Rhetoric in Motion: Movement, Mobility, and the History of RHetoric (Mar 6)

Friday, March 6, 2026
12:00-1:00pm CT
 
Prof. Lisa Corrigan, University of Arkansas
Prof. Andre Johnson, University of Memphis
Prof. Jennifer Keohane, University of Baltimore
Prof. Maryam Ahmadi, University of Georgia
 

“Movement” is often associated with social change, migration, circulation, and collective action—but for scholars of the history of rhetoric/rhetorical history, movement also names the ways rhetoric travels across time, space, media, institutions, and publics. As the National Communication Association’s upcoming conference theme invites scholars to think with and through movement, this forum asks: what does movement mean for the history of rhetoric and rhetorical historiography? This First Friday Forum explores movement as a historical, rhetorical, and methodological concept. Panelists and participants will consider how rhetoric moves through bodies and borders, texts and technologies, traditions and transformations, institutions and publics. How do rhetorical forms migrate, mutate, and reappear across historical moments? How do ideas, arguments, and genres travel across cultural and political contexts? And how might attention to movement reshape the ways we narrate rhetorical pasts, identify historical actors, and understand continuity and change? By exploring these themes, this session aims to open conceptual and practical pathways for scholars preparing work for NCA and beyond.

About the ASHR First Friday Forum Series: Inspired by the classical conception of the forum as an intellectual gathering place, ASHR’s “First Friday Forum” series promotes educational programming, professional development, and an inclusive, collaborative virtual community. It is our hope that this virtual space will foster dynamic, cross-disciplinary scholarly engagement for those interested in reexamining and reimagining the various histories of rhetoric across all periods, languages, cultures, and modes of performance. The Spring 2026 “First Friday Forum” series will focus on key questions related to the research and teaching of the history of rhetoric / rhetorical history. These virtual gatherings will take place on February 6, March 6, April 3, and May 1, 2026 from 12:00-1:00pm Central Time via Zoom.
 

Register: https://stthomas.zoom.us/meeting/register/Wu3irbrHStWNMDIhPVMNhg