A Very Good Place to Start
Not long ago I happened across a blog page posted in a theater Facebook group that outlined one person's plan to read all of Shakespeare's published works in the coming new year. As a Shakespeare lover and English nerd I loved this idea. When I sent the link to my friends asking if they wanted to participate with me and have a virtual book club, occasionally exchanging thoughts via essays and responses and other media, they gently suggested that I turn the mini essays, queries, comments, and topics I want to discuss into a blog (subtextually they were also saying they would not have the desire to voluntarily write essays).
The idea of writing a blog irked me not only because the project's originator has a similar idea in the form of a newsletter to willing participants, but also because I have always had an aversion to blogging. One year in college I took a class that required us to write informal blog posts in a class forum and my roommate always knew when I was forcing myself to do that homework. I would groan and yell and be snarky to my computer. I didn't mind the reading or the notion of writing responses of any length. I minded the blog format itself. Something about the informality of blog posts, while arguably a more accessible outlet that provides freedom from typical forms, never resonated with me. That is why my journey through 2020 with Shakespeare will be a mix of academic essays, exercises, and other writing styles. Some may be more informal than others, some may be more traditional response styles, and some may be more non-traditional. I invite you to join me on this journey.
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