The "War on Terror" is losing the war of words. The catchphrase burned into the American lexicon hours after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, is fading away, slowly if not deliberately being replaced by a new administration bent on repairing the U.S. image among Muslim nations. Includes comments by WUSTL English and American culture studies professor Wayne Fields, who is an expert on presidential rhetoric.

References:

1. Feb. 1, 2009 — Under Obama, 'war on terror' catchphrase fading in the Associated Press

and 18 others.

In Thursday night's installment of its Poetry Series, WUSTL writer Mary Jo Bang examines grief's poetic form, the elegy.
She is professor of English and director of the Creative Writing Program at WUSTL. Her fifth book, "Elegy," which won of the National Book Critics Circle Award, examines the pain and grief following the death of her son. She shares two poems from the collection.
Includes a video link to this story.

References:

1. April 10, 2008 — Mary Jo Bang Examines Grief's Poetic Form, the Elegy in the PBS: The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

and 1 others.

WUSTL's Wayne Fields comments on final pitches by Democratic presidential candidates as they head into the last weeks of primary elections.

References:

1. Feb. 27, 2008 — Analysis: Debate Unlikely to Change Race in the Associated Press

and 66 others.

Joseph Loewenstein, a Renaissance literature expert at WUSTL, is leading a team of graduate and undergraduate students to compile, edit, annotate and digitize Spenser's complete oeuvre.

References:

1. Jan. 27, 2008 — Building a Spenser collection for the ages in the Los Angeles Times

and 1 others.

WUSTL English professor Wayne Fields, who is an expert on presidential rhetoric, comments on President Bush's speech on Iraq.

References:

1. Sept. 14, 2007 — Analysis: Bush recasts war rationale in the Associated Press

and 38 others.

WUSTL English and American Culture Studies professor Wayne Fields, who is an expert in political rhetoric, comments on the new buzzword in the presidential campaign -- transformational leadership.

References:

1. Feb. 21, 2007 — A buzzword from the presidential campaign's action figures takes off in the Associated Press

and 33 others.

WUSTL presidential rhetoric specialist Wayne Fields is one of several experts analyzing the content and presentation of President Bush's State of the Union speech.

References:

1. Jan. 24, 2007 — Bush domestic proposals address some Democratic concerns but will still be a hard sell in the Associated Press

and 17 others.

President Bush got bit again Monday by the open-microphone bug. Apparently unaware that his words were being broadcast, Bush offered an unvarnished assessment of Syria's alleged support for Hezbollah's attacks on Israel. He also criticized United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, teased British Prime Minister Tony Blair about a sweater he recently gave the president, and joked about the long-windedness of some unnamed world leaders. Wayne Fields, a political scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, said Bush is unlikely to take heat at home for his remarks.

References:

1. July 18, 2006 — Live mike captures Bush's tough talk at G8 summit in the USA Today

Sports language is a code. Codes need translation. The sports code isn't written in a different alphabet. It's still English. It just isn't literal. There are hidden meanings, tacit understandings, tricky verbal tropes. When sports stars spin like political hacks and television talk sounds like verbal Ultimate Fighting — sans the ban on eye gouging — it can baffle the savviest ear.
WUSTL rhetoric specialist Wayne Fields is one of the experts commenting.

References:

1. June 6, 2006 — Why they say what they do in the ESPN.com

In current and upcoming speeches, the president wants to convince Americans not only that there is reason for optimism about Iraq's future but that the situation now is better than the daily reports of strife make it appear. President Bush is drawing on his plainspoken manner to defend his Iraq strategy. WUSTL political rhetoric specialist Wayne Fields comments on Bush's strattegy.

References:

1. March 23, 2006 — Bush Pulls Out the Stops to Save Ratings in the Forbes.com

and 57 others.

During the month of February, WUSTL English professor and American culture specialist Gerald Early wrote an online column about American culture for the New York Times TimesSelect online service. Included are excerpts from his first column.

References:

1. Feb. 2, 2006 — Op-Ed: In the Center of It All in the New York Times online

Ms. Van Duyn was selected by the Library of Congress in 1992 to serve a term as the United States poet laureate. She was the sixth laureate and the first woman to be chosen. Mona Jane Van Duyn was born on May 9, 1921, in Waterloo, Iowa. She taught at the University of Louisville, in Kentucky, and at Washington University in St. Louis, as well as at writing seminars and conferences.

References:

1. Dec. 4, 2004 — Mona Van Duyn, 83, Suburbia's Poet, Dies in the New York Times

and 11 others.