Peter Dickson reports on some incredible findings that have resulted from his recent researches into the 1620s and the life and times of King James I. When checking recent 1990s biographies of James, looking to see what new facts and insights may have been added, Dickson found instead that some critical information now appears to be missing!
Prof. Daniel L. Wright gives us a glimpse of the “theatricality” of Edward de Vere in comparison to those around him. This description of how de Vere responded to a challenge to participate in a jousting tournament before Queen Elizabeth in 1581 is clear proof that he was indeed “a man apart” among his peers.
Shakespeaere Oxford Newsletter columnist Mark Anderson took a look at Helen Vendler’s celebrated book on the sonnets in 1998, de-constructing the artful dodges that make up any Stratfordian attempt to understand them while ignoring the author.
Richard Whalen reviewed three recent sonnet books in the Spring 1998 Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter (Helen Vendler’s, Katherine Duncan-Jones’, and G.Blakemore Evans’.), and finds they have in common what we already knew: without knowing the true author, the sonnets can mean anything and nothing.
Long-time Oxfordian Ramon L. Jimenez reviews a little known book by David Honneyman (1997) that again illustrates the Stratfordian dilemma with the Sonnets. Honneyman’s solution is quite startling, though. In his book he invents the “Ur-Sonnets,” originally written in France in the 1570s, and has our Stratford hero merely translating them into English later. We kid you not. Check it out.
Joseph Sobran based his 1997 book Alias Shakespeare on his Oxfordian reading of the Sonnets, and he re-states here what he said in his book: the Sonnets are indeed an “Achilles’ heel” for Stratfordians, since any acceptance of their reality virtually blows the Stratford actor out of the water as their author.
Shakespeare In Love: With the Oscar winning movie due out on video by the end of August 1999, we provide here for out Internet Oxfordians some recent commentary from Shakespeare Oxford Society members Gerit Quealy (from the Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter) and Joe Eldredge, in a piece written for The Ever Reader.
Joe Eldredge, like most movie-goers and most Oxfordians, found Shakespeare in Love a typical, fun Hollywood movie. But, he wonders, just what were the writers and producers thinking about as they put this wonderful film together.
