“But then Shakespeare had a thought: What if a character had a conversation – with himself.”

Before Shakespeare invented the soliloquy, actors spoke in monologues and dialogues.  Soliloquys are a radical combination of the uninterrupted speech of one person (in monologues) with the tension created by expressing two different perspectives (in dialogues). Soliloquys demonstrate how a character can go back and forth when weighing both sides … Read More

“But no less than the daily food we eat, the daily literature we consume can have significant benefits.”

Can reading a great book be therapeutic? Every English teacher I know would say yes. Some of us, in fact, prescribe books to our friends who might want help in delicate situations. What’s new here is the idea that neuroscientists – like Fletcher – can identify scientific explanations for … Read More