This man is the reason I write.  For the first five years of my writing life, I only knew iambic pentameter with aa, bb, rhyme scheme.  Occasionally I would step outside of my box and write ab, ab, but that was only when I was being fancy.  The first five years of my life as a writer, I was a poet, like old Billy Shakes.

Thanks to Shakespeare, I discovered that literature was a living breathing thing, meant to be absorbed, dissected and enjoyed.  Reading Romeo and Juliet for the first time planted the seed of longing for my first kiss (fast-forward to a VERY disillusioned 13 year-old).  Reading Othello helped me realize that even back in the day, the man was trying to keep a brother down.  Macbeth taught me that ambition not tempered with goodness and reason, could prove fatal.  King Lear taught me that…there is still some Shakespeare that I can’t quite finish.

So a few months back, I purchased the complete works of Shakespeare; comedies and tragedies and sonnets, OH MY!  I would read a little, and become distracted.  I think that now, in my time of actually taking my career seriously (I’m 34, so it’s really time for me to either live the dream or find a new one), it might be good time to get back to basics.

Beginning February 1, my goal is to read a bit of Shakespeare each day until January 31, 2012, or until I have completed all of his collected works.  You guys will have the pleasure of accompanying me, because every Saturday, I plan to post a blurb about my latest adventures with Bill.

My first undertaking will be a play.  Drop me a comment and let me know which one you would choose.