Collected Miscellany

A couple of literature/bookish related links from our friends over at NRO:

- First, they have a symposium on Shakespeare:

Nobody knows precisely when William Shakespeare was born. It was in 1564, probably a few days before April 26, which definitely was the date of his baptism, as recorded in the parish church at Stratford-upon-Avon. The Bard’s birthday is traditionally observed on April 23, which is also the date on which he died, in 1616.

To celebrate his life, we’ve asked a few NRO contributors to pick their favorite play by Shakespeare and explain why they love it.

- And John J. Miller talks with Maria Tatar, author of Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood, in the latest episode of Between the Covers.

I noted Bad Things by Michael Marshall in a recent In The Mail post. Below the author talks about changes in his life and how they have impacted his writing, about how his books have been categorized, and about his latest work. My review of The Intruders is here.

Guess what I just got in the mail?  Only the hot new book from one of my favorite authors – due for release in March.

There are some benefits to this book blog.

Birnbaum talks “Friends, Family, Readers, Casual Acquaintances, Occasional Correspondents, ex Wives, Admirers and what not” with Elizabeth Strout.