A funny thing happened on the way to the Folger.

Recently I had a chance to visit the Folger Library, where I saw a Fourth Folio they had on display.  Our guide was trying to remember the “other” plays that had been included in this one, and suggested that Two Noble Kinsmen was one of them.  I gave a confused look and said that I thought that one hadn’t been accepted as part of the works until far more recently.  After the visit I went off to do my research.  (I later got clarification that I had misunderstood, and she was using Two Noble Kinsmen as an example of plays not in the First Folio – not that it had been included in the Fourth).

What’s funny is this discovery I made while doing some entirely independent research into the history of this blog.  Check out the very first post I made back in June 2005:

I knew about the existence of Cardenio, which is more “lost” than “questionable”, and The Two Noble Kinsmen, which I got into an argument with my neighbor about (I lost, arguing “I have several copies of the complete works and there ain’t no Noble Kinsmen in it!”)

My recollection is fuzzy but I believe I “lost” that one because I’d been arguing that Shakespeare didn’t write it at all. I do have specific memories of when the “number of plays Shakespeare wrote” went from 37 to 38, though.

Fast forward thirteen years and I’m standing in the FOLGER FREAKING LIBRARY questioning them on the subject!  I have no shame.

When I started this site I never tried to claim expertise on the subject.  I know only the faintest hint of what I don’t know.  These days I think I probably know more than I did then, but I still stand in awe of the good folks who do this for a living who will forever know more about it than me.

And no I’m not talking about my wedding anniversary, I wouldn’t be here telling you about it if I forgot that every year!

I’m talking about the anniversary of starting Shakespeare Geek — June 9, 2005.    (Man has the quality of my posts gone up since then!  I hope.)

That means I’ve been doing this for 13 years.  Not quite older than my kids, but old enough that none of them have ever known a time when I didn’t have the site.

We’ve also published over three thousand posts (3240 to be precise) and almost eight thousand comments (7846).  It’s been a heck of a ride.  Things have definitely changed over the years.  I don’t publish now as much as I used to (I remember once realizing I’d been averaging nearly two posts *per day*), and the conversation in the comments isn’t the same as it once was, taking place instead on Twitter and Facebook.  Even calling the site a “blog” nowadays makes it sound like a throwback to 2005.  I just call it my site.

Thank you to all my loyal readers and contributors over the years!  Fear not, I’m not going anywhere until Shakespeare does.

When my son first asked for a “pop socket” for his phone I’d never heard of them and assumed it was just something random he’d spotted and had to have.  I think he was just a little ahead of the curve because these days they’re as common as phone cases.

If you’ve not yet seen one (you probably have and didn’t even notice), it’s a decorative circular knob that attaches to the back of your phone and acts like a handle.  I guess kids these days tend to drop their phones a lot? 🙂  The neat part is that it collapses flat, so if you were thinking “How am I supposed to get that in my pocket?”  now you know.  It also works as a stand for when you’re watching movies and want to put the phone down.  <shrug>  Like I said, I didn’t get it, but I guess everybody that’s half my age simply has to have them.

So it was an interesting surprise when the Amazon Merch decided that pop sockets (or I suppose PopSocket Grips, technically) would be the first non-clothing item that they would offer.  You know what that means.  More opportunity to decorate our lives with Shakespeare!  Anybody can throw the Droeshout portrait on one (and already have), so I’ve tried to create some more original designs that showcase your inner Shakespeare Geek.  I hope you all like them!