February 29th, 2016 → 6:14 am
“What’s past is prologue.” – The Tempest
It’s the last day of Black History Month. And, looking back, it’s been a rocky month. A highlight, however, was the “Hope” episode of Black-ish. So brave the way the writers tackled police brutality and racism, in a situation comedy. As Shakespeare notes, the past does, of course, shape the future, but at least it isn’t a carbon copy.
February 25th, 2016 → 6:16 am
“We are but warriors for the working day;
Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirched
With rainy marching in the painful field.” – Henry V
It was a snow day here in St. Louis yesterday, and the whole family stayed inside playing games and watching movies. Now, alas, it is back to work…through wet, sluggish fields.
Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life
February 21st, 2016 → 6:37 am
Rosalind: “Not true in love?”
Celia: “Yes, when he is in, but I think he is not in.” As You Like It
I didn’t blog about Valentine’s Day, but here’s an entertaining after Valentine’s Day post. Apparently Goodwill stores in Florida and Nevada have a campaign going about exs that break up with you on Valentine’s Day – Don’t Hate (them), Donate (their stuff)! I love the image of hundreds of jilted women (and men) throwing insensitive ex-lover’s stuff in boxes and giving them away to charity.
February 16th, 2016 → 6:22 am
“Dead as a doornail.” – Henry VI, Part II
I think we’re all in a bit of shock over the announcement of Antonin Scalia’s death over the weekend. Shakespeare has many quotes about death (almost as many as he has about love), but I chose to use this one because it seemed so abrupt, succinct, and in your face. Much like Scalia himself.
Plus, I love putting up quotes of phrases we use today, but which so many people don’t even realize come from Shakespeare!
Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People
February 13th, 2016 → 9:08 am
“Would the fountain of your mind were clear again,
that I might water an ass at it.” – Troilus and Cressida
Oh no you don’t! The news has been all over the insults traded among the U.S. presidential candidates of late. I just thought I’d note that no one does an insult like Shakespeare. I could post a million of these.
Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians
February 10th, 2016 → 5:09 am
“The air bites shrewdly, it is very cold.” – Hamlet
I get much of my inspiration regarding what to blog about from reading the newspaper and keeping up with current events. But these days, all you can read about are the U.S. presidential primaries! It’s as if the entire rest of the world has disappeared! So I have no real inspiration for what to blog about this morning. I’ll instead focus on the cold winter weather. It snowed yesterday and my poor son woke up insisting that it meant he could stay home from school. I had to explain to him that just because there was new snow on the ground, that didn’t automatically mean there was no school. I’m not sure he ever really got over the disappointment of having to get up out of his warm bed and face the day…
Filed under: Blog & Other & Politics/Politicians & Self/My Life
February 6th, 2016 → 5:54 am
“Turk Gregory never did such deeds in arms as I have done this day.” – Henry IV, Part I
What’s interesting about this quote is that “Turk” is being used as an abusive term, signifying a tyrant. I hadn’t realized that “Turk” had that connotation in Shakespeare’s day. Today I think of Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, or perhaps, a brave Turk. Perceptions of peoples and words as they change over time is very, very interesting.
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art
February 3rd, 2016 → 5:10 am
“Oft expectation fails, and most oft there
Where most it promises.” – All’s Well That Ends Well
I work at the University of Missouri, and this morning there was an interesting article in the New York Times about diversity training on the Columbia campus. We have an uphill climb, my friends. Sigh. But I am determined to remain optimistic. I insist on believing that we will reach our potential as a nation one day and that race relations will improve to the point where diversity actually equals inclusion. I have to believe that. Gazing at my son every morning would be impossible if I didn’t.
Happy Black History month, btw.