Copies of Shakespeare's First Folio to begin hitchhiking across America.

To celebrate the anniversary of Shakespeare's 400th birthday, the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., is sending copies of the Bard's First Folio on a tour of the country, starting today in...Oklahoma? Because if we're all being honest, Tulsa is a natural start for all things from Renaissance England.

There are 233 known remaining copies of Shakespeare's First Folio in existence of the 750 originally printed, which is a strikingly high number, all things considered. A third have survived 400 years? By comparison, Sir Thomas Malory wrote Le Morte d'Arthur (a version of the King Arthur fable) in 1485, and there are only two known first edition copies in existence today, one of which is incomplete. Shakespeare's First Folio is doing pretty well by comparison.

The Folger Shakespeare Library owns roughly a third of those remaining 233 copies--82 to be precise--and will circulate a half dozen of those copies across America. Oklahoma included, each of the 50 states will host a copy anywhere from three to four weeks, but only at one location per state. This is great if you live in Rhode Island (Brown University, April 11 – May 1), and not so hot if you live in Alaska (Juneau, Alaska State Libraries, Jul 26 – Aug 24).

But nothing's hot in Alaska, I guess.