Introduction
On October 23, members of the book ensemble, colleagues in higher education, and community partners met on Zoom to celebrate the publication of Improvising With and In Higher Education: All Together Now. What unfolded over those two hours was less an event and more a living, breathing improvisation. Rather than simply talking about the book, we practiced its spirit together. We co-created the experience in real time, letting curiosity lead, letting presence guide, and letting the group shape what emerged and how.
I was excited to see it happen and help make it happen, especially since people were meeting for the first time and people were entering and exiting the virtual scenes we were creating throughout the two-hour period. I was amazed by what we could do and did. I'd like to share some of what we did here with you.
Opening
I opened the time together with two questions that are represented in our book: Who are you? and Who are you becoming? We were struck by the profundity of the questions and that our responses to them supported us to build our "we-ness."
Moving in sync
I then invited the group to make offers for what we could next together. One of us suggested synchronizing our breathing. Afterwards, a "yes, and..." from another person emerged: to create a group mirror, moving in sync. Both these subtle and fun activities continued to build our “we.”
Screens became porous as we tuned into one another and created the conditions for shared play. Small yet grand acts—inhale, exhale, notice—were a reminder that learning and development, like improvisation, begin in the body and in relation.
Poetry play
From there, we stepped into a interlude of the book that featured a poem. We read and recited it. We also played with it and performed it many times over. Participants played with voice, reading speed, and word order.
This poetic interlude opened portals into collaborative meaning-making—evidence that even written words can keep improvising long after they’re put on the page.
We also created poetry together, letting language move through the group the way breath did earlier—rhythmically, unpredictably, generously. Each line surprised the next; each contribution expanded the whole. What emerged wasn’t a poem with a single author but an unfolding expression of collective imagination.
Meeting and learning with/from the book ensemble
A particularly moving part of our gathering was hearing from contributors about their scenes and their experiences co-building the book. Their reflections revealed just how many hands, voices, and practices shaped this project. In their stories, you could hear the text(ure) of the process/product interplay: the experiments, the questions, the shared risks, and the delight of discovering what only becomes possible when we build something all together now.
I created some short clips (6-15 minutes each) of some of the above mentioned activities. Check them out here.
Not a conclusion, but rather an invitation
Our gathering last month was a celebration, yes. But more than that, it was a living demonstration of the book’s core belief: that improvisation is a way of being in higher education—and in community—that invites connection, creativity, and collective transformation.
I’m thrilled to continue this journey with a second virtual gathering this Wednesday, November 19th, from 4–6pm Pacific Standard Time on Zoom.
I hope you’ll join us as we keep improvising what comes next. All are welcome. Come whenever you can; stay as long as you can. Let's keep creating. All. Together. Now.
