Afterword: Me, The Faerie Queene, and Critical Race Theory

Abstract

Why isn’t there already a rich body of premodern critical race studies of Spenser? The Faerie Queene, after all, is 430 years old, and premodern critical race studies is at least 50 years old. The epic poem has a rich and diverse cast of characters with both different religious and racial affiliations. This special edition marks a watershed moment in Spenser studies, but why has it taken until 2021 to achieve this? The answer, I think, stems from the way the racecraft of Spenser studies conceals the affiliation of its racism and inequality. The afterword explores these issues, and points toward future directions.