Were you looking for a way to celebrate Shakespeare's 444 birthday? Why not celebrate at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC? On April 27, from noon to 4 pm, there will be jugglers, jesters, music, song, and dance. Also, you can perform your favorite lines of Shakespeare (what ARE your favorite lines of Shakespeare?) on the Folger stage, or take part in treasure hunts of the Folger's reading rooms on the only day of the entire year that they're open to the public. What fun! Click here for all the info.
And if you wanted to do a little light reading on Shakespeare to prepare for the party, why not try Bill Bryson's Shakespeare: The World as Stage? The book is devoted to what we DON'T know about Shakespeare, and it's full of amusing anecdotes -- such as that he never spells his name the same way twice in the signatures of his that survive -- Willm Shaksp, William Shakespe, Wm Shakspe, William Shakspere, Willm Shakspere, and William Shakspeare. Oh, how my inner proofreader cringes!
**The art above is by an unknown artist. It's oil on panel, late 1600s to early 1700s.
I also highly recommend Peter Ackroyd's _Shakespeare: A Biography_. Don't let the dullness of the title fool you. The chapters are brief - perfect for a coffee break - and packed with fascinating bits of historical deduction and well-researched speculation. Ackroyd has the mind of a treasure hunter and a detective and a poet all at once: he will point to the inscription "W.S." on a ring found lying in the grass, or tell you, with meaningful emphasis, who the young Will Shakespeare's next-door neighbors were. A good read.
Posted by: Dante's Heart | April 09, 2008 at 06:30 PM
hiya i think this syt is crap hoo the hell is going to celebrate shakespears 444 birthday if u doo ur sad
Posted by: bobby the stick man | June 30, 2008 at 08:43 AM