'The Shakes ]Vews[etter Vol.34:no.4 "Let me study so, to !OlOW the thing 1 am forbid to know" Winter 1999 22nd Annual Conference Report Teaching the next generation San Francisco hosts record that Oxford was Shakespeare Oxfordian turnout How educator Robert Barrett is shaking up The Society's 22nd Annual Conference the status quo in the state of Washington in San Francisco last November set several by Roger Stritmatter records. There were about 145 attendees overall, including many complimentary Robert Barrett Jr. 's essay, guests, and the entertainment was eye-catch­ "Shakespeare Meets Robert ing, as was the famous, glamorous Clift Frost" seems destined to remain Hotel. But as members have recently leamed an underground classic. The es­ in a letter from new Society President Aaron say recounts Barrett's experience Tatum there was a price to be paid for some teaching the de Vel'e story to eager of this glamour, as a serious deficit resulted students at Central Kitsap Junior (see page 20 for some further discussion of High in Silverdale, Washington. this matter and Aaron Tatum's presidency). "Something there is," writes Nonetheless, for those attending it was Barrett-quoting Frost-in that an eventful, fulfilling three days in the Bay essay, "that doesn't love a wall. area, with Oxfordians from around the US and "Hollywood's the thing ... " When I finished reading The Mys­ England on the scene, and, as usual, some terious William Shakespeare, by interesting, provocative papers presented, Cate Blanchet (left) in Elizabeth and Judi DencJI Charlton Ogburn Jr., something and, on the final day, an eye-opening panel (right) in Shakespeare In Love have treated movie­ there was within me that didn't discussion on the ever-elusive goal of a goers to two portrayals of Queen Elizabeth in two love the wall that hid the true "Unified Authorship Theory." movies that take modern audiences back to the Shakespeare. " Another major event during the weekend Elizabethan era. Can such films be ofhelp to those Afterreading Ogburn in 1990, was the premier of Alan Hovey's play Aye, of us engaged in the Shakespeare authorship de­ Barrett brought his iconoclasm Shakespeare! at the Palace of Fine Arts bate? Well, yes. See pages 4-5. into the classroom and soon found Theatre in San Francisco. The Marin Shake­ that his students were as inspired speare Company was contracted to produce by the Shakespeare inquiry as he the play, a one-man show in which Edward de had been when first reading Vere speaks of his life and his times. Noted British actor Rob Clare starred, and his per­ Ogburn. fonnance received a standing ovation. "As a layman, newly intro­ The play was followed by a public dis­ duced to a difficult subject, I re­ cussion on Shakespeare and the authorship sponded to my reading in a way issue, led by moderator Peter Robinson, with that was undoubtedly visceral­ panelists Lord Charles Burford, Katherine just in pati, though, a small part. Chiljan and Randall Sherman (all trustees of The larger part-I submit-was the Shakespeare Oxford Society) alsopartici­ intellectual. I looked for reason, pating. plausibility, evidence, and con­ The Marin production followed an "out­ viction in Ogbum's words, and I of-town" tlyout earlier in the week at the found those qualities much more Eclectic Theatre Festival in Petaluma. Two often present in the book than staged readings of the play preceded the San absent." (Contillued all page 6) (Continued on page 10) page 2 Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter Shakespeare Everywhere It's been hard to miss these past few stream media coverage, indicating perhaps a 18) and screenwriter Tom Stoppard (Shake­ months. Shakespeare has become fashion­ strong awareness of the authorship issue speare III Love) appeared on the Charlie able, and-of much greater importance­ just beneath the surface, and perhaps also a Rose TV interview show in the same week newswOlihy and saleable. Two mainstream readiness to "pounce" on anything that last December, talking about their respec­ Hollywood movies about Shakespeare tive projects. And naturally there were and about Elizabeth (see our story, questions about the authorship asked pages 4-5) are reaching millions. ofboth ofthem (though, unfOliunately, In the print media Shakespeare sto­ both were quite dismissive of it). ries are also popping up more fi'equently, But amidst it all, we are happy to propelled in part by these recent mov­ report-despite the likes of a Bloom or ies, and also certainly by the numerous a Stoppard-the Shakespeare author­ film adaptions of the plays (with eight ship story seems to be attracting more more to come in the next 1-2 years!). The and more attention, and is perhaps also films have brought forth such Shakes­ taking off into the same stratosphere. pearean luminaries as Prof. Stephen Of primary interest was the one­ Greenblatt writing in The New York two punch of major authorship stories Times op-ed pages (February 6th)­ that appeared in The Washington Post