Westminster Abbey

While in London, I got to visit Westminster Abbey twice - once for a tour, and one for a service. Both were wonderful. If you haven't been to Westminster, anything I told you about its magnificence still wouldn't do it justice, so just take my word for it. Of particular interest to me here was the Poets' Corner, where over 100 writers are buried and/or celebrated. I was most interested in seeing the Williams (Shakespeare, Blake and Wordsworth), Chaucer, Burns, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, Austen, Byron, Dickens, Lewis Carroll, the Bronte sisters, George Eliot, Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Henry James. It was really overwhelming to see so many important literary contributors all mentioned together. Luckily, I had been able to study up on everything before my visit, thanks to a book Teresa bought for me on the Poets' Corner during her London trip three years ago. What fun!  

The Canterbury Tales

Thursday night I attended The New American Shakespeare Tavern's adaptation of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, and it was fantastic! The dialogue had been slightly changed, so though I didn't get to recite the Prologue word for word along with the actors, I was so entertained by the beer cans, Converse sneakers, a ballroom-dancing Chanticleer, tour bus, puppets, two added tales and Southern accents to notice.

I went with my friend, Lori, who gets just as excited about books, plays and history as I do. We had a great time, and hope to do more fun stuff in Atlanta soon.

The New American Shakespeare Tavern has occupied its space on Peachtree Street in Atlanta for 20 years, and they are celebrating all season with a winter schedule that includes several great plays still to come: Romeo + Juliet, King Lear and The Taming of the Shrew.

If you have the chance to see a play at this theatre, you just simply must.

Whanne that April with his shoures sote...

Every Meredith College student has to take English 111 and British Authors. No matter who teaches your British Authors course, you’ll be required to memorize the prologue to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. I'm terrible at memorizing lines word for word, but I can still recite the first eight or 10 lines, especially if I’m reciting with a fellow English major (we seem to be the only Meredith alumnae whose eyes start to sparkle at the mention of the Wife of Bath or Chanticleer).

A few years ago, Meredith College gathered up as many students and alumnae possible and attempted to break the Guinness Book World Record for the most people reciting the same lines at the same time (read more about that here).

The New American Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta has included The Canterbury Tales in its 2009-2010 season, and it is being performed there through the end of January. To learn more, visit the Tavern’s web site.