Join us for a presentation by Michael Blanding of his book, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family’s Quest to Craft a Christian Nation. As Christian nationalism has surged into the mainstream of American politics in the last decade, no family has been more influential than the Greens, owners of the Hobby Lobby chain of big box craft stores. And yet, their story has been largely untold. 

In his book, Blanding explores how the family’s fervent commitment to “biblical truth” has led it to push the bounds of religious liberty in the Supreme Court, fund conservative institutions responsible for repealing Roe v Wade and undermining LGBTQ rights, and establish the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, controversially stocking it with thousands of illegally trafficked biblical antiquities. In tracing the rise of the family from a small Oklahoma business to a billion-dollar political force, the book looks at how Christian nationalism is funded, organized, and deployed—and the challenge it poses to democracy.

Registration is encouraged but not required. Book signing will follow. If you would like to purchase a book, please do so through Word on the Street https://wordstreetbooks.com/book/9781541703940

Join us for a presentation by Michael Blanding of his book, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby. As Christian nationalism has surged into the mainstream of American politics in the last decade, no family has been more influential than the Greens, owners of Hobby Lobby. In tracing the family’s rise from a small Oklahoma picture-frame shop to a billion-dollar political force, the book looks at how Christian nationalism is funded, organized, and deployed—and the challenge it poses to a pluralistic democracy. Michael Blanding is a Boston-based investigative journalist and author of In Shakespeare’s Shadow and the New York Times bestseller, The Map Thief. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Join us for a presentation by Michael Blanding of his book, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family’s Quest to Craft a Christian Nation. As Christian nationalism has surged into the mainstream of American politics in the last decade, no family has been more influential than the Greens, owners of the Hobby Lobby chain of big box craft stores. And yet, their story has been largely untold. 

In his book, Blanding explores how the family’s fervent commitment to “biblical truth” has led it to push the bounds of religious liberty in the Supreme Court, fund conservative institutions responsible for repealing Roe v Wade and undermining LGBTQ rights, and establish the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, controversially stocking it with thousands of illegally trafficked biblical antiquities. In tracing the rise of the family from a small Oklahoma business to a billion-dollar political force, the book looks at how Christian nationalism is funded, organized, and deployed—and the challenge it poses to democracy.

We welcome author Michael Blanding of the book The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby, an exploration of the Green family, the evangelical founders of the Hobby Lobby chain of craft stores, and their influence on politics and religion in the United States. Blanding uses the family to trace the rise of Christian nationalism through the courts, the schools, and the halls of government, and examines how the family’s money has impacted religious liberty and human rights in their pursuit of "biblical truth." It also delves into the family's controversial involvement in the trafficking of biblical antiquities for their Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. 

To Register: https://rockportlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/the-gospel-according-to-hobby-lobby-with-author-michael-blanding/

Join us as bestselling author Michael Blanding discusses his new book, "The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby", a revelatory account of how the family behind Hobby Lobby rose to political prominence and used their influence, and fortune, to push a radical religious agenda.

In The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby, Michael Blanding reveals how the Green family has quietly yet effectively used their vast wealth to inculcate biblical values, prop up evangelical education, successfully fight a Supreme Court case to deny their employees insurance coverage for contraception, worked to overturn Roe v. Wade, undermine LGBTQ rights and acquired looted, stolen, and forged biblical antiquities from the Middle East. In a riveting exposé, Blanding traces the Greens’ efforts to sell their evangelical mission.

Join us for a presentation by Michael Blanding of his book, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family’s Quest to Craft a Christian Nation.

Thank you to the Friends of the Lynnfield Library (foll.org) for sponsoring this event. Please register, as space is limited.

Join us at Brookline Booksmith to celebrate the release of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby with author Michael Blanding, in conversation with Linda K. Wertheimer.

Shakespeare's Secret Source: Discovering the Knight Behind the Bard

A Friends of Dartmouth Library presentation featuring investigative journalist Michael Blanding, author of North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar’s Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard’s Work, with the rogue scholar himself, Dennis McCarthy. Reception to follow.

Free and open to the public. For more information, visit Baker-Berry Library.

The New York Shakespeare #instagramlive #interview program returns Monday 5/2 at 9:30pm EST, as we interview more of the standouts of the #newyork #shakespeare scene!

Including discussions with:

- Keith Hamilton Cobb Authentically of his semi autobiographical one man show American Moor - A Play by Keith Hamilton Cobb , and of its offshoot that is currently in development, the Untitled Othello Project!

- Kitty Mortland of @1womanshakes , in which the versatile #actress digs into the #bard ‘s #plays and #sonnets one speech at a time, every day, for her ShakesYear project!

- Michael Blanding of the new book ‘In Shakespeare’s Shadow’ from Hachette Books , in which the #writer uses his prowess as an #investigative #journalist to examine the question of what Shakespeare’s plays were based on

- Andrew Sanford of the Random Access Theatre and of the popular mashup of Shakespeare with both #starwars and drinking games , The Drunk Texts , which has their new shows coming up for #maythe4thbewithyou at QED Astoria and on 5/6 at @theduplex_nyc !

