappear? How and why? In what ways might composition re-connect with rhetoric? What might the possible outcomes be?

IN ADDITION to academic projects/papers, we are interested in reviews of original web-sites/projects, recently published books, print or e-journals, and especially hypertext/web-ready submissions that use hypertext for rhetorical ends.

Text-based submissions should be no longer than 5000 words. Reviews 1500-2500.

The form for this issue will be conversational. An initial set of short position statements on the nature/status of rhetoric in composition will be posted in May.

All responses and general submissions will be due by May 1, 2003. Please send submissions to:

Email: