rococo_realism

Thank you, thank you, thank you! That's what I need: recognizable people in the field. I'm gong to work on reading more of his work. I love it when the quotidian (like pop culture) and the academic converge. (In fact, another area of interest is the rhetoric of television sitcoms.) And, yes, I'm not necessarily interested in teaching. Well, unless it's first-year writing or adult literacy, but I know that it would obviously have to be supplemented by another job. (That's just the reality...) I'm really interested in becoming an academic advisor or working in an administrative department of a university. I know that many require only a B.A., but these days, they really want someone with an educational-related graduate degree. Again, thanks! I know that 30 is still relatively young. I was just whining. Thanks for those recommendations. I do want some foundation readings to get into in the next couple of months. As I mentioned to bhr, I'm not looking into getting into teaching upper-level courses at a 4-year university. I'm mainly interested in studying various approaches to literacy and rhetoric so that I can apply it to a job that's not necessarily academic. (Read: teaching.) I'm well aware of the squeeze within the academic job market today, and I hope to avoid it. To prepare for teaching, I've recently applied for an adult ed. teaching position. I'd be teaching subjects besides non-English-related subjects, but it would give me experience in teaching. So we'll see. Trust me, I am more than mercenarial. (If I may invent such an adjective.) I'm always thinking more about finances than I am about what I want to do. Preferably, I can find work at the intersection of what pays the bills and what I love, again, we'll see. Thanks for your reply!

That's the thing: I find that I'm unfamiliar with research areas within the greater rhet/comp field. I know that it's relatively new, and that it's interdisciplinary, and that it's mainly about literacy and writing from a sociological perspective, but I know nothing about major research areas. I find that I'm interested in how various occupational fields...talk. I'm interested in their dialogues and jargon. I'm particularly interested in the language and writing of advertising. Thinking about the class/racial/gender/"moral" implications of advertisements fascinates me. I'm also interested in meta-discourses. As you can see, I have lots of research interests; I'm just not sure if they fit within the rhet/comp sub-field. BTW, I'm looking at MA programs. I'm not really interested in getting a Ph.D. Thanks for your response!

Hey, all, I'm a lurker who has finally decided to participate in this wonderful community! I was wondering if any of you who are in the rhet/comp world could give me some advice vis-a-vis immersing myself in that world. That is, tell me about some intro-level/rudiments-type texts I can read to familiarize myself with it all. I went to a university that had just one rhet./comp course, and it was a graduate-level course! How on earth are undergraduates able to become acquainted with rhet/comp if they don't even have access to it as an undergraduate? Lunacy, I tell you! Anyway, any advice would be welcome. I'm planning on applying in the Fall 2016 season. (Under breath: Just as I turn 30. Grumble, grumble...) Thanks!