re:verb

In this episode, we explore some dimensions of the concept of memory through conversations with two people whose work deals directly with how we remember people, places, time periods, and events. Audrey Strohm hops on the mic with Alex to talk with Taylor Rugg, an M.A. student in Rhetoric at Carnegie Mellon, who has authored both academic and creative work on how people remember traumatic events. We specifically discuss the ways that trauma is experienced by members of the military, and how this can

In part two of our series on the politics of security, Calvin and Alex analyze two recent “artifacts” of national security discourse – General John Kelly’s October 2017 press conference addressing why the U.S. has troops in Niger (and elsewhere), and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Office’s January 2017 report on Russian “activities and intentions” in U.S. elections. The ensuing conversation explores how national security figures establish an authoritative, dominating narrative and close

Prior to World War II, American political leaders tended to talk about national security by framing the U.S. as a “sanctuary” for democratic ideals that needed to be protected. After the war, this dominant framing shifted to focus on the U.S. as a “powerhouse” for democracy, in which the nation’s responsibility was to go on the offensive and spread American ideals throughout the world. In this week’s episode, Calvin and Alex speak with Kent State English Professor Patricia Dunmire about the ways

We introduce the re:verb podcast, its hosts (Calvin Pollak and Alex Helberg), and we explain the project's genealogy as a descendant of The Silver Tongue, a rhetorical criticism blog founded by Doug Cloud, Hilary Franklin, Alexis Teagarden and Matt Zebrowski in 2010. We talk to Silver Tongueco-founder Doug Cloud-- now an Assistant Professor of English at Colorado State University -- about rhetoric, public engagement, and the benefits of topical eclecticism in humanities research. Then, co-hosts