My dad died a few weeks ago. I’ve written about him and the rhetoric of death and dying here and here.
Author: BrettRhetoric
I am a mostly-retired communication professor and a singer-songwriter. After the 2016 election, my wife and I decided to do something gigantic. We quit our teaching jobs, sold nearly everything, hit the road in a van. We spent over a year talking to people about polarization and division in our public discourse. I try to write what I've learned about politics, religion, public rhetoric, mental health, music....
WHAT ARE WE FOR?
An excerpt from my latest in Good Faith Media: "If we are driven by the desire to harm and reduce ourselves to name-calling and the dehumanization of others, no matter how deplorable they may be, we sabotage our efforts and our credibility. Even if we are on the side of the good, we risk being … Continue reading WHAT ARE WE FOR?
IT’S NOT JUST THE CRUELTY, IT’S THE STRUGGLE
Reprinted from my Substack (subscribe for free): In 2018, The Atlantic published, “The Cruelty Is the Point,” where Adam Serwer explored the sadism animating Trump supporters. It went a long way to explain what was unique about that historical moment. I’m not sure cruelty alone could have sustained what we are witnessing now. We might have to … Continue reading IT’S NOT JUST THE CRUELTY, IT’S THE STRUGGLE
Substack Newsletter
I have started a new Substack newsletter that will be updated frequently. You can subscribe here: https://substack.com/@brettrhetoric. The content will be available for free. I still plan to post essays here occasionally, but the Substack will be the primary contribution. Along with new and current stories, I plan to post something from my blogging archives … Continue reading Substack Newsletter
MY CRITIQUE OF THE CRITICS
I cobbled together some of my current analysis and Good Faith Media published it as their feature article.
THIS IS WHY WE WRITE
This is why This is why we fight And when we die We will die With our arms unbound And this is why This is why we fight Come hell Come hell – Colin Meloy (The Decemberists), "This Is Why We Fight" I don't think I've ever taught a class where we didn't begin with … Continue reading THIS IS WHY WE WRITE
WHO’S TO BLAME?
A Trump-supporting family member of mine, in a comment before the election, wrote, "If my Party's candidate for President was in danger of losing the election to someone as flawed as Donald Trump, I might be asking myself if maybe my candidate or my Party is doing something that causes roughly half the people in … Continue reading WHO’S TO BLAME?
WHAT NOW?
Almost a year ago, we had to start clearing out my parents' house, as they were both turning 90, and preparing to move to an independent living facility. It was not a move they wanted to make, but life at home had become unsustainable. In January, we had an estate sale to clear out decades … Continue reading WHAT NOW?
THE FRAGILITY OF AMERICAN GREATNESS AND THE BANALITY OF EVIL
I didn't get really involved in politics until my sophomore year of college, when Ronald Reagan was running for reelection. I was a conservative evangelical and a zealous member of the Reagan Revolution. I was a self-righteous motherfucker. I've made a lot of personal changes since then. I mean, I can still be self-righteous occasionally, … Continue reading THE FRAGILITY OF AMERICAN GREATNESS AND THE BANALITY OF EVIL
IN YOUR ALGORITHM, IS THERE ROOM FOR ME?
When you reach a certain age, there is an intrinsically satisfying thing about getting in the studio with no particular agenda, other than to make songs with friends. "The Signal and the Noise" is the fifth single I've released since my 2020 Something Gigantic album. Someday soon I may re-master and cobble them together into … Continue reading IN YOUR ALGORITHM, IS THERE ROOM FOR ME?
