I began my studies in literature, but eventually transitioned into rhetoric in communication studies. I am interested in constitutive rhetoric, which is basically how we make up who we are as we go along, and political and legal rhetoric, with an emphasis on free speech. The way this all ties together is with an interest in our national identity and how the law is designed to give voice to certain people. I have written on the free press, the Whiteness of the law, and the rhetorical construction of Jesus, and it all comes down to one question: who are we creating ourselves to be? Or perhaps more aptly, HOW are we doing the creating?
I’ve published in journals that focus on free speech, the law, plus general rhetoric and communication in my career and have served on a few editorial boards in that time, as well. I’ve served on the governing committee of the Freedom of Expression Interest Division of the National Communication Association and worked for that organization in a few other capacities along the way.
My hope is that my work is meaningful and that I can show that these big ideas mean something outside of just the ivory tower. I try to focus on topics that are relevant and have impact on our lived world. It seems to me that who we are and who can speak are evergreen topics and are about as important as anything I could be paying attention to.