The Kenneth Burke Discussion List (Burke-L)

"Where does the drama get its materials? From the 'unending conversation' that is going on at the point in history when we are born. Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others have long preceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a discussion too heated for them to pause and tell you exactly what it is about. In fact, the discussion had already begun long before any of them got there, so that no one present is qualified to retrace for you all the steps that had gone before. You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the argument; then you put in your oar. Someone answers; you answer him; another comes to your defense; another aligns himself against you, to either the embarrassment or gratification of your opponent, depending upon the quality of your ally's assistance. However, the discussion is interminable. The hour grows late, you must depart. And you do depart, with the discussion still vigorously in progress." (The Philosophy of Literary Form 110-11)

The Origins and Criteria of KB . . .

KB (formerly BURKE-L) originated on January 21, 1997, and at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. One hundred people subscribed to the list in its first week of existence, and that number continues to grow daily. By December, 1998, 230 had subscribed to Burke-L. By the time it became KB at its new home, Purdue University, on July 13, 2000, 275 people were subscribed

KB functions like many other discussion lists, which allow users to choose how they would like to receive messages, etc. New subscribers receive an intial message from the listserver detailing these options. At present, the list is unmoderated, so participants should follow the usual decorum for serious discussion lists. The list owner (David Blakesley) will work to ensure that the discussion is lively, collegial, and provocative. Subscribers will be sent periodically a list of KB criteria, which include the following:

Messages should be reasonably relevant to the aims of KB and to the continuing conversation.
Messages should not attack others (i.e. no "flames").
Messages should be written for public consumption (i.e., avoid personal messages to specific individuals).
When responding to previous messages, use the Subject tag, "Re: Topic" where "Topic" refers to the Subject tag of the original post.
If you respond to a particular message and shift the topic, use a new Subject tag to preserve the original thread.
Use conventional Subject tags when posting announcements of likely interest to the list (e.g., ANNC= Announcement of Interest to KB subscribers; CFP=Call for Papers).

All posts to KB should be sent to kb@purdue.edu. Only people subscribed to the list are allowed to post messages.

Subscribe to KB

The Unending Conversation of History . . .

The Origins and Criteria of KB . . .