By Mia Herdeman, Current Staff
While teaching “Macbeth” two years ago, Brett Hartman had a moment of inspiration.
Hartman, an English teacher at West Bend East High School, believed his students could better understand Shakespeare if there was a way to update “Macbeth” for high schoolers. He came up with a quick outline for a new book that sets the play in a modern high school rather than the 11th century.
To write the book, Hartman enlisted the help of an old college friend, Adam Becker. Their manuscript, titled “The Serpent Under’t,” is nearly ready for publication.
“We are essentially through Act 4 (of 5),” Hartman said. “Since we’re kind of close, we’ve reached out to a former professor who has her own stuff published.”
As a teacher, Hartman often hears snippets of students’ conversations, and notices how easily students can be influenced by negative forces.
“I decided to go with the idea of toxic masculinity within society and how a ‘normal’ person can get manipulated,” Hartman said.
He further explains that rumors following an assault have replaced the multiple executions that happen in Shakespeare’s version of the story. The book is intended for adults and mature teens.
Hartman has also thought about the younger generations that will be introduced to certain topics later because of book censorship, which is the basis for a second book tentatively named “The Voice Garden.” This will be a children’s book about censorship within school districts. As an English teacher, Hartman is worried about recent events across the country. The recent controversy between books and school boards concerns the maturity state of students, and the fragility of certain topics.
“The power of reading creates curiosity and empathy for others,” Hartman said.
(Top image: Brett Hartman poses Thursday with a textbook copy of ‘Macbeth.’ Photo by Mia Herdeman, Current Staff.)
The West Bend Current 