How could I casually, flawlessly discuss the entire lineage of English monarchs from the twelfth century to the twenty-first, explaining in detail the War of the Roses, how it affected the way Shakespeare skewed his historical writing, and the many ways scholars kept up those narratives—how could I be “so smart … and not see the corner strategy in a Monopoly game.” Or not want to learn about it, if I really didn’t understand it.
