It’s hard to imagine a writer who has had as enduring an impact on the English language as William Shakespeare. Phrases like “neither rhyme nor reason,” “too much of a good thing,” or “It’s Greek to me,” color our language today centuries after the playwright immortalized them with quill and paper. But many of these linguistic contributions would have been lost to history were it not for the First Folio. Published in 1623, seven years after his death, it contains three dozen of Shakespeare’s plays, half of which were never printed in his lifetime.  

To honor the 400th anniversary of the First Folio, a monthslong celebration is taking place across Portland. It includes a variety of live performances; an exhibit at the Central Library; film screenings of Romeo and Juliet and other adapted works; and free public talks that draw cultural points of contact with Shakespeare-era England. Jonathan Walker, a professor of English at Portland State University, joins us to talk about creating and organizing “Shakespeare’s First Folio: 1623-2023,” which runs through May.