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.

John J. Miller talks with Gregory L. Schneider, author of The Conservative Century: From Reaction to Revolution, on the latest edition of Between the Covers.

ICYMI: Nigel Beale talks with Nam Le, winner of the 2008 Dylan Thomas Prize and author of The Boat, about What Constitutes a Good Short Story.

I am working on an email roundtable that deals with the short story format as well, so stay tuned.

John J. Miller has a new Between the Covers podcast up.  This one is with Anne Rice:

. . . on her new memoir about returning to the Catholic Church after many years away from it. This is an important public conversation—first and foremost, it’s an embrace of faith and a rejection of atheism. From looking through her book, it’s clear that Rice has some liberal theological views (ordination of women, for instance), but this is a footnote compared to the larger point. Her belief is deep and compelling.

In the podcast, we discuss why she left and then came back to Catholicism, what she now thinks of Interview with the Vampire and her other novels, the portrayal of Christians on TV and in the movies, and what book she recommends for Halloween.

A couple of links for your lunch hour:

–> Penguin UK is offering 20% off econ related books:

Short-selling, bank nationalization, liquidation, recession, boom and bust. These are all terms that most of us may not have heard for a decade or so, and for some, even in a lifetime. Yet whether browsing the web, reading a newspaper or watching the television, one is inundated with this financial newspeak. To help make sense of it all, we have come up with a list of some of our most accessible and insightful books on the economy.

–> John J. Miller has a short conversation with Claire Berlinski, author of There Is No Alternative: Why Margaret Thatcher Matters at Between the Covers.

UPDATE:

–> Forgot this one.  Mr. birnbaum talks with Amy Bloom.