Visual Rhetorics of Communist Romania

Visual Rhetorics of Communist Romania: Life under the Totalitarian Gaze offers personal accounts and theoretical insight into the Cold War era when little information about life beyond the Iron Curtain could transpire to the West. Adriana Cordali develops a unique visual rhetorical theory for analyzing communist totalitarian propaganda and the resistance to it, and reveals the deliberate, strategic in/visibilities the rhetoric of power engaged in. Building upon the local history, ideology, and politics of the regime imposed after WWII, she identifies propaganda’s rhetorical features, visual tropes, and symbols and examines striking photographs and print materials from Ceaușescu’s regime (1966-1989) and the time of regime change (1989-1990), as well as an award-winning Romanian film that depicts women’s life at the time. Converging visual rhetoric and culture with history and politics, Visual Rhetorics of Communist Romania is a first book of this kind and will interestreaders of rhetoric and communication, visual rhetoric, and political discourse in the region.

“Visual Rhetorics of Communist Romania: Life Under the Totalitarian Gaze, Adriana Cordali builds on the works of scholars who have previously discussed the rhetoric of totalitarianregimes ... . Cordali’s personal experience and educational background on the visual rhetoric of communist Romania lends a unique perspective and analysis of an underrepresented topic in rhetoric and composition. ... Cordali broaches two difficult concepts—Romania’s communist regime and visual rhetoric—she manages to write an incredibly accessible book for laypersons and academics alike.” (Christene d’Anca, Rhetoric Review, December 14, 2023)

Adriana Cordali is an independent scholar, professor, technical writer for federal agencies, and article editor for academic publishers. She has a Graduate Diploma in International Studies (Johns Hopkins University) and a PhD in Rhetoric (Illinois State University), served as Chair of the Romanian Forum of the Modern Language Association (MLA) (2016-17), has published works in visual rhetoric, cultural studies, and post/communism, and received the 2014 Florence Howe Award for Outstanding Feminist Scholarship in English from the Women’s Caucus of the MLA.