That undiscovered country

[pameladean]

I want to send this elegant discussion of rhetoric to Owen Jenkins, who taught me everything I know about rhetoric; but, alas, he has left no forwarding address.

Note for the weary: the essay discusses contemporary political language in the terms of Aristotle.

Pamela

Comments

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

That's a little eerie, as I named a character in Wayfarer Owen Jenkins, and he too is a university professor. I'd not heard of the real-life Owen Jenkins at all, but he sounds like a fascinating man.

[pameladean]

That's pretty strange, yes. (I have read what Knife became and it was so strange, too, like meeting somebody one hadn't met since they were, oh, maybe fifteen, and seeing how well they had grown up, yet missing some of what had turned out to be passing youthful enthusiasms rather than abiding interests. I am hoping to get the other book(s) soon.)

Professor Jenkins was the model for Professor Jones in Tam Lin, but I was actually totally incapable of reproducing his wit, and had to go for a different kind of wryness and general inspiration.

P.

[naomikritzer]

I remember him shooting down a smart-alec by saying something like, "When you've studied this for another twenty years, you'll be qualified to disagree with me. Send me your letter care of St. Peter to wherever I happen to be at the time."

Sigh.

[castleclear.livejournal.com]

Wow! What a cool link! I enjoyed the essay on what constitutes "violent rhetoric" very much. Thanks!

[pameladean]

I know, I wanted him around at ninety.

P.

[pameladean]

Isn't that just the dandiest thing? Aristotle had a lot of problematic ideas and I do not worship him, but when he means to clarify a thing, that thing is CLEAR when he's done. And I think the writer of the post appreciates that and is annoyed by the flinging about of fuzzy terms at random.

P.

[castleclear.livejournal.com]

It is (the dandiest thing)! And I intend to filch it for my journal if I've not already done so.

[castleclear.livejournal.com]

O.O I did filch it already! Yay me! ;-)

[dymphna79.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, I found Owen Jenkins EXACTLY like his fictional portrayal when I took a class in rhetoric from him my senior year. I think it was the last class he ever taught.

[pameladean]

Oh, that's splendid to hear. I think he did mellow a bit as he got older. I'm glad you got to take rhetoric from him. I tested out of Freshman Composition, and when I was taking Advanced Rhetoric I got assigned to another section taught by a different teacher, and didn't want to hurt that teacher's feelings by transferring -- I worked in the English Office helping the secretary out and I knew most of the professors. But Owen still taught me everything I know about rhetoric. He was always taking about it, in all classes. One had to have enthymemes.

P.