RECOGNIZING THE STRANGER

Text: Recognizing the Stranger by Isabella Hammad & How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

Date: Wednesday, July 23rd at 7pm

Location: East Village with Czarina and staoue

Crowds are, with rare exceptions, composed of strangers. The status of the "stranger" (and our obligations to them) is an enduring question across literary, cultural, and ethical traditions. We'll examine our relation to a crowd of strangers through the writing of Jenny Odell and Isabella Hammad, two thinkers whose work revolves around the demands of witnessing and connection.

In this Study, we'll practice "attention to strangers" as a means of recognizing shared humanity through the symmetrical processes of introspective meditation (per Odell) and an unfolding, outward awareness (Hammad).