- JUST ADDED: Joshua Koehn of the Stag & Lion Theatre , who are in the final week of their run of Henry IV parts I & II

Plus the return of our popular segment, #illshowyoumineifyoushowmeyours !

Join the conversation live, TONIGHT, Monday 5/2 on the New York Shakespeare Instagram page:

www.instagram.com/newyorkshakespeare

“Literary Café presents: Shakespeare and Love”

Affecting audiences the world over for centuries, Shakespeare’s work on love and loss has become part of our global cultural identity. But the question as to who really wrote Shakespeare’s plays has always dogged the legacy of this great writer. Join Lexingtonian author, Marjan Kamali, for a fascinating discussion with author Michael Blanding whose book North by Shakespeare takes readers on a quest with an unlikely scholar and the use of modern technology to answer the age-old mysteries of the sources of the Bard’s work.

Books will be on sale through Maxima Book Center.  Registration is required at www.carylibrary.org/programs for this VIRTUAL event.

Sponsored by the Cary Library Foundation.

“Shakespeare’s Secret Source”

Boston-based investigative journalist Michael Blanding tells the true story of a self-taught Shakespeare sleuth’s quest to prove his eye-opening theory about the source of the English language’s most famous plays. PLEASE NOTE: The event will be on Zoom. Event link is sent 30 minutes before program start.

Suggested Donation: $10 Members; $15 Non-members

More info: www.salemathenaeum.net

The Present Day Club is a private women’s club located in the historic Mercer Hill district of Princeton, New Jersey. Established in 1898 by several forward-thinking women “to stimulate an interest in science, literature, art, and social and ethical culture," the Club has pursued its objective to create an intellectual and social center of thought and action while celebrating women's contributions for 120 years!

The Club's signature program is its weekly luncheon presentations. On Wednesdays, and some Thursdays, from September until mid-June, Present Day welcomes outstanding speakers and performers who offer ideas and entertainment in a variety of formats. Our guest-lecturers have included Emmy-winning TV programmers, Broadway theater luminaries, university professors, journalists, historians, humorists, coaches, award-winning authors, and even a traveler into space.

In collaboration with Hickory Stick Bookshop, we welcome Michael Blanding to virtually discuss his latest book, North by Shakespeare.

Blanding’s book follows self-taught scholar Dennis McCarthy on his quixotic quest to prove that many of Shakespeare’s plays are based on earlier source plays written by the courtier and translator Sir Thomas North. To explore this theory, Blanding traveled with McCarthy through England and Italy; in and out of foreign archives; and back in time to royal intrigues in Elizabeth’s court, writing about their journeys together in an engaging narrative style.

Signed copies of this book are available at the Hickory Stick Bookshop or on their website at www.hickorystickbookshop.com.

Michael Blanding and Dennis McCarthy!

Virtual Author Lunch and Visit

Grab your lunch and zoom in to “meet” author Michael Blanding author of North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar’s Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard’s Works. Michael will be joined by Dennis McCarthy the independent scholar profiled in the book. Both will present on their findings. No registration needed. Click on Calendar of Events for Zoom link – www.syossetlibrary.org/live-streaming.

Join author Michael Blanding as he discusses his latest book North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard's Work, which tells the story of self-taught scholar Dennis McCarthy’s quixotic quest to prove that many of Shakespeare's plays are based on earlier source plays written by the courtier and translator Sir Thomas North. The author traveled with McCarthy through England and Italy; in and out of foreign archives; and back in time to royal intrigues in Elizabeth's court culminating in this engaging book.

Hosted by Wilmington Memorial Library in collaboration with Memorial Hall Library and Tewksbury Public Library.

Virtual Talk: “North by Shakespeare” with Michael Blanding

The case: Find the true origins of William Shakespeare’s work. The sleuth: contemporary renegade scholar Dennis McCarthy. The suspect: Sir Thomas North, an Elizabethan courtier. Using plagiarism software, McCarthy has found direct links between North’s published and unpublished writings and Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and other Shakespeare’s plays. What’s more, Shakespeare’s plotlines seem lifted straight from North’s colorful life.

“Did Shakespeare Have a Ghostwriter"?”

Meet Michael Blanding, author of, North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard's Work. He will be joined by Dennis McCarthy, a self taught scholar who has spent more than a decade scrutinizing Shakespeare's plays in a quest to prove that little known playwright, Sir Thomas North, might have been the source of some of Shakespeare’s most memorable works. Together, the two have offered a provocative theory. Shakespeare might have had a ghostwriter. In addition to bringing stunning new information to the Shakespeare authorship debate, the book poses important questions about what it would take to change 450 years of deeply held belief about anything.

The second edition of Massachusetts Book Bites is coming up on Saturday, May 22 at 4pm— a virtual showcase in which Massachusetts authors introduce readers to their recently published books via a series of bite-sized videos. This co-production by the Boston Book Festival and the Massachusetts Center for the Book is a great way to learn more about the literary diversity of the Commonwealth--and to stock your “to-read” shelves for summer!

