I have not gone off the deep end — I don’t think — and have started a new project that will run independently of The Mookse and the Gripes, a new solo podcast called The Worlds and Works of Shakespeare.

The plan (and I’ve done a lot of prep work so I’m hoping it goes smoothly) is to go through the complete works of William Shakespeare with plenty of detours into the world he inhabited and the worlds he wrote about. Despite loads of research, it is not going to be a work of scholarship but rather a narrative survey, which I hope will suit casual listeners looking for some fun while becoming more familiar with The Bard.

Approval came from iTunes just yesterday, so this is a freshly minted project. The only episode up right now is the introductory episode, but on Sunday the first substantive episode, The Heirs of Henry VIII, will hit.

The Worlds and Works of Shakespeare has its own shiny new blog, which you can find here, and that’s where I’ll keep it all. In other words, I won’t be linking to the new podcast on The Mookse and the Gripes again, because I just don’t think it fits well with this blog’s personality and temperament. But today I wanted to let you all know it’s beginning, in case you or someone you know is interested. It’s going to be a long-term project, and I’m excited.

In case you’re worried, I don’t see this interfering with the way things work on The Mookse and the Gripes. As I said, I’ve been working on this for some time now, and I’m pleased that I still have time to do the reading I’ve always done for this space. As far as blogs and other online projects go, The Mookse and the Gripes is my first love, and its flame still burns bright.

Liked it? Take a second to support The Mookse and the Gripes on Patreon!