emma poltrack
Words, Words, Words: 'If We Were Villains' by M. L. Rio
The Folger’s virtual book club continues on Thursday, April 7 with a discussion of ‘If We Were Villains’ by M.L. Rio. To get ready for the conversation, we’ve compiled some introductory information on this twisty thriller about Shakespeare students at…
Resource Guide: 'The Weight of Ink' by Rachel Kadish
On February 3, 2022 the Folger hosts its Virtual Book Club, featuring a discussion of ‘The Weight of Ink’ by Rachel Kadish. To prepare for the discussion, we have pulled together a list of resources related to the novel, religion…
Artemis, a fierce and fickle goddess
Artemis (possibly Shakespeare’s favorite) was the Greek goddess of chastity, hunting, and the moon, often depicted with her trusty bow and arrow and a short tunic to aid in running through the woods.
Words, Words, Words: 'The Weight of Ink' by Rachel Kadish
The Folger’s virtual book club continues on Thursday, February 3 with a discussion of Rachel Kadish’s ‘The Weight of Ink.’ To get ready for the conversation, we’ve compiled some introductory information on this time-traveling scholarly mystery.
Athena: How Shakespeare's plays invoke the Greek goddess of wisdom and battle strategy
We continue our “Shakespeare and Greek Myths” series with another major goddess of the Grecian pantheon, Athena. Also called Athene, Pallas, and Minerva (her Roman name), this patron of Athens was the deity devoted to wisdom, the law, and strategy…
Resource Guide: 'All's Well' by Mona Awad
On December 6, 2021 the Folger hosts its Virtual Book Club, featuring a discussion of All’s Well by Mona Awad. To prepare for the discussion, we have pulled together a list of resources related to the novel and the plays…
Aphrodite (Venus): The oft-invoked goddess of love
One of the figures that Shakespeare and his characters frequently invoke is Aphrodite, the goddess of love, often referred to by her Roman name, Venus, both in the plays and sonnets and in Shakespeare’s popular long poem, Venus and Adonis.…
Resource Guide: 'The Porpoise' by Mark Haddon
On November 4, 2021 the Folger hosts its Virtual Book Club, featuring a discussion of ‘The Porpoise’ by Mark Haddon. To prepare for the discussion, we have pulled together a list of resources related to the novel and the themes,…
Circe: A transformative enchantress
The enchantress Circe, best known for turning men into pigs, is mentioned several times in Shakespeare’s plays and has been a literary inspiration for more authors up to the present day. Explore her story in the latest installment of our…
Collection Connections: 'Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch' by Rivka Galchen
Dr. Emma Poltrack shares items she presented on October 7, 2021 as an introduction to ‘Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch’ by Rivka Galchen.
ENCORES: A selection from 'We Wear the Masks: Poetry and Fiction inspired by Comic Books' (2017)
Folger Public Programs is pleased to present ENCORES, a bi-weekly online series highlighting past performances and recalling the rich history of programming on the historic Folger stage. Enjoy a selection read by Manuel Gonzales from his novel, ‘The Regional Office…
Some spellbinding October reads
As we enter the year’s spookiest month, explore a trio of contemporary novels that involve early modern witchcraft. Much has changed since the deadly witch hunts of Shakespeare’s era, and the contrasting approaches of these books are a good way…