[Commlist] Call for participation in discussions on Political Rhetorics at the 57th Annual NeMLA Convention

** Call for participation in discussions on Political Rhetorics at the 
57th Annual NeMLA Convention (March 5–8, 2026, Pittsburgh, PA), a 
four-day international conference **

DETAILS OF THE CONFERENCE

The 57th Annual Convention of the Northeast Modern Language Association 
(NeMLA) will take place from March 5 to 8, 2026, in Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania. This major interdisciplinary gathering brings together 
scholars, educators, and practitioners across the humanities - including 
literature, language, cultural studies, writing, rhetoric, media 
studies, and related social sciences. The 2026 convention theme, 
(Re)generation, calls for scholarly reflection on renewal, 
transformation, and the creation of new, more inclusive forms of 
knowledge. The aim is to foster critical dialogue and creative 
scholarship that respond to today’s social, political, and ecological 
challenges through restorative justice, interdisciplinarity, and 
cultural reimagining.

For more information, visit www.nemla.org.

PANEL ON POLITICAL RHETORICS

At a time when political discourse profoundly shapes civic life, 
classrooms have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to cultivate a 
new generation of rhetorically aware citizens. This roundtable, aligned 
with the theme of (Re)generation, explores how writing professors can 
regenerate interest, energy, and agency in political language. We aim to 
create classroom spaces where students critically engage with the 
rhetoric of political movements, leaders, and policies—not to rehash 
divisive binaries, but to foster healthier, more informed civic 
discourse. This roundtable will confront the implicit rules and 
expectations that often limit how political rhetoric is taught and 
engaged within the classroom. It seeks to break molds and encourage a 
reimagining of how we empower students to navigate, critique, and 
participate in political conversations that shape the world around them. 
By creating a space for collaborative discussion, we will explore how 
writing instruction can serve as a tool for (Re)generating more 
inclusive, thoughtful, and dynamic political discourse. We invite 
participants to share their experiences with assignments, discussion 
strategies, and course designs that help students analyze, critique, and 
compose political rhetoric with clarity and care. We are interested in 
contributions that empower students to navigate political discourse 
through writing and discussion in class. This roundtable focuses on 
creating classrooms that regenerate and reinvigorate positive political 
discourse, emphasizing listening, questioning, and ethical 
argumentation. Designed to embrace diverse perspectives, this session 
aims to propose new ways of critically engaging with political rhetoric.

We particularly welcome contributions that

- Analyze political speeches and rhetoric

- Examine media and political campaigns

- Teach media literacy in political contexts

- Employ rhetorical strategies

- Write on global political issues

Other topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

- Political activism and social justice

- Intersectionality in political communication

- Media and political campaigns

- Ethics and Politics

- Inclusive political discourses

- Visual rhetoric in politics

Communication and Media Studies scholars are very welcome. This 
roundtable is organized by scholars from different disciplines and 
continents thus we invite contributions from a broad range of fields, 
including education and writing studies, as well as social sciences 
(sociology, political science, history, geography). Participants from 
outside the USA, graduate students, and academic-adjacent professionals 
are also warmly encouraged to apply. By uniting scholars from diverse 
backgrounds, our goal is to foster a pluralistic dialogue across various 
cultural and academic contexts.

Concretely, participants will provide a brief (5–8 minute) informal 
overview of their experiences teaching political rhetoric, followed by 
an open discussion. Presenters are expected to contribute either a short 
paper or a presentation outlining a teaching strategy, assignment, or 
course design. Please note that the language of this panel is English 
only, and that this is a hybrid roundtable with both in-person and 
virtual presentations allowed.

=> To apply, please submit an abstract of 300 words max to the NeMLA 
portal via this link: https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/21632

=> For questions, please contact Amy Leshinsky ((amy.leshinsky /at/ curry.edu)) 
and Camille Marie Fillioux ((camillemarie.fillioux /at/ uni.lu))

**

**

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