Reading Shakespeare (An AI Antidote?!)

Here we're going to read and talk about Shakespeare's plays. His people, their situations, their choices, their selves. And their words, their poetry, and their metaphors. And whatever else anyone might think of.

We're also going to eat. Usually pasta. Always with wine. Always home cooked.

Shakespeare's is a kind of wisdom, wording, and understanding that our growing AI cannot duplicate or even quite simulate. He may be worth more to us now than he ever has been, as we're being surrounded every day and on seemingly all sides by the blandishments of the machine.

Some basics:

• 1 play will be read and discussed per meeting. A few plays may merit two meetings. We're going to stay with the most familiar plays, both tragedies and comedies.
• We'll eat, drink, and socialize for a bit, then talk about the play.
• No 'potluck' contributions are needed. Please feel free to bring food and/or drink that you like for yourself if pasta and wine are not to your tastes.
• Attendees should try to read original play texts; 'softened' or 'modernized' editions are not recommended, though they will certainly be permitted.
• The host recommends the Arden editions of the plays. They have lot's of footnotes to help with the language that is not our contemporary English.