Registration for the Folger's June book club is now open!

 

Join us for Love in Color   Words, Words, Words, the Folger Shakespeare Library Book Club, is pleased to announce the next book discussion – Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola on Thursday, June 2, at 6:30pm (ET). We will be joined by an actor from this summer’s Folger Theatre production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to help us explore collection items related to Babalola’s contemporary retellings.  Participation is free, but registration is required. Click below to reserve your spot.  All discussions will be held in Zoom and instructions for accessing the conversation will be sent out on the Tuesday prior. We will also share the discussion questions, supplemental materials, and suggestions for sips and snacks in advance. Hope to see you there!   Register to join us for the discussion     Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola Thursday, June 2, at 6:30pm (ET)   A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen. A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life. A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart. In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places. With an eye towards decolonizing tropes inherent in our favorite tales of love, Babalola has created captivating stories that traverse across perspectives, continents, and genres. Love in Color is a celebration of romance in all its many splendid forms.     Why did we choose this book?   The Folger Shakespeare Library's collection explores not only Shakespeare's life and works, but also the plays' historical context, source material, critical and performance histories, and the ways in which they inspire and are adapted by contemporary novelists. Shakespeare often engaged with Greek mythology in crafting his plays, using the imagery to enrich his stories. Two of the myths Babalola chooses to retell in her collection—Cupid and Psyche and Pyramus and Thisbe—have strong connections to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, offering an opportunity to consider the throughlines of mythological adaptation that connect Shakespeare to contemporary authors.      Catch up with Vinegar Girl   Not able to join us for this month's past discussion of Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler? The Folger Spotlight has introductory and supplemental material—including discussion questions—to help you explore the book or even host your own conversation.   Introductory Material Folger Resources Collection Items   We would like to thank the following organizations for their generous support of this program       We are deeply grateful to have you as a part of the Folger community. If you are able, we hope you will consider making a gift today to help sustain Folger Programs.   Support