WRITER

Kenneth Burke

1897 - 1993

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Kenneth Duva Burke (May 5, 1897 – November 19, 1993) was an American literary theorist, poet, essayist, and novelist, who wrote on 20th-century philosophy, aesthetics, criticism, and rhetorical theory. As a literary theorist, Burke was best known for his analyses based on the nature of knowledge. He was one of the first theorists to stray from more traditional rhetoric and view literature as "symbolic action." Burke was unorthodox, concerning himself not only with literary texts but also with the elements of the text that interacted with the audience: social, historical, political background, author biography, etc. For his career, Burke has been praised by The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism as "one of the most unorthodox, challenging, theoretically sophisticated American-born literary critics of the twentieth century." His work continues to be discussed by rhetoricians and philosophers. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in 21 different languages on Wikipedia. Kenneth Burke is the 6,174th most popular writer (down from 5,539th in 2024), the 10,846th most popular biography from United States (down from 8,283rd in 2019) and the 797th most popular American Writer.

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Among WRITERS

Among writers, Kenneth Burke ranks 6,174 out of 7,302. Before him are Tony Hillerman, M. H. Abrams, Bill Prady, Thomas M. Disch, Sidney Lee, and Hugh Howey. After him are Philippe Delerm, Larry Kramer, Dejan Ajdačić, Hannah More, John Jakes, and Stanisław Barańczak.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1897, Kenneth Burke ranks 298. Before him are Alma Rubens, Joseph Calleia, Charles Kingsford Smith, Harald Strøm, Sigurd Moen, and Walter Winchell. After him are Shidzue Katō, John Kotelawala, Viola Dana, Margaret Chase Smith, Monty Banks, and Cecil Parker. Among people deceased in 1993, Kenneth Burke ranks 273. Before him are Gustav Hasford, Vilmos Zombori, Wallace Stegner, Sammy Cahn, Marie-Louise Linssen-Vaessen, and Jim Pollard. After him are Arthur Alexander, Ann Todd, Evelyn Venable, Harvey Kurtzman, Mia Zapata, and Penaia Ganilau.

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Kenneth Burke ranks 10,848 out of 20,380. Before him are Yolanda King (1955), Rebecca Schaeffer (1967), Bebe Rexha (1989), Blanche Barton (1961), Hugh Howey (1975), and Francis Hopkinson (1737). After him are G. William Miller (1925), Wayne Static (1965), Bob Bryan (1978), James Meredith (1933), Larry Kramer (1935), and Gretchen Mol (1972).

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Among WRITERS In United States

Among writers born in United States, Kenneth Burke ranks 797. Before him are Lee Strobel (1952), Lawrence Venuti (1953), Tony Hillerman (1925), M. H. Abrams (1912), Bill Prady (1960), and Hugh Howey (1975). After him are Larry Kramer (1935), John Jakes (1932), Daniel Pearl (1963), Tillie Olsen (1912), Patricia A. McKillip (1948), and Peter Orlovsky (1933).

American born Writers

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