Shakespeare for the masses...

The other day I was listening to the radio, and heard a story that made me question the "knowledge" of the "experts." It was a story on NPR (WUNC 91.5) about Shakespeare and how his work, according to the experts, belongs only to those few "scholars" with the expertise to interpret for us what he meant. I know, too many quotes...Anyway, I searched and searched and could not find the story I listened to on WUNC. If anyone knows the one I am talking about, please let me know. The gist of the story was that, although the scholars believe that Shakespeare's work only belongs to them, the truth of the matter is that he belongs to everyone.

I find it hard to get my head around literary scholars saying that interpretation of any work should be limited to the select few. To me, the act of writing is only half, more like less than half of the whole creation. I guess it smacks of "if a tree falls in the forest," but to me, the only way something that was written can become whole is if it is read. For the author, the writing is a complete process. Not that I am any kind of real writer, no matter what dreams of my youth may say. But the author must give up his creation and let it fly or fall on its own merits. And as in anything, once it is out there, you have to let go and let people react the way they will.

I understand that we don't all know the history, and life of the bard. I sure don't claim any knowledge of his life. In fact I find him rather hard to read. But to say that a person doesn't relate to a character or dialogue in a play because they don't know specifics of the author's life is ridiculous. I think that was why I never really liked high school English. It was just memorizing what the teacher thought the author meant. I found that most times I could get an A without reading the book, just by listening to the class discussions.

Okay, rambling a bit. What I'm trying to say, is that what a book makes you feel is right. Even if it's NOT what the experts say it should mean. Don't be intimidated by a bunch of stuffed shirts. They don't know half of what they think they know anyway. Don't not read something because its too literary. Don't read it because its not good or you don't like it. But the only way to know that is to read it in the first place. Try everything. You'd be surprised by the things that will touch you. Don't spend so much time on the internet. The feel of some good crisp paper is really addicting. And don't worry about what the author meant. If they are good, you are feeling something close to what they wanted you to feel. But they understand that it will mean something to you that only you will understand. At least the good authors will understand that...