Last week we were fascinated by new developments in the quest to prove or disprove that William Shakespeare's head may have been removed from his grave in Stratford, England. Experts have believed for many years that the poet's skull might not be in his final resting place, and a team with high-tech scanning devices were able to take a look inside the grave without disturbing it last week. They found strong evidence that the skull was in fact missing -- but why would someone remove Shakespeare's skull? There are theories abound, but one that struck me interesting is that in the 1800s, when the skull is thought to have been stolen, some people believed that they could study the skull of an intelligent person and draw conclusions about what made them so intelligent.
With that in mind (ha!), I asked my fellow OOMers whose head they would most like to get inside and why! Here's what they had to say:
Alex: I would love to get a look inside Lewis Caroll’s head. Every time I read Alice in Wonderland (and/or see the movie) it’s like I am discovering the story of the first time. From the Cheshire Cat to the Mad Hatter, Lewis Caroll certainly knew how to create characters that would forever standout and excite his readers. Also, I’d love to know what inspired him in creating the infamous Mad Hatter tea party scene and the of course the croquet match at the Queen's palace.
Mike: Dr. Seuss – I always wanted to know what inspired his “Seussian” language and how he got the ideas behind The Lorax, The Grinch and other iconic characters.
Morgan: This might be random, but I’d really like to get into the head of Cotton Mather. I’m reading The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff right now, and the more I read about the Salem Witch Trials the more fascinated I am by Cotton and the role his writing played in what happened then. His work was so influential at a time when accusations were leading to so much imprisonment and death.
Julia: I would love to be able to get inside the head of Oliver Sacks, who died last year. He had an incredible career as both a neurologist and a writer, and I think was really operating on a different intellectual plane than most other people walking the earth! I would love to spend some time being able to understand human brain function—and then be able to express my understanding in an artful and accessible way!—the way Sacks did.
Gina: I’d like to get inside the mind of Stephen King – he’s written some of the most famous horror stories and created some of the most notorious monsters ever (and he’s *still* writing!) but, from what I can see on social media, he seems like a totally normal guy. I’d love to see how his mind comes up with such terrifying stuff while living a quiet life in Maine!
Kristen: I'd love to get inside Jhumpa Lahiri's mind. I confess that I actually haven't read any of her novels, but I've read a lot about her determination to learn Italian and how she only writes in Italian now. As someone who loves learning new languages, I'd be fascinated to know how she disciplines herself to write everything in a second language, which must be frustrating for someone who writes fluidly in English!
