April 23, 2016, marks the 400th anniversary of the death of playwright, poet, and actor William Shakespeare, perhaps the most beloved writer in all of English literature.
There is no doubt that Shakespeare has made a profound and lasting impact on the development of literature far beyond his native Britain. This unrivaled influence particularly extends to the United States, where writers have long gleaned inspiration from Shakespeare’s dramatic plays and verse. Indeed, from Herman Melville to Toni Morrison, many of the best-known American writers have crossed vast distances of time and place to draw upon the universality of Shakespeare’s themes, as well as the inventiveness of his language and forms, cultivating distinctly American modes of expression.
To honor Shakespeare’s enduring legacy, The New York Public Library presents a selection of American authors who have been influenced by, and at times wrestled with, the works of the Immortal Bard.
