Cheryl Glenn (academic)

Cheryl Glenn is a scholar and teacher of rhetoric and writing. She is currently Distinguished Professor of English and Women’s Studies Director at Pennsylvania State University.

Glenn earned her B.S., M.A., and PhD. from Ohio State University. Prior to beginning work at Pennsylvania State University in 1997, Glenn taught at Oregon State University established the Center for Teaching Excellence. In the summers, she teaches rhetoric and writing at the Bread Loaf School of English, an intensive six-week graduate school for secondary-school teachers, and has served as the on-site director of the Santa Fe campus.

Scholarship

Glenn works on women’s rhetorics and writing practices, feminist theories and practices, methods for teaching writing. She has written on marginalized voices, the power of silence, and problems of inequity in rhetorical education.

Together with J. Michael Hogan, she co-edits the Penn State University Press series, “Rhetoric and Democratic Deliberation”; and with Shirley Wilson Logan, co-edits the Southern Illinois University Press series, “Studies in Rhetorics and Feminisms.”

Leadership positions

Glenn has been President of the Coalition of Women Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition and as a Chair of the Modern Language Association (MLA) Division on the History and Theory of Rhetoric and Composition. She is also a member of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) Executive Committee and the MLA Delegate Assembly., and served as the Chair of the 59th annual Conference on College Composition and Communication in 2008. Additionally, she is a John Moore Teaching Mentor and co-founder of Penn State’s Center for Democratic Deliberation.

Fellowships/awards

Glenn has earned three fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and has won numerous research, scholarship, teaching, and mentoring awards. Among these are the Conference on College Composition and Communication’s Richard Braddock Award, Rhetoric Review’s Outstanding Essay Award, Best Book/Honorable Mention from the Society for the Study of Early Modern Women, and the 2009 Rhetorician of the Year Award.

Selected publications

Books

* ''Rhetorical Feminism and This Thing Called Hope''. Southern Illinois, 2018.
* ''Landmark Essays on Rhetoric and Feminism: 1973-2000'' (Landmark Essays Series). Routledge, 2014.
*''Silence and Listening as Rhetorical Arts''. Southern Illinois UP, 2011.
*''Rhetorical Education In America''. University Alabama Press, 2009.
*''Unspoken: A Rhetoric of Silence''. Southern Illinois UP, 2004
*''Rhetoric Retold: Regendering the Tradition from Antiquity Through the Renaissance''. Southern Illinois UP, 1997.
*

The Language of rhetorical feminism, anchored in Hope

Cheryl Glenn is a professor of writing and rhetoric who has published many scholarly articles on feminist rhetoric and rhetoric in general. One of those articles was published in 2020 titled “The Language of rhetorical feminism, anchored in Hope.” The main concept in  Glenn’s “ The Language of Rhetorical Feminism” is to inform people how rhetorical theory can be enhanced and used to help bring the voices of marginalized people and minorities into the mainstream. She cites this practice as rhetorical feminism.  Glenn reiterates that rhetorical feminism is rhetoric with inclusivity for all so everyone can discuss and contribute to important conversations. Rhetorical feminism is used to empower and listen to others who may be different or deemed as “other” from the majority. The majority are white straight males, usually affluent and in systems of power where they use that power actively ignoring the wants and needs of those that are not like them.  In the essay, Glenn delves into who is usually ignored when typical rhetoric is being used ( feminine presenting, racial and cultural minorities, people of different sexualities) and explains how if we replace stereotypical rhetoric with rhetorical feminism, we would be able to include these people in our rhetorical conversations. With many of these rhetorical conversations revolving around important issues like laws, policies, and social situations, all voices must have an equal chance of being heard and considered. By doing this we ensure that everyone has a say in forming the society that they live in, solving issues within that society, and improving the ways that society discusses and communicates with its citizens. Later in her article, she introduces the thought that rhetorical feminism is to be used to understand each other and broaden our thoughts about others/information we don't know about, while regular rhetoric is more so used to persuade others to believe what you believe. Regular rhetoric is not used for furthering a conversation but for conquering a conversation, winning it without gaining any knowledge or perspective. Conventional rhetoric does not encourage consideration, empathy, listening, and even silence/the ability to step back and let others communicate without judgment, bias, or aggression. Together this presents the idea that rhetorical feminism is about opening up rhetorical conversations that include all people despite gender, race, status, or sexuality, so that we can understand each other and learn new perspectives. At the end of her article, Glenn explores the concepts of hope and what they mean for rhetorical feminism. She cites other theorists who use their platforms to practice Disidentification (Muñoz,1999), intentionally reject societal norms in their work, and practice rhetorical feminism instead. Glenn explains that hope for better communication and rhetorical practices in important spaces is key to advancing rhetorical practices. She references social movements that emphasize the use of Rhetorical feminism like the Me Too movement as well as The Black Lives Matter Movement. Both of these concepts come together as Glenn explains her hope for rhetorical feminism to be utilized in democracy in our society and as citizens affluent and not come together to use these practices to fight for equality, equity, and inclusion.

References

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Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
American rhetoricians
Pennsylvania State University faculty
Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences alumni