has a PhD in English and Comparative Literature Studies (with a focus on contemporary Shakespearean performance) from University of Warwick. She earned her MA in Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cultural History of Renaissance England at The Shakespeare Institute.
Resource Guide: 'The Weight of Ink' by Rachel Kadish
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emma poltrack
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 in the 17th-century, and scholarship today.
Emily Serdahl (Diana) with Wayne T. Carr (Pericles) in Pericles, Folger Theatre, 2015. Photo by Teresa Wood. The last major goddess we will explore in this “Shakespeare and Greek Myths” series may have been Shakespeare’s favorite, based on the frequency…
Words, Words, Words: 'The Weight of Ink' by Rachel Kadish
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emma poltrack
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
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emma poltrack
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 as well as a supporter of the arts. Often aligning herself with heroic quests and military maneuvers, she is associated with a number of famous stories, leading to a number of allusions both direct and indirect within Shakespeare’s plays.
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
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emma poltrack
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. He and his love-struck characters also often allude to her son, Cupid, armed with love's arrows.
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, adaptations, and performances of Pericles.
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 series "Shakespeare and Greek Myths."
ENCORES: A selection from 'We Wear the Masks: Poetry and Fiction inspired by Comic Books' (2017)
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emma poltrack
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 Is Under Attack.’
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 to see how far we've come.
Introducing Shakespeare and Greek Myths: Theseus and Hippolyta
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emma poltrack
Welcome to our new Shakespeare and Greek Myths series. We're starting off with Theseus and Hippolyta--figures who are not only referred to in the plays, but are also fully formed characters in two of them: A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Two Noble Kinsmen. But who are they and what are their backstories?
