Stephen King is one of America’s most prolific authors, with 65 novels, 12 collections, and numerous other writings from non-fiction to screen plays; he is master of the short story, the horror novel, and the epic fantasy. While literary critics have debated the merit of King’s writing, his work has not been widely understood or examined as rhetorical. King does not describe himself as a rhetorician, but his stories have exerted influence on popular culture since the publication of his first novel, Carrie (1974), a phenomenon we saw most recently in the Pennywise the Clown memes that skewered Donald Trump during his first presidential bid. Although not always consistent in his representations, King forwards a variety of social, political, and cultural arguments within his body of work. His stories have ordered his “Constant Reader” insights into these exigencies (or national phobic pressure points), and his characters have often given us rhetorical remedies for these persistent problems.
This collection will explore King’s work through a variety of rhetorical lenses to examine those exigencies in the popular and political cultures that his range of writing addresses. This collection welcomes a variety of rhetorical theories and methodologies.
Topics might include but are not limited to the following:
- Public Address, Public Arena, and Public Character
- Political rhetoric
- The Rhetoric of Leadership
- Equity & social justice
- Failure of systems of civilization
- Writers and writing
- Adolescent lives / King’s YA readership
- The unlikely hero
- Material rhetoric
- Technology
- Music
- Consumer rhetoric
- Environments
- Public health
- Contagion and infection
- Addiction & recovery
- Cannibalism
- Spiritual rhetoric
- Depictions of spiritual leaders
- Depiction of evil embodied
- Depictions of faith
- Rhetoric of transformation | transubstantiation
- Rhetoric of Resurrection
While papers are not strictly limited to these topics, contributors are encouraged to build upon these themes. Chapters have a 7000-word limit, due by 1 January 2026. Please format according to the MLA style handbook. Authors will be notified of acceptance by 15 January 2026.
Please send your completed paper to Jeanie Wills, [email protected] and Roxanne Harde [email protected]. Likewise, if you have questions about the collection, please contact either of us. Jeanie Wills is Associate Professor and D.K. Seaman Chair of Professional and Technical Communication in the Graham School of Professional Development, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan. As an interdisciplinary rhetorical scholar, Jeanie has published in a variety of areas, from women’s professional identity and leadership in historical perspective to mining and mining history. Her primary area of research is in the rhetorics of professional identities in historical contexts. Roxanne Harde is Professor of English at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Faculty. A Fulbright Scholar, Roxanne researches and teaches American literature and culture, focusing on children’s literature, and popular culture. With over 60 peer-reviewed publications and 8 books, she currently serves as Senior Editor of International Research in Children’s Literature.