Why Write? Writing & Rhetoric as Dialogic Art

Faculty and students from the UCF Department of Writing and Rhetoric and the UCF History Department present a merger of visual rhetoric, local images and lightning talks. The talks highlight the importance of writing and visual rhetoric to build community and promoting social justice. The audience will be introduced to situating and analyzing of graphic texts produced in the 21st century. Patrons are invited to engage with the student speakers as they present their research and community engagement during this public forum. Learn ways to navigate the complex and multi-layered information overload in the Age of Digital Media through engaging with rhetorical practices.

Topics will include:

• Rhetoric and working with nonprofit organizations
• City planning, visual landscapes and narration
• The narratives of monuments and memorials
• The importance of rhetoric in a democracy

Part Two of the exhibit is interactive, which invites all of those in attendance to contribute to the “Why Write?” board. A community-created “Why Write?” wall will be created by composing all the short answers to the question and hanging them on a pegboard. (Colored paper, markers, crayons and other art supplies will be provided.) The “writing wall” invites patrons to share what writing and literacy means to them as individuals or as part of a community.