Shakspeare In America - I'd Love to Hear From You
It's quite a while since I posted about my academic work. Well, I completed the taught modules of my MA in Shakespeare and Theatre at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon earlier this year and I'm now getting stuck into my dissertation.
My topic is the biographical representation of Shakespeare as a character in a clutch of children's novels published, mostly, in the last 20 years or so. These include Susan Cooper's King of Shadows, the Gary Blackwood trilogy (The Shakespeare Stealer, Shakespeare's Scribe and Shakespeare's Spy), Grace Tiffany's book about Judith, My Father Had a Daughter and the new Celia Rees book about Twelfth Night, The Fool's Girl.
And I need a little help from my flisters here. I know a good few of you are American, and I've noticed a lot of the best books of this type are written by American writers. Even when they aren't, they might well feature an American child as a central character. I've been working through stuff on-line from the Folger Library about Shakspeare and the American character, and it's fascinating, but what I'd really appreciate is comments and memories from you about the way Shakespeare is taught in American schools - even if he's taught at all.
Feel free to respond with anything you see fit, but I'd especially like answers to the following questions:
Anyway, look forward to hearing from you. If you'd rather respond privately, message me via LJ for my email address.
My topic is the biographical representation of Shakespeare as a character in a clutch of children's novels published, mostly, in the last 20 years or so. These include Susan Cooper's King of Shadows, the Gary Blackwood trilogy (The Shakespeare Stealer, Shakespeare's Scribe and Shakespeare's Spy), Grace Tiffany's book about Judith, My Father Had a Daughter and the new Celia Rees book about Twelfth Night, The Fool's Girl.
And I need a little help from my flisters here. I know a good few of you are American, and I've noticed a lot of the best books of this type are written by American writers. Even when they aren't, they might well feature an American child as a central character. I've been working through stuff on-line from the Folger Library about Shakspeare and the American character, and it's fascinating, but what I'd really appreciate is comments and memories from you about the way Shakespeare is taught in American schools - even if he's taught at all.
Feel free to respond with anything you see fit, but I'd especially like answers to the following questions:
- Is there a compulsory teaching curriculum in grade and high schools (public in the US sense)? Does it vary from state to state?
- Is it compulsory, or widespread, or indeed controversial, for kids to be taught about Shakespeare?
- What would be a typical age for a kid to encounter Sh's works in a school setting for the first time?
- Here in England, it's considered very important for children to learn Shakespeare 'on their feet' by paricipating in performance and seeing productions, and the RSC is very involved in that. Is this also the case across the pond?
- Does the idea of taking Shakespeare off school and college courses for English majors bother people enough to protest?
- I notice that America was building replicas of the Globe long before we did it here in England. Any thoughts? Is it considered important that kids understand Shakespeare's world and is this a good way for them to learn about it? And is all this considered to be a poor substitute for actually visiting the hallowed turf in England? Or not?
Anyway, look forward to hearing from you. If you'd rather respond privately, message me via LJ for my email address.