AWP-Part 2: Ms. Shakespeare?

AWP's Pen America talk with Jodi Picoult

To ensure I get through my virtual AWP recordings before they expire in a few weeks, I viewed Pen America’s talk with Jodi Picoult. I’m primarily attracted to nonfiction panels, but the title of this event, “The Female Gaze: Powerful Narratives for the Times,” caught my eye. Picoult spoke of the importance of writing and “putting women at the center, allowing female characters to get angry and take up space.” She also gave background on her 2024 book, By Another Name, which I’m excited to read. It tells the story of a fictional female playwright struggling to get her work produced as a writer due to her gender, along with the story of a real-life Elizabethan author, Aemilia Bassano. Picoult theorizes that Bassano is the actual author of Shakespeare’s plays.

Since my memoir centers around my life as an actor and the sexism I faced, I can’t wait to dive into Picoult’s novel. In her interview with Pen America, she challenges the audience to entertain the idea that an Elizabethan poet, Aemilia Bassano, wrote all of Shakespeare’s plays because his female characters were three-dimensional. When you consider characters like Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, Rosalind in As You Like It, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, and Portia in The Merchant of Venice, these women stood up to societal injustices against their gender. It would make sense that a woman wrote Shakespeare’s plays.

Picoult presents other coincidences regarding how and why it could have been Aemilia Bassano who wrote these plays, but I’ll let you discover those details in her novel if you haven’t read it yet. I will reveal that Aemilia was Venetian, and several of Shakespeare’s plays were set in Italy and included precise details. Shakespeare never left England.

Another topic discussed was the current epidemic of book banning. Picoult had 20 of her 29 titles banned in Florida in a single day. She explains that books provide children with critical thinking skills and knowledge and that for some parents, the fear arises from the possibility that their children might think differently than they do. Her book, Nineteen Minutes, was named by Pen America as the most banned book of the 2023-2024 school year. This book was not prohibited because of its story about a school shooting but because it depicted a date rape scene and the language surrounding it.

Picoult discussed her hate mail regarding her books and mentioned that she will not stop speaking out because “she couldn’t live with herself.” After receiving thousands of hateful comments and messages for my writing against the current leadership in the United States, I felt inspired by her words. She is not afraid to speak her mind, and nor am I.

If it is true that Bassano is the true Baird, then it is sad to think she never received credit. To honor her, I will continue writing pieces under my name, even though, in today’s world, I sometimes wish I had a pseudonym in my back pocket.

Weekly Dog Photo

Some of you have seen this photo of Brody in another post, but how could I resist posting again when I’m talking about Shakespeare?

Literary Citizenship Share

PEN America was created more than 100 years ago for writers and they remain at the heart of what we do. We support them with grants, fellowships, awards, workshops, and quality public programming while defending their freedom to write.

Unfortunately we are living during a time when more books are being banned—10,046 in the 2023-2024 school year. This is three times the amount from the previous year. In regards to state statistics, Florida is well ahead with 4K-5K bans, Iowa coming close behind with 3K-4K, then Texas and Wisconsin with 400-600 bans. Astounding and frightening. On the PEN America site you can find the list of banned books along with a form to contact your elected officials. Let’s band together to fight these bans!

Next Week’s Show: More on AWP!

Monthly Zoom Meet Up for paid subscribers April 19th, 11am PST(link sent prior). Friday's Nonfiction Submission List is still offered to free subscribers!