Shakespeare Here!

One polar bear's take on books, movies, current events, and life.

Shakespeare at home

Welcome. I’m Shakespeare.

I live with Wendy, who came into my life a few years ago when she visited her sister Diane in Oregon. Those two went to a fundraiser for Diane’s friend. There Wendy invested $20 in tickets to be drawn for a variety of prizes. She threw $17 worth of them into the bucket assigned to me. After some tense, nail-biting moments, a winning ticket was drawn–Wendy won! That’s how our partnership began. I was a FREE BEAR, except for the $20 in tickets and the $80 spent to ship me from Oregon to North Dakota.

Wendy is a Barnes and Noble bookseller (and a retired English teacher) so we read A LOT. We proudly call ourselves “book snobs.” Follow us here, and you will find reviews of classics, current bestsellers, lucky discoveries, debuts of authors we believe will triumph, and some fluff we fill in to rest our minds.

And occasionally, we see a movie; therefore, watch for an opinion about Elvis or Where the Crawdads Sing (we try to stay current). Speaking of “current,” we also observe and study what’s happening in our world. Our strong belief is that we must stay engaged. Our values and moral principles require engagement.

Until next time–Shakespeare signing off.

Heroes – Joe and Jeremy

Shakespeare Here!

Wendy and I watched Diane Sawyer interview Jeremy Renner on ABC’s 20/20 the other night. We were amazed not only by his on-going recovery from his accident January 1, 2023, but also by the character and strength of character of this man.

Renner, Hawkeye to Avenger fans, was so severely hurt in the snowplow accident he is a walking miracle today (with a walker and a cane as he continues his recovery).

Well before Renner’s accident, Wendy and I had always hoped that when CJ Box’s Joe Pickett finally came to the big screen, Jeremy Renner should play Joe. Over the years as we read Box’s novels, we pictured Joe looking just like Renner.

After watching the interview, Wendy and I are all the more sure Jeremy is Joe. Joe Pickett may be a fictional hero, but Jeremy Renner is a real hero who embodies the qualities we love in Joe. Both love and respect their families and friends. Those same families and friends come to their aid gladly. Both work hard at what they have chosen as their life careers. Both are principled men.

The most impressive part of Sawyer’s interview was when Renner said he was sorry to have caused his family so much pain. Pain…yes, Renner knows pain now but is more concerned with the pain he caused others.

Heroes – Jeremy and Joe

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