Yomi Sode and Miles Hodges: A Reflection on Shakespeare

Shakespeare was a craftsman, the English language his medium, poetry his art. Much in the same way that he played with words, so too did he with the concept of masculinity. His characters challenged the gender norms of his society, his renderings pushed against the standards of his time. Spoken-word artists Yomi Sode and Miles Hodges honor the legacy of the master penman through their own plays on language and reflections on the notion of masculinity. Join the Library for a night of performance and poetry, a dialogue spanning four hundred years between the Bard and two 21st century men, riffing on what male identity means to them today. 

Advance registration is recommended. Limited seating available upon request. 

Alcohol will be available for purchase. Must be 21 or over with valid photo ID. Please note photo ID must be provided at check-in.

What is For The Public? It's a new series from The New York Public Library featuring the city's prominent young creatives. Curated by Miles Hodges, the events translate the Library's mission into a social occasion, offering the chance to hear performance poetry, view pop-up installations, and engage with a variety of artists in one of the most inspiring public places New York has to offer.  

This event is part of Shakespeare Lives, a year-long global program celebrating the continuing resonance of Shakespeare around the world led by the British Council and the GREAT Britain campaign.

The British Council's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy commits us to ensuring that there is no unjustified discrimination in the recruitment of program participants on the basis of age, disability, gender including transgender, HIV/AIDS status, marital status including civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity, political opinion, race/ethnicity, religion and belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, spent convictions, trade union activity or membership, work pattern, having or not having dependents or any other irrelevant grounds.

We aim to abide by and promote equality legislation by following both the letter and the spirit of it to try and avoid unjustified discrimination, recognizing such discrimination as a barrier to equality of opportunity, inclusion and human rights.