Welcome to Hello Gorgias!

Hello Gorgias! (Gor-gee-us) is a biweekly newsletter about rhetorical theory, writing, and pedagogy. It’s where I share my writing philosophy, my approach to teaching, and ideas behind my own theoretical work, which focuses on the relationship between desire and persuasion.

Posts are 500–1,000 words and go out every other Friday at 8:00 AM (EST).

Who am I?

I’m an assistant professor of composition and rhetoric at a small, private university in North Carolina, where I teach first-year writing and rhetorical theory.

I have an MA in English literature, a PhD in composition and cultural rhetoric, and 15+ years experience as a speech and writing coach.

I’m also the co-owner of Chapter House Books, an indie bookstore in downtown Fayetteville.

Who is Gorgias?

Gorgias (483-375 BCE) was a pre-Socratic philosopher and orator associated with sophistry, a school of thought that emphasized the practical importance of rhetoric in civic and political life.

Like many of the sophists, Gorgias is often misunderstood. This is largely thanks to Plato, who famously portrays him as a shameless flatterer with little regard for truth or virtue.

When you read Gorgias himself, a more nuanced picture begins to emerge. Gorgias is best known for championing the rhetorical and educational value of paradoxes. He was not a relativist, but he did reject the idea of a timeless and universal truth.

For Gorgias, the truth is often complex, situational, and subject to change. When he demonstrates how weak arguments can be made to seem strong, he’s offering his audience an exercise in critical thinking — like a teacher who plays devil’s advocate or asks students to debate both sides of a topic.

If you’re interested in Gorgias, you can learn more about him here.