The Folger Spotlight
'The East Indian' Resource Guide
To prepare for our May 2 virtual book club discussion, explore resources related to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and America’s early colonization.
Dramaturg's Notes: Faedra Chatard Carpenter on Metamorphoses
Faedra Chatard Carpenter writes about the persistent power of myth in our lives and how this production makes a notable change to the play’s conventional staging.
Director's Notes: Psalmayene 24 on Metamorphoses
Psalmayene 24 reflects on his decision to cast an all-Black ensemble: “This production is a ritual meant to celebrate and elevate Black humanity while connecting us to all humanity.”
About 'The East Indian'
Introductory information on the May 2024 Folger Book Club selection, Brinda Charry’s The East Indian.
'Immortal Longings' Resource Guide
Resources related to Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong.
About 'Immortal Longings'
Introductory information on the April 2024 Folger Book Club selection, bestselling YA author Chloe Gong’s adult epic fantasy debut, inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.
'Daughters of the Deer' Resource Guide
Resources related to Daughters of the Deer by Danielle Daniel.
About 'Daughters of the Deer'
Introductory information on the March 2024 Folger Book Club selection, which imagines the author’s ancestors in the Algonquin territories of the 1600s.
'Homegoing' Resource Guide
Resources related to Shakespeare and Black history in preparation for our February book club discussion of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.
The Reading Room Festival Q&A: Mary Chieffo and Josh Nelson Youssef
“I was particularly intrigued by the concept of ‘honest Iago’ and what honesty truly signifies in the context of gender roles,” writes Mary Chieffo.
About 'Homegoing'
Introductory information on the February 2024 Folger Book Club selection, a generational story spanning centuries.
Q&A with Austin Dean Ashford
Austin Dean Ashford shares more about his one-person show, “Rap Monologues,” which fuses hip hop history, humor, and a fresh perspective on the classics.