Favorite experiences at SAA 2018 in Los Angeles

Favorite experiences at SAA 2018

Some of my favorite experiences at the Shakespeare Association of America (SAA) conference in Los Angeles included meeting other attendees, either at seminars, or by chance. On the ride from the airport on Wednesday, I met Jim Schiffer of SUNY, who is working on the Twelfth Night variorum project, which may be published entirely online.

There was also a wonderfully moderated seminar on "Thinking Theology with Shakespeare." Jay Zyck of UMass-Dartmouth did an excellent job, and the abstracts of the papers hinted at may more insights and riches. Auditors only experienced the tip of the iceberg.

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At #Shax2018 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. today, an amazing and most effectively moderated seminar. Jay was obviously very thorough in his reading of all the papers, noticed common themes, elicited good questions from all presenters beforehand, so they were all well-prepared.

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A common observation: "This was one of the best-moderated and therefore most interesting seminars in ALL my conference experience," or words to that effect. Jay is also the author of a fascinating and fairly-argued book (balanced), "Shadow & Substance":
https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268102302/shadow-and-substance/

I had the pleasure of meeting Gayle Gaskill at this seminar; Gayle was the editor of the New Kitteridge edition of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and she later worked with me on a seminar for The Sixteenth Century Society and Conference meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico.