1999 Triennial Burke Conference

Dear Friends of Burke:

Although Kenneth Burke thought it "poetically true" to say "New York City is in Iowa," he was quick to acknowledge that it was semantically inaccurate (PLF 144). Soon, however, it will be semantically accurate to say "The Kenneth Burke Society is in Iowa." And as for poetic truths, several "progressive encompassments" may be anticipated, and "valid insights" may appear as abundantly as flashing fireflies on a Midwestern night.

The Fourth Triennial Conference of the Kenneth Burke Society will convene May 20-23, 1999, in Iowa City on the campus of the University of Iowa, featuring the theme "Culture, Criticism, Dialectic: Engaging Kenneth Burke." In keeping with the traditions established at the earlier conferences at New Harmony, Airlie, and Pittsburgh, this year's conference promises a productive blend of plenary sessions, concurrent panel presentations, and seminar sessions, all bound together in a convivial spirit of co-haggling.

Conference registration will open at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, at Iowa City's downtown Holiday Inn, with the gathering closing down Sunday afternoon about 1:00 p.m. That first day, selections from videos of Burke, including highlights of his "Iowa Interviews," will air throughout the afternoon, with other displays also available. A buffet dinner will start around 5:00, staying open until the seminars hold their organizational meetings at 6:30. The opening plenary session is scheduled for the Old Senate Chamber of Iowa's first statehouse at 7:30 p.m., to be followed by a reception.

Three keynote speakers will set the tone for this year's conference. At the opening plenary session, William H. Rueckert will speak on the topic "A Farewell to Kenneth Burke." Professor emeritus of English at the State University of New York at Geneseo, Professor Rueckert is well known among Burke scholars for a lifetime of important works on Burke, including Kenneth Burke and the Drama of Human Relations and Encounters with Kenneth Burke. He also compiled and edited Critical Responses to Kenneth Burke, 1924-1966. He was the first president elected by the Kenneth Burke Society in 1990, and in 1993 he received the Society's "Lifetime Achievement Award."

Michael Calvin McGee, Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa, will speak Friday afternoon on the topic "Burke and Fascism." A frequent contributor to the Quarterly Journal of Speech, Communication Monographs, and many academic print and electronic journals, Professor McGee is an established voice in rhetoric and social theory and a founder of the critical rhetoric movement. Steve Mailloux will speak Saturday afternoon on "Rhetorical Paths of Thought: Burkean (Dis)Connections." Professor Mailloux presently is the Acting Director of the Humanities Center at the University of California, Irvine. His long list of publications includes Rhetorical Power and Reception Histories: Rhetoric, Pragmatism, and American Cultural Politics.

The program offers concurrent program sessions, with nearly forty competitively selected papers and an array of topical seminars. A complete listing of the program offerings is available on this website.

A new feature of this year's conference will be a series of concurrent "post-prandial parlors" on Saturday. A buffet lunch will blend into a series of loosely structured and guided conversations on selected topics of general interest. Among the post-prandial parlors will be: Jack Selzer and Mike Jackson prompting a conversation on "Organizing Oral Histories of Kenneth Burke"; David Blakesley and Jerald Ross, "Taking Burke On(line)"; Steven Mailloux, Timothy Crusius, D. Diane Davis, Tilly Warnock, and Michelle Ballif, "Burke and Rhetoric 2000"; and J. Clarke Rountree III, "Kenneth Burke on Tape" (including a showing of highlights from the Iowa Interviews, which Clarke indexed).

On Friday evening a program of readings, film clips, and anecdotes is planned: Michael Burke and Julie Whitaker are preparing selections from KB's poetry and prose; Clarke Rountree is assembling new video clips; and Elvera Berry will lead what is hoped will become a sharing of anecdotes, recollections, and stories. The Saturday evening banquet, highlighted by Greig Henderson's Presidential Address and the presentation of the Society's awards, will be held at the Amana Colonies west of Iowa City. The Triennial business meeting of the Society will occur during Sunday brunch, followed by the closing Roundtable Discussion on the conference theme by the keynoters.

The 1999 Triennial Conference promises to be challenging, enjoyable, and rewarding. David Blakesley and Jim Klumpp have put together a marvelous program, and our Iowa hosts (Barbara Biesecker, Bruce Gronbeck, and David Hingstman) have made most hospitable arrangements in the Heartland for us. I look forward to being with the Kenneth Burke Society! I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

David Cratis Williams

Conference Planner

davidcratiswilliams@worldnet.att.net

P.S. If you have not yet enrolled for one of the seminars but wish to do so, please contact me immediately. Some still have a few openings.

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