Occidental Center for the Arts Virtual Literary Series presents Shakespeare Everywhere, conceived and hosted by local and beloved author Jean Hegland (Into the Forest; Still Time). Jean will join in conversation with a four-person panel of far-flung artists: a rapper, a cartoonist, a zine editor, and a Young Adult novelist who are incorporating Shakespeare into their own work in fresh, exciting, and powerful ways. These fabulous artists will share a taste of their work with us and discuss how and why Shakespeare has inspired them. This is a fundraiser for OCA: Although a free event for OCA members, we encourage all viewers to donate to OCA. OCA members can pre-register for the Zoom option; non-members can pre-register for the Zoom option by paying a $5 fee. Click the orange button to register.
This event was recorded live on Zoom. Click here to watch the replay on YouTube.
Jean Hegland moved to Sonoma County in 1984, and has lived here ever since, raising her children, teaching at Santa Rosa Junior College, and writing. Her first novel, Into the Forest, has been translated into seventeen languages and adapted as a French graphic novel and a Canadian feature film (featuring Elliot Page and Evan Rachel Wood). Her most recent novel, Still Time, about an aging scholar's final encounters with the plays as he struggles to reconcile with his estranged daughter, has been called "a novel Shakespeare would be proud of." jean-hegland.com
Devon Glover is a teacher, rapper, poet, playwright and actor from Brooklyn, New York. He performs Shakespeare's Sonnets through Hip-Hop as The Sonnet Man in schools and theaters worldwide. Devon has appeared on NBC, MSNBC, BBC, and at conferences and Shakespeare Festivals worldwide, including Stratford, Ontario, and Stratford-upon-Avon. He has taught with Stratford Shakespeare, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Saratoga Shakespeare, and Shakespeare Behind Bars. Devon has written adaptations of Shakespeare for various theatre companies. Devon is currently working on a one man show based on Shakespeare's play, Othello, commissioned by the New Perspectives Theatre. http://sonnetman.com
Mya Lixian Gosling (she/her) is the artist and author of Good Tickle Brain, the world's foremost (and possibly only) stick-figure Shakespeare comic, which has been entertaining Shakespeare geeks around the world since 2013. Mya also draws Keep Calm and Muslim On, which she co-authors with Muslim-American friends, and Sketchy Beta, an autobiographical comic documenting her misadventures as an amateur rock climber. In her spare time, Mya likes to drink tea, read books, and play the ukulele badly. You can support Mya's work on Patreon, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook. https://goodticklebrain.com
Mac MacDaniel grew up going to punk shows in Richmond, VA. He is a hairstylist, playwright, editor, educator, and author who believes the best way to keep Shakespeare alive is to turn him over to young iconoclasts. Among his many Shakespeare-related projects is the zine Brief Candle, which attempts to give Shakespeare discussion back to the groundlings. https://www.macmacdaniel.com/last-syllable-press
Gary Blackwood: Growing up in rural Western Pennsylvania, I didn't have much exposure to Shakespeare, but I had enough books around to get me everlastingly hooked. I started writing stories early on; by my teens, I was submitting my work to magazines and occasionally selling it. Eventually I graduated to novels and, after only nine attempts, I finally got one published, then another and another. I think I'm up to thirty-six now. Many of them have garnered starred reviews and appeared on various Best Books lists. Kirkus Reviews called The Shakespeare Stealer "a delightful and heartwarming romp through Elizabethan England." I've also penned a number of stage plays (including a widely produced adaptation of Stealer) and have lately turned my hand to screenplays. https://www.garyblackwood.net