I sometimes wonder how long it's going to be before people realize that the most important writing ever done - which has been an influence on almost every idea that came after it, and which holds the key to future ways of learning about life, art and literature - must be looked at with much more seriousness than is currently the case. Shakespeare must be made central to the educational experience of young people. For this to happen, it must not be treated frivolously: the various agendas of academic and other professional commentators must not be allowed to interfere, nor should nonsensical conspiracy theories such as the "authorship question" be the location of the division regarding Shakespeare. (Once and for all: there is no evidence for any of this stuff because it didn't happen that way. Every single piece of evidence in existence supports the established story. And in response to the question of why academics won't even entertain the possibility of another theory, the answer is simple. They can't. They must follow the evidence and only that, just like any other professional. By the way, I saw the trailer for "Anonymous", and it looks really dumb. No, check that - it is really dumb. Boycott it.)

Another thing that bugs me is that whenever Shakespeare's name comes up, people talk about the words that he coined as if this was his central achievement. Patronizing, that. The attitude that follows is one of, "oh yes, he was a good writer for his time, did a lot for the language, you know". This kind of thinking is naive. Shakespeare had accomplishments of similar consequence in many, many other ways as well. My solution for all of the above? Let's stop discussing Shakespeare, and start reading him seriously. And let's do everything we can to encourage kids to do the same.