Elizabeth the First Wife by Lian Dolan Page A

managing hedge funds or writing computer models for the oil industry, not advancing physics. But you believe in your students and their promise.”
    I was touched. And then I felt a little foolish. I really did think every kid deserved a shot. So many of my students had done amazing things to get this far: escaped extreme poverty, learned English from cartoons, worked two jobs to support their families and pay for college. They embodied the work ethic of yesteryear, not theexpectations of the entitled generation. True, not every student was a poster child for the American Dream, but a lot were. “Is that a weakness?”
    â€œNo! Have you seen your ratings on rottenprofessors.com ?” I let out a big belly laugh. The image of my father checking out the evil but all-powerful professor-ranking site was too much. “You have four out of five stars! And three chilies for hotness. I only have two stars and no chilies.”
    Now he was killing me. “That’s because you have like ninety percent men in your classes. I’m sure the few female students you have think you’re hot. They just don’t rate statistically. You’re at least two chilies.” And then, because it seemed impolite to ignore his efforts and because it had been on my mind, I asked, “Do you really think I should put together a resume and send it to your friend at Redfield?”
    â€œNah. Not unless you really want to. But tell your mother you did and then we’re both off the hook.”

    FX had taken to texting me at all hours of the day and night with little bits of information and inspiration: Heard Ashland has great farmer’s market. Or: Theseus is asshole. Don’t remember hating him this much in college. Even quotes from the play that tickled his fancy: Joy gentle friends. Joy and Fresh love accompany your hearts.
    The texts were little pick-me-ups and a way to stay close but not too close, as I finished up the last few weeks of school and prepared for the summer. I’d spend a few moments composing witty replies, then get back to grading papers or doing research.
    But on this particular Wednesday, FX texted me with a simple statement: Taz is in. Then he followed up separately with a message that seemed less than manly: !!!!!!!
    I’ll be honest, of all the aspects of my gig with FX, workingwith noted director and creative genius Taz Buchanan was the most terrifying. Advising a movie star ex-husband was nothing compared to monitoring the man Time magazine called “The Visionaries’ Visionary.” (Guess they needed to sell some magazines that week to the TED crowd.) Taz Buchanan had pushed theatrical productions to the level of grand opera and turned small, dark stories into movie mega-musicals. No Taz Buchanan production was ever just on the surface level. He dug deep. He dug sideways. He turned things up on end and over again. His take on Death of a Salesman , set against the fall of Lehman Brothers, was currently burning up the boards in the West End, thanks in part to the brilliant casting of Jon Bon Jovi as Willie Loman. He had an innate understanding of the material, the ability to see the contemporary in the classic, and a rocking sense of theater. Love it or hate it, a Taz Buchanan production was always an event.
    There’s no telling what Taz might do to Midsummer to put his personal stamp on it. And it was my job to make sure that his personal stamp didn’t become Coriolanus, Part Deux and ruin FX’s reputation. I considered Googling “How to tame a wild director.”
    Instead, I texted FX back: !!!!!

Which
Shakespearean
Bad Boy
Is for You?

    ARE YOU AN URBAN GO-GETTER? You work hard, you play hard, and lately, you’ve been finding that old reliable boyfriend a little soft. You don’t have a lot of time between your high-pressured job, your parcours workouts, and The Bachelorette . You’re just looking for someone exciting you can squeeze in every