The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 20.0595  Friday, 11 December 2009

From:       Hardy M. Cook <
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Date:       Friday, December 11, 2009
Subject:    Some Ideas about SHAKSPER's Future for Comments

On those occasions when I am filled with energy, I get ambitious. 
Encouraged by the success of the Book Review Panel, of the Roundtable 
discussions, and of my infrequent Cook's Tour of Internet Resources for 
Students and Scholars of the Early Modern Period, I have decided to 
share some other ideas that I have had regarding SHAKSPER.

My thinking on these matters resulted from a request I received from 
Alexander Huang, a SHAKSPER member and one of the world's foremost 
authorities on Shakespeare on film from an Eastern (China, Japan, 
Southeast Asia, and so on) perspective. Alex is the video curator of the 
exhibition that is currently at the Folger Shakespeare Library in 
Washington, D.C.: 
<http://www.folger.edu/Content/Whats-On/Folger-Exhibitions/Current-Exhibition
s-Imagining-China/?CFID=83888&CFTOKEN=13255483>. He asked me if SHAKSPER 
be inclined to run a review of this exhibition?

This request suggested the following possibilities to me.


SHAKSPER REVIEW PANEL

What are members thoughts on establishing/formalizing a SHAKSPER Review 
Panel to produce peer reviews of major/significant exhibitions, films, 
theatrical productions of particular noteworthiness in London, New York, 
the East and West Coasts (Boston, DC, San Francisco, LA, and so on), and 
the like.

Questions about such a feature that immediately come to my mind are

1. What procedure should be established to select Panel members (if 
indeed a Panel is thought to be the most appropriate way to organize 
such a feature)?

2. What sorts of events should be reviewed -- does my above list cover 
most of those that readily come to mind?

3. Would such a Review Panel operate much as the Book Review Panel does 
-- i.e., Panel members suggest what should be reviewed and who should do 
the reviewing before vetting the reviews?

4. Is this idea worthwhile?


SHAKSPER ROUNDTABLE PANEL

What do subscribers think of the possibility of establishing a SHAKSPER 
Roundtable Panel along the lines of the SHAKSPER Book Review Panel that 
would more intentionally formalize the SHAKSPER Roundtable -- i.e., 
suggesting possible Roundtable topics, approaching possible guest 
moderators for the Roundtable, and so on -- to keep the feature going in 
a more intentional/formalized manner as the SBReview Panel operates.


SHAKSPER, LLC

For years, I have thought about incorporating SHAKSPER as a 
not-for-profit corporation as has been done with PsyArt, for example. 
Unfortunately, I have not had sufficient time or drive to handle all the 
legal procedures that would be necessary to file for this status. Or, at 
least, my psychological issues are such that I have not gotten around to 
doing so.

SHAKSPER will soon be entering its twenty-first year of service to the 
academic community. For the majority of those years, I have been at the 
helm and have paid for most of the expenses as they have arisen. These 
expenses are considerable: L-Soft listserv license, online fees 
principally for the server, the new server itself. In addition to these 
are matters such as review copies that were discussed in early November 
<http://www.shaksper.net/archives/2009/0553.html>. Further, at some 
point, we will be redesigning the web site with consultant's expenses 
and so on. In addition to these, Eric Luhrs has faithfully served the 
list as webmaster and technical guru. Eric, even though he is a 
considerably younger man than I, has been working on the list's behalf 
for almost as long as I. It would be nice if I were able to give him a 
stipend or an occasional honorarium for his services. Then there is, of 
course, me, who has recently retired on disability.

People have urged me for years to charge for SHAKSPER's services. I have 
resisted and am not inclined to do so, but I would be more than willing 
to accept donations if there were a legal means of my doing so. Let it 
be clearly understood that I am NOT soliciting contributions NOW. It 
seems to me that incorporating as a not-for-profit corporation would be 
a means to the end of establishing a legal vehicle that would enable me 
to accept contributions towards the list's work and continued vitality.

If there is anyone on the list with experience of setting up a 
not-for-profit corporation, could you please contact me and help me 
through the process or offer me suggestions for how I might be able to 
get this done. If you can offer me any suggestions or assistance, please 
contact me at my private e-mail address at 
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Hardy M. Cook, Ph.D.
Editor/Moderator/Owner of SHAKSPER
www.shaksper.net

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