From a field of excellent submissions, the Association for the Rhetoric of Science, Technology, and Medicine’s Article of the Year award committee has selected Jennifer Edwell, Sarah Singer, and Jordynn Jack’s article, “Healing arts: Rhetorical techne as medical (humanities) intervention” as the winner of the 2019 award.
Drawing from a study that engaged individuals with diabetes in a writing workshop, this article explores the complex relationship between rhetorical practice(s) and lived health experiences. The committee agreed that the design of the study—with its careful integration of rhetorical analysis and interdisciplinary team-based qualitative research—offers a viable extension of practical ARSTM knowledge and methods. Likewise, the authors’ theorizing of health techne provides a valuable concept for uniting researchers across disciplines. This article would be an excellent addition to a syllabus in RHM, medical humanities, or health communication, and provides a clear and accessible answer to the question, “How can rhetorical approaches help us to understand and shape health practices and outcomes in positive ways?”