We're off and running.  Today was fascinating.  Professor Matt spoke convincingly about the various solutions, or non-solutions, to the end of the sonnets.  At each sonnet's end, at the end of the 'young man' sonnets, or the 'dark lady's' sonnets, or the end of the set, or the end with "A Lover's Complaint" to follow?  All indeterminate, false and tricksy.  The sonnets seem to invite that.  But what was really fun was John Benson (no, not Ben Jonson - one can't make these things up) and his re-ordering and regrouping of the sonnets into a storied sequence.  Professor Matt approves, thinking the sonnets cried out for this.  And Melinda Hall in the audience spoke up to advertise an all day sonnet slam in Central Park at the Bandshell.  Come this week and declare your Shakespeare event!

And I hope you can come today at 1:15 in the South Court Auditiorium.  Very eminent scholar Bernice W. Kliman will be demonstrating hamletworks.org, a website for all things Hamlet, for scholar and layman alike.  After that, we get youngbloods being a-masterclassed.  These four teens are finalists in the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition.

Once again, mention this blog for a highly insignificant gift. 

Left to Right: Third Place, Jamie Bogyo (Hunter College High School); Fourth Place Rebecca Brudner (St. Ann’s School); Runner-Up, Daniel Maren (Dwight School); Winner, Dani Goffstein (Yeshiva University High School for Boys)