From a New York Times By the Book interview headlined “Geraldine Brooks Had an Unpleasant Surprise When She Taught at Harvard.”

“Half my students had never read a Shakespeare play,” says the historical novelist, whose latest book is ‘Horse.’ That set my hair on fire.”

What books are on your night stand?

Permanently, three slim volumes of a series called “A Return to Poetry.” In each, 10 notable Australians choose 10 favorite poems and say why those poems speak to them. I dip into these books often and I’m sad they discontinued the series. Alongside them presently I have “Worn,” by Sofi Thanhauser, an engaging dive into the human and environmental cost of what we put on our backs; two novels, “Master of the Revels,” by Nicole Galland, and “The Lioness,” by Chris Bohjalian; and Gish Jen’s new short stories, “Thank You, Mr. Nixon.”