Author: Brooke Rollins, College of Arts and Sciences
Book: The Ethics of Persuasion: Derrida’s Rhetorical Legacies
-
- Author Brooke Rollins with The Ethics of Persuasion
-
- Front cover of The Ethics of Persuasion
Interview with the author:
Tell us about something that didn’t make it into the final version of the book:
“I think my favorite chapter in the book is Chapter 3, which is about a fascinating ancient logographer (today we’d call him a ghostwriter) named Lysias, who was known for his willingness and ability to write compelling and authentic-sounding courtroom defense speeches for many an unsavory client. Because I had a word count limit, I ended up cutting an analysis of a legal defense speech Lysias wrote in the voice of a betrayed husband who admitted to murdering his wife’s lover. The speech offers a fascinating look in on an unusual set of ancient cultural values, and it is truly the stuff of soap operas. I hated to let it go.”
What do you hope readers will take away from your publication?
“What I hope readers will take away from The Ethics of Persuasion is the idea that we will never be done with the work of inheriting ancient culture and classical thought. This is something I learned from reading Derrida, whose writing so beautifully demonstrates that no intellectual tradition is ever finally settled. I hope my book can persuade readers that these thousands-of-years-old rhetorical texts have an essential relation to the future.”
Check out Dr. Rollins’ appearance on the New Books Network Scholarly Communication podcast!