In the late 1980’s I auditioned for Yale School of Drama’s summer program at Oxford University. It was a competitive undertaking. For my audition I selected Katherine’s closing monologue from The Taming of the Shrew which proved to be an incredible asset and resulted in my acceptance to the esteemed program. I’ve been reading Shakespeare probably since I was ten years old; and in my high school English classes, I memorized several segments from Shakespeare’s works, most of which I can still recite today. I owe a lot to the words of William Shakespeare, which attracted me to study both acting and later in life, creative writing.
Fast forward to Spring 2025, when I had the pleasure of attending a public library sponsored Zoom interview with Jodi Picoult, the author of some of my favorite novels. During the interview, she spoke about her newest novel, By Any Other Name, the title which is taken from a well-known Shakespeare quote.
I am now a published author myself, and in my latest suspense novel, I use Shakespeare quotes as headers for the chapters. I have remained a big fan of anything Shakespearean. During Picoult’s interview I was particularly intrigued by her deep knowledge of William Shakespeare’s life, including the description of London society during those times, and the strict rules of the road for women before and during marriage.
What probably interested me most were the details of her two female protagonists, one of which is Emilia Bassano, a real-life poet and playwright who lived in the 1500-1600’s. Based on comprehensive research, Piccoult, with the help of experts, uncovered documentation and other material which suggest that Shakespeare was not the author of several of his most well-known stage plays. Also likely, based on these findings, is that at least one woman, perhaps Emilia Bassano, was one of his highest contributing “behind the scenes” contracted playwrights. The overall premise drew me in and at the same time, caused me some angst.
Having revered Shakespeare’s work for practically my whole life, I didn’t want to imagine that Shakespeare could be anything close to fraudulent. Despite my struggle, after I listened to the recent interview, I immediately ordered By Any Other Name. I had to read any book written by Jodi Picoult despite my discomfort with the subject matter. I have been routinely enamored with her colorful, layered characters and the twists and turns of her stories, her distinct ability to catch readers by surprise. I couldn’t wait for her latest to arrive on my doorstep. Two days later, it was in my hands.
I placed the book on my nightstand where it remained for several days. I’d eye it each night but didn’t pick it up. Instead, I used my discretionary time over the next week to write a new short story. I was in avoidance mode which is not like me when it comes to reading something potentially wonderful. But again, I didn’t want my image of the great Will Shakespeare to be disrupted in any way.
A week passed and I decided to break through my hesitation and opened By Any Other Name to read the first ten pages. I was instantly captivated. The novel is set in two different time periods: from 2013-2025 with protagonist Melina Green (playwright) and also, as mentioned, in the early 1500’s-1600’s with Emilia Bassano (poet and playwright). Picoult is a master at toggling back and forth between two distant eras, without the reader ever losing track of events or characters. I am consistently in awe of her ability to keep the reader 100% engaged every step of the way. There are a lot of characters but never once did I forget who’s who. Page by page, the raw emotions coming from her well-crafted characters kept me riveted, whether they be good, bad or downright ugly.
I must confess to my bad-form process as a writer when reading a novel written by an author that I admire, such as Jodi Piccoult. I mark up the book with a thick black felt pen, frantically scribbling notes in margins related to slices of writing that are “stand-out” beautifully phrased, and sentences that make me laugh out loud, as well as key passages that so artistically reveal key plot points. I use a color-coding process where I go back after finishing the book, and tag the absolute, most impressive sentences and phrases. I fold over those page corners and mark them with a red asterisk. I literally devour the book if I’m loving it, and this 500-page novel, I voraciously gobbled up in two days. I am the poster woman for, “couldn’t put this book down.”
Although the two protagonists in By Any Other Name live hundreds of years apart, both Emilia and Melina face similar challenges as females; a series of hurdles and heartbreak they must jump to be seen as credible playwrights. After reading this novel, I did a bit more research related to female playwrights with stage work produced and performed on Broadway in the 21st century. I was honestly astounded by what I found in terms of the stats and the facts, all of which support the core plot elements inherent in this latest historical fiction work from Jodi Picoult. I give it a 5+ out of 5!
Did Emilia’s story change my view of William Shakespeare, the most discussed playwright of all time? Without a doubt, my answer is yes! The book was eye-opening and invited me to think “below the surface” about events I’ve witnessed in my own work in the corporate world as well as in the field of writing; specifically issues relative to gender and ethnicity discrimination.
Some other “a-ha’s” swirling through my mind as I read Piccoult’s masterful work, include these:
• How family members can be intensely cruel and then at other times, caring and accepting
• How hopes and dreams can shrivel up, literally disappear from our minds and then without warning come alive and be truly realized
• How the passion between two people can withstand years of physical separation and then instantly re-ignite, the flame hotter than ever before
• How fortitude and commitment to art as a way of life can cushion the devastating “lows” encountered as we travel the often bumpy, path to old age
What I’d like to see further explored in popular literature is a focus on the subject of aegism, a bias prevalent in our world of work today, whether it be in the field of writing or in private industry. Combine age bias with gender and ethnicity biases, and it becomes a trifecta which presents a whole new level of challenge. I want to see stories centered specifically on how aegism is a barrier to success for many who clearly have so much to offer.
By Any Other Name stimulated my thinking beyond the subject matter of the stories presented. Thank you, Jodi Piccoult, for taking me well out of my comfort zone. What I learned is to dig deeper than the cover or title of a book or the costume of a person I may meet. A rose may or may not be a rose. We need to unwrap the gift, take the time and find out.
Linda S. Gunther is the author of six suspense novels: Ten Steps from the Hotel Inglaterra, Endangered Witness, Lost in the Wake, Finding Sandy Stonemeyer, Dream Beach, and Death is a Great Disguiser. Most recently, her memoir titled A Bronx Girl (growing up in the Bronx in the 1960’s and 70’s) was released.
