Spenser@Random

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First originated by former ISS president, Joe Moshenska, as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic and in an effort to further develop and support the Spenser studies community online during lockdown, Spenser@Random has become one of our most beloved initiatives. The idea is simple. Spenser scholars, students and readers from around the world gather together online and select a stanza of The Faerie Queene to read together at random (using a random number generator). We then spend around an hour close-reading the stanza together in randomly-generated breakout groups, reconvening to share reflections on the poem and on the practice of random reading itself. We are a friendly and inclusive group and all are welcome. No prior knowledge of the poem is assumed or needed, just a desire to read and think together.

 

Sessions are held every six weeks or so during the teaching year. Details of how to register for our next @Random are included in our regular newsletters.

 

We are delighted to announce that our next Spenser@Random is Thursday, November 13, at 12pm EDT/5pm BST. Join us as we spin the digital wheel of destiny and are led by the cyberfates to a randomly selected stanza from The Faerie Queene. In randomly-assigned breakout rooms we will close read this stanza together, with cheer, insight, and gleeful embrace of the unexpected turns bibliomancy takes. As always, this event is free and everyone is welcome, so invite your friends, colleagues, students, family, and companion animals to join us.

To participate in the event, copy and paste this Zoom invitation into your browser:

https://utep-edu.zoom.us/j/88470347292