For more information visit the Boston Book Festival website.

Author Michael Blanding will discuss his new nonfiction book North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard's Work. With him will appear Dennis McCarthy the "rogue scholar" of the title who has spent the past 15 years obsessively pursuing the sources of Shakespeare's plays.

For more information, and to register for the event, click here.

The Case for Sir Thomas North

Michael Blanding, an investigative journalist who wrote a New York Times article about Dennis McCarthy’s work with plagiarism software in 2018, added his own research on Thomas North. His new book, “North by Shakespeare” was featured in Smithsonian Magazine in April.

https://shakespeareauthorshiproundtable.wordpress.com/2021/05/26/the-case-for-sir-thomas-north-as-shakespeare/

Join us Tuesday, May 4th at 7PM as we welcome author Michael Blanding, who will discuss his new book, North by Shakespeare; A Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard's Work . For more information, visit Marston Mills Public Library.

Michael will be presenting at this annual writing conference sponsored by GrubStreet Writers, called “the #1 Writing Conference in North America” by The Writer Magazine. He will be offering the session: “What’s in a Braid?: Mastering Multiple Storylines in Non-Fiction,” which will explore how braided narratives can deepen storytelling, as well as the elements that bind narratives together, and tools and techniques to make multiple narrative strands sing to each other. Participants will come away more confident about weaving their own multifarious stories.

For more information, visit The Muse & the Marketplace.

What if Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare—but someone else wrote him first? Michael Blanding (The Map Thief) presents his new book, North by Shakespeare, which follows obsessive scholar Dennis McCarthy on his quest to prove that Shakespeare used now-lost plays by 16th-century courtier and translator Thomas North to write his greatest works. McCarthy’s theories present a fascinating “middle ground” between orthodox views of the Bard and conspiracy theories that someone else wrote the plays—and explain many mysteries, including Shakespeare’s knowledge of Italy, war, and the law— if they can be believed. North by Shakespeare is part literary mystery/part royal intrigue, as Blanding and McCarthy travel together across England, France, and Italy, and back in time through Elizabethan history to investigate his audacious claims. For more information, visit the Newburyport Literary Festival.

Located at No. Seven and No. Eight Park Street (formerly the homes of John Amory Lowell and Abbott Lawrence, steps from the State House, the Union Club is a vibrant social club cherished by members and their guests seeking friendship, fun social events, memorable experiences and community in Boston.

From its inception, The Union Club of Boston has been characterized by forward thinking. Our founding members didn't restrict themselves to a single political party, but drew in all those willing to support the Union Cause in the Civil War: Republicans, Democrats, and Abolitionists alike. Then we became the first male club in the city to welcome women as members, years before such equity was the norm.

“Spotlight on Books Inspired by…Books.” Appearing alongside authors Kim Adrian (Dear Knausgaard) and Alden Jones (The Wanting was a Wilderness) for a virtual free reading series with a twist: each author’s presentation includes something special to tickle the senses: Music, film, theater, paintings, photographs! Let yourself be transported with an immersive, literary experience.

To register, click here.

Join Michael for the virtual launch of his new book, North by Shakespeare, hosted by independent bookstore Brookline Booksmith! This event will feature a short reading, discussion, and Q&A about the book exploring the sources of Shakespeare’s plays — and maybe some recitations of Shakespeare as well. Click here to register and purchase a copy of the book signed by the author.

Michael will be the keynote speaker at the annual conference for International Foundation
for Cultural Property Protection at Yale University.

He will talk about The Map Thief and the security concerns raised by the Smiley theft case.

Michael will appear as part of GrubStreet's annual Muse & the Marketplace Conference in Boston, MA, "a three-day literary conference designed to give aspiring writers a better understanding about the craft of writing fiction and non-fiction, to prepare them for the changing world of publishing and promotion, and to create opportunities for meaningful networking. He will be leading the following session:

"Writing Suspense"

Alfred Hitchcock said, “There is a distinct difference between ‘suspense’ and ‘surprise.’” Yet many writers confuse the two. Building suspense is just as much about choosing when to reveal information to a reader as it is about choosing what to withhold. As an investigative journalist, Michael Blanding frequently works to create suspense in his narratives, keeping readers captivated even when the ultimate outcome of the story is already known. Drawing upon examples from fiction, non-fiction, and film, this session will explore practical tips and techniques for crafting stories that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. It will also include time for a guided writing exercise for participants to create their own short, suspenseful narratives.

The Arlington Author Salon is a free reading series with a twist: each author’s presentation includes something special to tickle the senses. Music, paintings, photographs, tasty treats, fabrics, even smells! Let yourself be transported with an immersive, literary experience.

Michael will appear as part of the event "Maps, Manhunts, and Mysteries," along with Elizabeth Searle and Jessica Treadway. A book signing will follow.

The event takes place at Kickstand Café, 594 Mass Ave in Arlington Center, MA.