confessing that SIL co-screenwriter on Janumy 24th, followed three weeks Marc Norman once approached him for later by a two-page spread in the Feb­ ideas about how to tell the story of rualY 15th Time magazine (with a small Shakespeare's life when so little is box on the front page asking, "Who known. Yes, indeed, a tough problem. Wrote Shakespeare?") By the time The heightened media attention on both might constitute new, decisive evidence in members have received this issue of the Shakespeare and the authorship really be­ resolving the authorship debate. newsletter, the biggest story ofthem all will gan in earnest last November with the pub­ Then in December Shakespeare was be on the newsstands, a major treatment of lication in Science magazine of Dr. Eric voted "Man of the Millennium" in a BBC the issue by Harper's Magazine (see box Altschuler's "Searching for Shakespeare in Radio 4 poll in Great Britain. This prompted below). the Stars." Dr. Altschuler presented his Richard Malim to write "They haven't got In all three instances, it is the Oxfordian thesis-that there are no references to any the Will" in the Spectator, letting his readers thesis that is being promoted as the most post-1604 astronomical discoveries in the know the true identity of the Briton of the viable alternative to the Stratford story. Shakespeare Canon-at the Society's San Millennium-Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of The Post story was about Peter Dickson Francisco Conference (see page seven). Oxford. and his recent research, much of which has The 1604 date, of course, is a perfect fit for Also in December personalities such as been presented to our readers in the last two postulating Oxford as Shakespeare. The academic HaroldBloom (Shakespeare: The newsletters. Dickson tells us that the re­ aJiicle did generate a fair amount of main- Invention a/the Human-reviewed on page sponse to the article has been overwhelm- ard F, Whalen, society past president and author PBS Frontline "The Shakespeare Mystery," Harper s Up Next of Shakespeare: Who Was He? broadcast three times since 1989 in prime time, The Stratfordians are Professor Jonathan and now the recent Time magazine article are all Harper's Magazine has undertaken a major Bate of Liverpool University, author of The part of a continuing process over the past ten review of the Shakespeare authorship question. Genius a/Shakespeare (reviewed in the Fall 1998 years to give the case for Oxford as the true Five Oxfordians and five Stratfordians have newsletter); Professor Harold Bloom ofYaleand author the broadest national cOlllUlunication written articles for a "folio," as Harper's calls it, New York University, author of Shakespeare: since Looney identified Oxford as Shakespeare to be featured on the cover oftheupcoming April the Invention 0/ the Human; Professor Marjorie in 1920. The Harper's folio, totaling more than issue. Four ofthe Oxfordians are contributors to Garber of Harvard, author of several books on 20,000words written by ten contributors, should the Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter. Shakespeare; IrvinMatus, author ofShakespeare, stimulate even more interest in the subject. The Oxfordian writers are Mark Anderson, InFact; andProfessorGailKernPasterofGeorge Nearly sixty years ago Halper's carried an journalist and columnist for the society newslet­ Washington University, editor of Shakespeare article claiming to refute the case for Oxford. ter; Tom Bethell, Washington cOlTespondentfor Quarterly, the leading Shakespeare journal. Prof. Oscar James Campbell ofColumbia wrote The American Spectator and author of several Bethell and Matus are makingrepeatappear­ the 1940 article, which was largely a response to .books; Joe Sobran, syndicated columnist and ances in a debate fonnat in a literary magazine. Charles Wisner Barrell's Ashboume portrait author of Alias Shakespeare; Professor Daniel They squared offeight years ago in a cover spread article in the Scientific American. At the time Wright ofConcordia University, organizer ofthe in TheAtlallticMonthrycalled "Looking for Shake­ Harper's refused to give any Oxfordian writers Edward de Vere Studies Conference and the speare." an opportunity to reply. So the times and editors author of The Anglican Shakespeare; and Rich- The Atlantic Monthly articles of 1991, the have changed, and now the balance is redressed. Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter page 3 ingly positive (after tallying phone calls and Journal Review letters that he and Post writer Don Oldenburg have received to date, plus the letters to the Yes, But, is Authorship Dead? editor). The Time article was, in part, a direct The Folger reports on George Greenwood vs. Mark Twain result of the exposure resulting from the by Richard F. Whalen Post article. While the article took no posi­ tion, most readers could detect a clear pro­ Mark Twain's marginalia in a book by right law by lifting a whole chapter from authorship, pro-Oxford subtext in it.