Kenneth Burke's Weed Garden
Subtitle
Refiguring the Mythic Grounds of Modern Rhetoric
Since its publication in 1950, Kenneth Burke’s "A Rhetoric of Motives" has been one of the most influential texts of theory and criticism. Critics have discovered in its pages concepts that reveal new dimensions of human motivation. And yet, despite its obvious genius, critics have interpreted A Rhetoric of Motives as a collection of provocations rather than a systematic treatment of rhetoric.
In this book, Kyle Jensen argues that the coherence in Burke’s thought has yet to be fully appreciated. Drawing on unpublished drafts and voluminous correspondence, he reconstructs Burke’s drafting and revision process for "A Rhetoric of Motives" as well as its recently discovered second volume, "The War of Words." Jensen’s extensive archival analysis reveals that Burke relied on the concept of myth to draw together the loose ends in his argument. For Burke, all general theories of rhetoric are formed and structured using mythic images and terms.
By exploring what Burke added and omitted, and by putting his writing process into the context of daily life after the Second World War―including Burke’s attempts to clear the weeds from his Andover farm―Jensen sheds new light on the key problems that Burke encountered and the methods he used to overcome them. "Kenneth Burke’s Weed Garden" is essential for those who study Burke and the tradition of modern rhetoric that he helped found.
Bio
Kyle Jensen is professor of English in writing, rhetorics and literacies and director of Writing Programs at ASU.
Praise for this book
Scholars interested in Burke studies will find this compelling book immensely valuable and provocative. Kyle Jensen offers a thorough reading of Burke’s archival and primary materials and his analyses will nuance and clarify understandings of rhetorical concepts such as myth.
Jessica Enoch Author of "Domestic Occupations: Spatial Rhetorics and Women's Work"
To Burke scholarship, 'Kenneth Burke’s Weed Garden' contributes an original, persuasive answer to questions about the coherence of A Rhetoric of Motives and of Burke’s whole philosophy of symbolic action.
Steven Mailloux Author of "Rhetoric’s Pragmatism: Essays in Rhetorical Hermeneutics"
