Space, Place, and the Textures of Rhetorical Criticism

Abstract

Performing rhetorical criticism of built spaces offers powerful insight into quotidian and sublime rhetorical performances. The strongest forms of this criticism remakes the critical and demands a reimagining of the critic and their role in analyzing the textures of the rhetorical artifact. This reimagining depends on the careful consideration of bodies and materiality. I argue for considering rhetorical textures—rather than rhetorical texts—as a way to rethink some of criticism’s traditional terms including text and context, author, audience, and consequence.