Figures That Speak

Matthew de Tar is assistant professor of rhetoric and culture in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.

Brings new texture and complexity to a field that all-too-often assumes that the particular rhetorical histories and practices of the United States are universal.-- "Christa Olson, University of Wisconsin" Figures that Speak is an important account of the rhetoric of nationalism in Turkey that also breaks new ground in understanding figural reasoning and representation. -- "Craig Calhoun, Arizona State University" Figures that Speak is an impressive contribution to the study of political rhetoric in the making of Turkish nationalism. DeTar presents the compelling argument that several key discursive figures--religion, minority, the military, the founding father, and Europe--have structured the possibilities and limits of nationalist political speech. The book should be read by anyone interested in the rhetorical underpinnings of modern politics.-- "Kabir Tambar, Stanford University" Figures That Speak focuses on nodal points in history to provide insightful empirical excursions into political discourse beyond ideological and regime changes. The author succeeds, bringing to life the notions of nationalism, the state, military, religion, and minorities, making them speak to us.-- "Niluefer Goele, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris"