About

Shakespeare died 400 years ago this year. So, in 2016, I am going to read his complete works and write about it.

In ways visible and not, Shakespeare still extensively informs our modern culture and consciousness, even if you don’t particularly enjoy reading or watching his work. I want to jump into in his works – taking on a play about every 8 days – as a way to understand and reflect on myself, my relationships, and the world in 2016. Consider this project my confessions, connections, and consultations with the Bard so many centuries later.

If you struggled with Shakespeare, don’t worry. I want my reading and writing to be honest and human, not academic. For more on the start of this undertaking, please read my first post.

Meanwhile, I will be doing a good bit of language writing. On my etymology blog, the Mashed Radish, I post once or twice a week about the origins of topical or newsy words. I also write about language trivia on Mental Floss; word origins and lexical trends on OxfordWords, the official blog of Oxford Dictionaries; and name origins on Nameberry, a leading baby name site. For much of 2016, I wrote for Lexicon Valley, Slate’s language blog. Many of pieces there focused on the Bard’s tongue itself, including his naughtier side, which I treat on Strong Language, a sweary blog about swearing. I’d be thrilled if you followed my work in those venues.

I studied English literature for my undergrad, later earning a teaching license in secondary English and a master’s degree in education. During my career as an educator, I have had the privilege to serve diverse students, from refugees to adults with autism, and in a variety settings, from public to private.

Now, when people ask me what I do, I am trying to sound confident about my answer: “I’m a writer.”

In the spring of 2016, I moved from Orange County, California to Dublin, Ireland – and am loving every bit of this storied city and its wonderful people. I live there with my lovely and talented wife and our dog nonpareil, Hugo. We love to travel, stay active, binge-watch great TV, and eat good food.