January News from the Simpson Literary Project
A New Day Dawns on The United States of America.
— Diane & Joe
History says, Don't hope
On this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme.
-"The Cure at Troy," Seamus Heaney
If you haven't already, we hope you move one of Daniel Mason's books to the top of your reading list. Needless to say, we are big fans. Here are a few additional ways to get to know our 2020 Joyce Carol Oates Prize recipient:
Watch Diane Del Signore's recent interview with Daniel through the Ashby Village's Arts & Culture series. Among other topics, Daniel discusses his time on the Berkeley campus between medical school and his residency at Stanford, and his most recent book, A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth (Little, Brown), a book of short fiction.
Read Regan McMahon’s Q&A With Daniel Mason: Diagnosis and Distillation in Zyzzyva.
“There is no time in my memory when empathy, imagination, and patience are as important as right now, to further social justice, promote equality, to heal political rifts. And empathy, imagination, patience—these are all gifts of literature. When we write, and when we read, we imagine the worlds of others. The world may have changed, but our vision and goals and programs—our readings, publications, and writing workshops—continue, and this somehow feels more vital and urgent all the time. Thank you for supporting the Simpson Literary Project, thank you for supporting the gift to write and read.”
We're receiving more and more positive feedback from teachers and Shakespeare fans of all stripes on Shakespeare & the Plague, our 20-minute exploration of the plague in Shakespeare's work.
Have a look at Stephen Greenblatt's introduction and a clip of the production's "Prince of Time."
Or give the whole thing a watch, enjoy the Viewer's Guide, and pass it on to any and all English and drama teachers and professors you know, so that it all goes, well, viral.