Play Book Tag discussion

Jodi Picoult always pulls it out. There is something about this writer that is spiritual, depthful, and always cuts to the heart of human experience. First I will say, she is a brilliant researcher. The depth and extent she goes to to bring the subject to light and placed in history is nothing short of extraordinary. She adds to our knowledge base with her research and I imagine to that of the experts in every field she touches. And she brings heart to it.

I believe her. From page one, I believe her that Emilia Bassano is actually the true author of the majority of Shakespeare's plays. Yes she is going to get into a lot of hot water for this assertion, but she lays out the facts and the conjecture makes sense like Occam's razor. And of course I cannot help but hear Something's Rotten when I read this. I saw it twice in January and loved it. "Omelet!"

The book is truly a masterwork because it relates the plight of women in theater (and other minorities) to 400 years ago, and shows the connection between Emilia and Melina and how it might look today. What was interesting to me, is that a book about women and feminism quickly morphed into racism, LGBT, and neurodivergence, and how everyone is trying for that spotlight, and how our culture is managing all these competing voices and lenses. Editors, producers, critics, writers, culture, we are all and each a part of it. Every one of us. And each of us understand this from our own lens. I loved how each of the characters in contemporary time had to question themselves and figure out their own emergence and ownership. It felt very real to me. As I said, Jodi always pulls it out.

I attended a talk with Jodi Picoult a number of years back. Could have been 8-10 years ago, and before that she extensively interviewed my dear friend for Sing You Home. I have since seen her beautiful play with her daughter, attended another talk with her and her co-writer Jennifer (something or other) at Harvard for her transgender novel, the name of which currently escapes me. Once I saw a 45 minute video, where Alice Hoffman interviewed her for Leaving Time (or was it the KKK/nurse book?) I also have a teeny bit of a writing relationship with her, and have received some interesting responses from her. One thing I know given this extra fan-ship, which let me tell you does not fit into my life ordinarily. I don't have the time really nor inclination to follow authors about, love them though I do.... Anyway, One thing Jodi impresses on us is the plight of women writers trying to make it into this business and how much harder it is, or was to break in and through. She believes in women lifting one another up. What was interesting to me about the shift in the book, is that Emilia had no one to lift her up. But Melina, what lifted her, was the other voices. The African American LGBTQ, the neurodivergent voice, those were the two that saw her and lifted her. Its an interesting shift and commentary, and back to "We are more similar than we are different." I think its an interesting commentary on where we are in the world, and a beautiful one, and one with more inclusive voices, that I hope stays and blossoms. There really is room for us all. We just have to continue to choose that world and fight for it.