Given the stress we have all felt as the world deals with the Covid-19 virus, it seems appropriate to interweave two ideas: work written during the time of plague or that includes the idea of plague as part of its content, with that most enduring aspect of human experience: love. Relax, pour yourself a glass of wine, read, think, and turn on your computer for a stimulating series of discussions!

All sessions will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Copies of the books have been reserved for those participating in the discussions, and can be picked up at the front dest of West End Library without first reserving the book in the normal way. The sessions will be held over WebEx, and access will be provided for those who are not members of West End Library Friends by My T. Nguyen at the library. Email: my.nguyen@dc.gov

Many of Shakespeare’s most powerful dramas were fashioned during the difficult period when plague overran England—although he had the fortunate option, like Boccaccio’s noble people, of repairing from the crowded city of London to his birth village of Stratford-on-Avon, to write. Among the works from this period, Winter’s Tale’s very title suggests its intention to entertain us during a dark and difficult period, and offers a complex interweave of love stories, encompassing two generations, two distant countries, and serious, almost tragic details that, yet, ends up with a comedically happy ending.