What can two new books tell us about Shakespeare and women?

Alan Riding joins us from Paris to talk about Tina Packers, Women of Will, and Chris Leordes'

Shakespeare and the Countess.

Women are actually more daring than we think of.

They're not just sort of pushed around the whole time, but in fact they dare stand up to

male power.

Asset collections are huge right now, but which one should you read?

Michelle Orange will be here to talk about her short list look at five new collections.

This idea of personal writing, diary keeping, for whom one writes, and layers of conversation

I think is something that struck me.

My colleagues, Parle Sagole and John Williams will talk about what's happening in the

literary world, and Greg Cole's has bestseller news.

This is Inside the New York Times Book Review.

I'm Pamela Paul.

Alan Riding joins us now from Paris.

He is a former European cultural correspondent for the Times and co-author with Leslie

Dunton Downer of the Essential Shakespeare Handbook.

Hi, Alan.

Hi, Pamela.

So, that last credential co-author of the Essential Shakespeare Handbook will come in handy discussing

these two books.

We're going to talk about Tina Packer's book, Women of Will, Following the Feminine in

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