My name is Lars Soderlund, and I'm a second year PhD here in Rhetoric and Composition. I often get in trouble with my peers for putting Composition before Rhetoric when I say the name of our program. I do that because Composition and Rhetoric is how the University of South Carolina, where I received my MA in American Literature, have titled their program.
I'm from Park Hills, KY, a suburban community close to the Ohio border, where there is nary a brother-sister marriage or moonshine still to be found (despite stereotypes). There might be meth labs, I'm not sure, but they're everywhere.
I went to a Latin high school (Roman Latin, not like J-Lo) and so I have been interested in the classical world since at least then. Also, my MA didn't include a history of classical rhetoric class, so I look forward to gaining a more full perspective of my field. This will be good for my own edification and as an invention aid to expand my work in the field.