Spencer Strub

Really proud to be part of this special issue.

Bloody hell, Thomas Aquinas was massive. I think he's the only kaiju to have been a Doctor of the Church.

Join us!!

"No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue."

Lmao yes: "Roland... le... petour... (sp?)"

When I mentioned professional farters in class last semester (as one does), a serious and earnest student looked at me quizzically and asked, "I'm sorry, did you say professional farters?"

"For some people can actually move their ears, either one at a time or both together... Some people produce at will without any stench such rhythmical sounds from their bottom that they appear to be making music even from that quarter... I know of a man who used to perspire at will."

Call for papers for a session at the 2026 New Chaucer Society Congress, reading as follows: Old Books, New Science Organizer: Megan Cook (mlcook@colby.edu) Session format: Short papers In the Parliament of Fowles, Chaucer writes ‘And out of olde bokes, in good feith, / Cometh al this newe science that men lere’. But how, exactly, is this new science to be derived from old books? This panel invites short papers that discuss the application of twenty-first century methods to the study of the medieval codex. Emerging technologies have the potential to impact the study of manuscripts and early printed books at every level, from microscopy to large-scale quantitative data analysis. Case studies of current projects are welcome as well as retrospectives of the role of the digital humanities studies in medieval book studies and discussions of the methodological and ethical implications of current technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Do you do fun DH/sciency things with late medieval books? Do you want to present at the New Chaucer Society congress in Freiburg, GR in July 2026? Then now is the time to apply to my panel (there are also many other fine opportunities)! Deadline is 27 April cdn.ymaws.com/newchaucerso...

Book Review: ‘Lower Than the Angels,’ by Diarmaid MacCulloch In “Lower Than the Angels,” the historian Diarmaid MacCulloch traces two millenniums of libidinal frustration.

I reviewed Diarmaid MacCulloch's very good, very long book about sex and Christianity, which is (among other things) a healthy reminder that "traditional values" aren't very old at all.