Stormy, our new kitten, is nibbling on my feet while I nibble on a small sandwich of roast beef and Swiss on five-grain bread.
“Ouch!”
Stormy’s nibble just upgraded to an ankle bite. She has my attention.
Can’t blame her for the nip. She’s had a rough morning. My wife took her to PetSmart for her first doctor’s appointment. Things went swimmingly: wellness check, vaccination, blood test. No worms. No fleas. Plus, her ears were clean. And she weighed a sprightly 2.8 pounds.
But this isn’t about Stormy. It’s about The Bard, “the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist,” according to WIKI.
It’s no accident, this. Today is National Shakespeare Day — April 23, the day of his birth, and, conveniently his death, or so I am told.
I’ve not read much Shakespeare: “Macbeth,” of course, plus “Romeo & Juliet.” Beyond that, zip — unless you count “Shakespeare in Love.”
BBC planned a big day. (Click here for details.) Right now I’m listening to a bunch of smart people with English accents talk about The Bard and his impact. I’m impressed — though I don’t understand it all. (It’s like the joke about the sky: It’s over my head.)
I went to England some years back — not to celebrate Shakespeare, but another writer: C.S. Lewis. Visited “The Kilns,” his home. Stopped by the Eagle & Child, the Oxford pub where he met with his fellow Inklings, a loosely knit gaggle of writers that included J.R.R. Tolkien.
My favorite writer is James A Michener. I’ve read a number of his novels: “Hawaii,” “Caravans,” “The Drifters,” “Centennial,” “Chesapeake,” “Space,” “Legacy,” and “Mexico.”
Good stuff.
Another writer I like is Tom Wolfe, though I’ve read just two of his books: “The Right Stuff” and “From Bauhaus Our House.”
One more writer: Tracy Kidder, who won a Pulitzer for “Soul of a New Machine” — one of only two books I’ve ever read back-to-back, without a break. (The other: Sally Quinn’s “We’re Going to Make You a Star.”)
But back to Shakespeare …
I’d like to know what you think of him — this poet, playwright, actor, writer.
Love him? Hate him? Whatever . . .
Better yet, I’d love to know who your favorite writer is — and why. Your favorite book(s), too. Come on … Start tip-tapping on your keyboard. You’ll be a better person for it — and so will I.
Jim Lamb is a retired journalist and author of “Orange Socks & Other Colorful Tales,” the story of how he survived Vietnam and kept his sense of humor. Sometimes he gets a bit nosey. For more about Jim and his writing, visit www.jslstories.com.
