In the world of Shakespearean scholarship, there are loads of websites, books, and publications to choose from.  I, for one, am guilty of loading my bookshelves with more books on Shakespeare and his plays than just about any other subject (although medieval and Renaissance history may be a close second).  These resources are fabulous and I wouldn’t want to replace them with anything…I just want to add more and more to my library, as often as I can get away with it!

The Shakespeare Papers is a wonderful new publication that examines smaller portions of the Bard’s works.  As they say on their website, “The Shakespearean works are rich, deep, complex, and often overwhelming. In these small booklets, we aim to present small bits at a time instead of big pictures. That is, rather than a lengthy discussion of the powerful themes in King Lear, for instance, we might just look at the symbolic flowers and weeds in the play….Looking at the wee bits, we believe, allows us to gain an even greater appreciation of the whole. Over time, these collectible booklets provide a valuable compendium of delightful and different journeys into the works.”

In a world of vast tomes about the many complexities of Shakespeare’s works, these booklets are a breath of fresh air!  In addition to outstanding scholarship on their topic of choice for each issue, the graphic design of each booklet is remarkable!  Ranging from original illustrations to photographs to woodcuts to fine art, and combining those illustrations with a lovely, simple design element, these booklets are treasures to enjoy for many years to come.

I was also impressed with how quickly I received my first issue after paying through Paypal from The Shakespeare Papers’ website.  It arrived within the week, which was unexpected but very welcome!  Shortly after enjoying that first issue (Volume 1, Number 1), whose topic was Morning, I received the second issue on meat and fowl dishes.  I especially enjoyed seeing quotes from The Taming of the Shrew, including, “What say you to a neat’s foot?”  These booklets do not just provide quotes from the plays - they also explain classical and Renaissance allusions that oftentimes make Shakespeare difficult to understand.  Their third issue will be the annual Language edition and will focus on words that Shakespeare invented that didn’t catch on.  I am looking forward to sharing that one with my English students!

I am pleased to recommend The Shakespeare Papers for anyone interested in learning a bit more about the many themes contained in Shakespeare’s works.  Be sure to check their website for more information:

www.theshakespearepapers.com

Posted Wed, 14 May 2008 10:09:08 and filed under Scholarship, Reviews. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.