1599: Shakespeare on the Cusp

Is there a single year in the life of any individual, famous or obscure, that marks the turning point in the person's life?

James Shapiro believes that if the answer is yes, then the year for William Shakespeare was 1599.

"That is the moment in Shakespeare's life that I'm most interested in," says the Columbia University professor and author of the just-released "1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare," who will talk at the Harvard Bookstore on Oct. 26. "That's Shakespeare on the cusp."