First Folio

FIRST FOLIO! Much Ado About Costumes

April 14, 2016

~posted by Ann G. Shakespeare’s First Folio is still here in Seattle for a few more days—if you haven’t gotten a chance to stop by, consider getting tickets and coming to see it! The library hosted a program recently called “Make Your Own Shakespearean Costume”; we had stations where you could make ruffs, cuffs, brooches, beards, and… Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! Shakespeare and a Battle Remembered

April 12, 2016

The power of the pen can be as mighty as a host of lances in the hands of a great poet. One speech in one historical battle has lived on for six centuries, wrapped in myth and inspiration, mainly due to William Shakespeare. A legendary event during the Middle Ages was the Battle of Agincourt,… Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! Shakespeare in Young Adult Novels

April 11, 2016

~posted by Meranda Shakespeare has been parodied, reimagined, and adapted to fit a number genres. One of my favorite genres is young adult novels, and here are a few novels I found enjoyable. Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! Shakespeare in Graphic Novels

April 8, 2016

Shakespeare’s influence can be seen everywhere…but that doesn’t mean that he is easy to understand or enjoy. Whether you already enjoy Shakespeare or have had problems with Shakespeare’s plays, why not check out a graphic novel? A frozen play, if you will. Gareth Hinds has illustrated and adapted a number of Shakespeare’s plays. I picked up several… Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! The Making of the First Folio

April 7, 2016

Should the life of a book require a biography, just like a person might merit a life story? The first omnibus of Shakespeare plays, popularly known as the First Folio, significantly changed the English language and our understanding of being human, and so a biography of this work seems warranted. In The Making of Shakespeare’s… Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! Freegal: Five for Free – Shakespeare Edition

April 6, 2016

~posted by Cameron Friends, Seattleites, King County-men, lend me your ears. In celebration of the First Folio exhibit, here are five suggested downloads using the Freegal music service available using your Seattle Public Library Card. Kiss Me, Kate (Original Broadway Cast Recording) – “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” With music and lyrics penned by American treasure Cole… Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! Cheesy Teen Films – Shakespeare Style!

April 4, 2016

~posted by Danielle As a teenager in the early 2000s, there seemed to be endless teen romantic comedies based on Shakespeare plays. In celebration of the library hosting Shakespeare’s First Folio, here are the top 3 teen films that stuck with me. Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! From You Have I Been Absent in the Spring: Of Shakespeare and the Sonnet

April 1, 2016

When forty winters shall besiege thy brow (Sonnet 2) Then let not winter’s ragged hand deface (Sonnet 6) Not marble nor the gilded monuments (Sonnet 55) Full many a glorious morning have I seen (Sonnet 33) One glorious morning before April has fled, perhaps, you will mosey on down to the Central Library, with ticket in… Continue reading
Shakespeare’s Skull Found …in Brooklyn!

April 1, 2016

As reported in Smithsonian and The New York Times, archaeologists using ground penetrating radar have recently discovered that despite its dire inscription of “Curst be he moves my bones,” William Shakespeare’s tomb was probably disturbed in the late 18th century by grave robbers out to steal the genius’s skull. In a startling turn of events reminiscent of… Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! Shadows of Shakespeare: Biographies of a Folio and a Forger

March 31, 2016

~posted by Carl When William Shakespeare died in 1616, he was not yet the literary giant of the English language. His reputation grew over the centuries, following the development of the Shakespearean cult in the 18th century. About seven years after Shakespeare died, his colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell published the first collection of… Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! Movies and TV with Shakespearean Loves, Guns and Laughs – Part 2

March 29, 2016

~posted by Marion Shakespeare has influenced me on and off during the years. My junior high school English class read Macbeth (while the teacher actually personified Lady Macbeth, the class banded together and survived). In college, we read several plays for a Shakespeare literature class, and I fondly remember being in a study group which produced the… Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! Movies and TV with Shakespearean Loves, Guns and Laughs – Part 1

March 28, 2016

~posted by Marion Shakespeare has influenced me on and off during the years. My junior high school English class read Macbeth (while the teacher actually personified Lady Macbeth, the class banded together and survived). In college, we read several plays for a Shakespeare literature class, and I fondly remember being in a study group which… Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! Cinematic Shakespeare Cage Match! Welles vs. Kurosawa

March 24, 2016

Without a doubt, William Shakespeare has been the most adapted author in cinema history. The Guinness Book of World Records even says so! And if they’re the authority on “Farthest Distance Walked Balancing a Lawn Mower on the Chin*” then it’s indisputable. What is in dispute is which filmmaker was the greatest adapter of Shakespeare’s… Continue reading
FIRST FOLIO! Shakespeare’s Restless World

March 21, 2016

~posted by Carl Hundreds of years from now, what could investigators conclude about our society from finding a smartphone or GPS device? What about a Styrofoam lunch tray or a pizza delivery box? In the work Shakespeare’s Restless World: A Portrait of An Era in Twenty Objects, Neil MacGregor of the British Museum looks at… Continue reading